1 071-eng-wb-t2(Descriptive Writing)

DESCRIPTIVE

WRITING GRADE 7 Term 2

SURNAME, NAME: _____________________________________________________________________

CLASS: _____________________

“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our

imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.”

Jamie Paolinetti

2 071-eng-wb-t2(Descriptive Writing)

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

With this workbook, you will learn and revise the

magic and beauty of Descriptive Writing.

When you are finished you will be able to:

Use different types of writing, depending

on your audience

Identify and understand different language

techniques

Use different language techniques in your

own writing

Plan an essay, then edit and revise it

Use correct spelling, grammar and

punctuation in your writing

CONTENTS

SECTION TITLE

PAGE

NO.

Introduction 2

How descriptive are you? 3

Sensory Details 4

Similes 7

Metaphors 8

Adjectives 9

Vivid Verbs 10

Identifying Descriptive Writing 11

Writing Practice 12

Final assignment—writing 14

Rubric 17

Proofreading and revising 18

Early Finishers 19-21

Notes 22-23

Evaluation 24

3 071-eng-wb-t2(Descriptive Writing)

The purpose of descriptive writing is to make our readers see, feel, hear, smell, and taste what we have

seen, felt, heard, smelled, and tasted. These are the FIVE SENSES! Whether we're describing a person, a

place, or a thing, our aim is to reveal a subject through vivid and carefully selected details.

Your goal as a writer is to describe something so well that your reader will

see / smell / feel / hear / taste all details in his or her imagination.

“Your test begins … now.”

It’s time. Your heart is racing, beating a thousand times per second, ready to jump out of your chest onto

your desk. Your palms feel like used gym socks, hot and sweaty and unusable. Papers rustle all around you. Some-

one coughs, and suddenly your throat is as dry as a desert, dusty and cracking and desperate for water. You can’t

get up, but you don’t know where to begin. You close your eyes to try and focus. I know this stuff. I studied. I read

the book.

I will be fine….. You open your eyes and reach to pick up your pencil, but it is a poisonous snake just waiting

to betray you, so you leave it. There is a tapping from behind you, a non-stop tick-tick-tick-tick that is drilling into

your head, going deeper and deeper searching for vocabulary and persuasive writing techniques to steal. You take

one deep breath and open the test to read the first question, but your eyes start to get blurry. There is a fog

rolling through your head. What if I DON’T know the answer? What if I didn’t study enough? What is that tapping

sound? What if I fail? The room starts spinning around you, and the tapping won’t stop. The hammer in your chest

keeps pounding away, and your tongue is like sandpaper. You look down at your test through the hurricane

around you, and suddenly …

The room stops spinning. The fog clears. Your heartbeat slows down, the tapping stops, and your pencil is

just a pencil. You read the first question again. I know the answer.

How descriptive is it? Why ?

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How did you feel while reading ? Why?

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HOW DESCRIPTIVE ARE YOU?

Read the text. Think how descriptive this text is. Why ?

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Look at the three images below and write down as many words or phrases as you can think of that describe

them in the bubbles . Try to use the 5 senses. (They can be adjectives, verbs or nouns )

crowded (adj.)

people (n. )

Sports (n.)

Scared (adj.)

northern lights (n.)

magical (adj.)

freezing (adj.)

DESCRIPTION ACTIVITY

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1.SENSORY DETAILS (Five Senses)

Write down at least six to eight adjectives you can think of related to the five senses.

loud x faint

smooth

sticky

sour

chewy

dark

skinny

fresh x rotten

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING TECHNIQUES

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Select one of pictures below and describe it in five ways—one way for each of the five senses. You can use the

adjectives from the previous activity to inspire you!

Include AT LEAST three sentences for each category. Check the box next to the picture you choose.

T

A

S

T

E

TOUCH

S

M

E

L

L

SIGHT

SOUND

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FIVE SENSES ACTIVITY

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A simile compares two things, using the words “like” or “as.” A simile is an easy way to make the reader understand

something that might be very hard to describe, because the writer can compare it to something the reader

understands. Not every sentence with the word "like" is a simile. When looking for similes, be sure to find

sentences that make comparisons between two different things.

Example: The sky is as _____________ as ______________.

Colour Noun/Phrase

The sky is as grey as ash.

The sky is dark like a blanket over the world.

In the space below, fill in the blanks to complete each simile. Create two examples per picture.

THE CAVE

1. The cave is as _________________ as ___________________________.

2. The cave is _________________ like ____________________________.

THE BABY’S EYES

1. The baby’s eyes are __________________like ________________________.

2. The baby’s eyes are as __________________as _______________________.

THE MOTORCYCLE

1. The motorcycle is as ________________ as _____________________.

2. The motorcycle is ________________ like ______________________.

2. SIMILES

THE SUNSHINE

1. The sunshine is as _________________ as ____________

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2. The sunshine is _________________ like

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LOVE

1. Love is as _________________ as ____________

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2. Love is _________________ like

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3. METAPHORS

A metaphor is a comparison of two things that are not alike, NOT using “like "or “as.” It states the comparison

directly. In a metaphor, the author simply says one thing IS another thing. Like similes, metaphors are an easy way

to make your readers understand something that might be confusing, and also to make your descriptions much

stronger and more vivid.

It’s often a good idea to include a short explanation of your metaphor to make yourself clear.

Example: He was a bulldog, he never gave up until he got his way.

The sky was on fire, the sunset cast red and orange light everywhere.

