Descriptive
Writing:
Painting a
Picture
With Words
• An effective written description is one
that presents a clear picture to your
reader.
• A successful description uses vivid
vocabulary, including colorful adjectives
and figurative language.
• An interesting description attracts the
reader’s attention.
Imagery
Imagery is the use of
words to create images,
or mental pictures.
Imagery helps you
picture how something:
* looks
* sounds
* smells
* tastes
* feels
Read this descriptive introduction from an informational text:
“Dark shapes glide through the night sky on
silent wings, their sinister shadows outlined
against the light of a full moon. Swooping down
to the earth, they hover near houses and deserted
buildings, breaking the peace of the night with
their disturbing presence. Carriers of disease,
drinkers of blood, companions of witches and
demons, bats – the very word brings a shiver of
fear to most people.”
~ Sylvia A. Johnson, Bats
Nondescript Writing
Bats fly through the sky on wings, their bodies outlined
against the moon. Diving, they come close to buildings,
disturbing the night. They carry disease, drink blood,
hang out with witches and demons, bats-the very word is
scary.
Description of the Wind
“Anybody could see how cold it got. The wind already
had glass edges to it, stiffening muscles and practically
cutting through the stitches of our clothes. When it
blew, the chill stabbed our teeth like icicles, and our
voices jiggled every time we talked.”
From Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida
by Victor Martinez
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
The Hobbit: An Excerpt

“After a while Balin bade Bilbo 'Good luck!'
and stopped where he could still see the faint
outline of the door, and by a trick of the
echoes of the tunnel hear the rustle of the
whispering voices of the others just outside.
Then the hobbit slipped on his ring, and
warned by the echoes to take more than
hobbit's care to make no sound, he crept
noiselessly down, down into the dark. “
The Hobbit: An Excerpt

“He was trembling with fear, but his little
face was set and grim. Already he was a
very different hobbit from the one that had
run out without a a pocket-handkerchief
from Bag-End long ago. He had not had a
pocket-handkerchief for ages. He loosened
his dagger in its sheath, tightened his belt,
and went on.” -J.R.R Tolkien
Things to Remember About
Descriptive Writing
• Be specific, not vague.
• Elaborate (add more details and expand
your ideas).
• Use vivid vocabulary (strong nouns,
verbs, and adjectives).
• Include details that relate to your five
senses.
Writing Prompts Expectations
• 45 minutes to write a 5 paragraph essay
• Take a few minutes at the beginning to
outline your essay
• Write neatly (So that you, your classmates,
and I can read it. )
• Tomorrow we will peer edit, so write as
much as you possibly can!
Writing Prompts
• Think back to your first day in school (first
grade or kindergarten) and relate what
happened that day.
• You have just been rescued after being lost
for 24 hours. Relate what happened that
made you scared.
• You are walking home from a late movie,
and you have to cut through a cemetery.
Describe your experience.