THE STARS

1. The stars are ________________________

___________________, they _____________

_____________________________________.

2. The stars are _________________________

___________________, they _____________

_____________________________________.

THE SKYSCRAPERS

1. The skyscrapers are ____________________

________________, they _________________

______________________________________.

2. The skyscrapers are____________________

________________, they _________________

______________________________________.

THE ROLLER COASTERS

1. The roller coasters are____________________

________________, they _________________

______________________________________.

2. The roller coasters are____________________

________________, they _________________

______________________________________.

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4. ADJECTIVES– COMPARATIVES—SUPERLATIVES

Brainstorm a list of adjectives in the space below about one of the following topics.

Choose only one topic.

1– things to do at the beach 2– cars 3- fashion

WHAT IS THE RULE? _____________________________________________________________________________

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Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form Make a sentence with

a comparative OR

a superlative

hard harder than the hardest I think , water-skiing is

harder than surfing.

bigger than

The most wonderful

more Those jeans are the most

comfortable ones!

bad

good better ______ I am the best dancer I

know.

COMPLETE THE TABLE BELOW WITH COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS.

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5. VIVID VERBS

What are vivid verbs? How are they different from common verbs?

Vivid verbs create interest and excitement, make your readers easily visualize the action in their own minds.

A vivid verb is a verb that a reader will find more interesting and that is more specific to the common verbs we use all the time, like "walk".

Vivid verbs will help you avoid repeating the same (common) verb in your writing.

Write your own common (boring verbs) in the table below and then find vivid verbs to replace them.

You may go to thesaurus.com .

Common Verb Vivid Verbs that can replace it

Sleep

Hit

Complete these sentences using a vivid verb from the table above.

1. When the hungry dog saw the pizza crumbs on the floor, he quickly ran to eat them.

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2. The little girl walked with her friends to the fun fair close to their house.

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3. I looked in the basement. It was scary.

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Common Verbs Vivid Verbs Touch graze, caress, stroke

Cry whimper, blubber, bawl

See glare, gaze, glimpse

Like adore, admire, cherish, admire

Dislike loathe, despise, scorn, hate

Eat gorge, nibble, gobble

Run dash, dart, sprint, jog

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IDENTIFYING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

TIME TO WRITE IN A DESCRIPTIVE WAY!

In the space below, write a descriptive paragraph (at least 100 words) about the BEST OR

WORST New Year holiday you’ve ever had. Make sure to use sensory details, similes,

metaphors and descriptive adjectives in your writing.

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The following passage, a description of Ebenezer Scrooge, comes from Scene 1 of A Christmas

Carol. Read it, then fill in the chart below with as many descriptive phrases as you can find.

“Oh! But he’s a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, is that Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping,

scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel has ever struck

out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him freezes his

old features, nips his pointed nose, shrivels his cheeks, stiffens his gait; makes his eyes red, his thin lips

blue; and speaks out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime is on his head, and on his eyebrows,

and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he ices his office in the

dog-days and doesn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.” (A Christmas Carol, p. 10)

Adjectives Vivid Verbs Similes Metaphors Sensory Details

* wrenching

* Grating

* freezes

* Ices

* hard and sharp as a flint

* a frosty rime is on his head

* the cold within him

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Read the short text and identify adjectives (use red ) and

vivid verbs (use green) in the table below.

The Weekend Market

My favourite weekend market is located near the city's main bus station so people appear from all over the

city to buy and sell goods. This market is huge and holds everything from bags, souvenirs and handicrafts to many

kinds of animals, many kinds of plants and it also has a variety of tasty local food.

As you wander through the market, you will experience many sensations. There are scented candles and

aromatic smells everywhere. You can even stroke the soft furs of little kittens on the street. One moment you will

be hearing the sizzling of the stir-fry dishes from a small restaurant and next you can suck in the scents of roses and

other flowers as you pass through the cooler and more relaxing garden section. Moreover, strolling deeper into the

market, your eyes will gaze at so many products with their many colours, designs and sizes. After a while you may

feel dizzy and look for a quiet place to have a rest and a refreshing drink. There are many small cafes and drink

stalls selling fresh coconut juice, or iced water. While the market is usually hot and packed, the atmosphere is

friendly and good-natured.

To sum up, a day at the weekend market is both a day of shopping and a unique experience for your

senses. It is like a magical journey that is great as a first experience for tourists and an escape from daily life for

locals.

IDENTIFYING ADJECTIVES AND VIVID VERBS

Adjectives Vivid verbs

Huge (market) scented (candles) placed = located has = holds

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Describe your favourite

place!

Pick a place

Map your ideas below & Plan!

Start describing!

WRITING PRACTICE

My Favorite Place:

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________________

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________________

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________________

________________

________________

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Metaphors

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___________________Similes

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Vivid Verbs

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OTHER ?

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Comparative /Superlative

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HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR PARAGRAPH

List some vivid verbs you can use.

Write some metaphors & similes for that place.

Use many adjectives - Sensory details , comparatives and

superlatives.

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Just before you write, answer these questions:

What are the main sights and sounds in your place? Are there any parts in the place that stand out? What colours are important? What smells and tastes do you connect with this place? What feelings do you have about it? What happens in this place?

REMEMBER THE RULES OF A PARAGRAPH ! HAVE A TOPC SENTENCE—HAVE SUPPORTING IDEAS—HAVE A CLOSURE

USE LINKING WORDS - BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR GRAMMAR & SPELLING

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Now it’s time to combine everything you have learned to write your own descriptive writing.

In the space below, you will create a descriptive essay about one of the following themes:

The inside of a spaceship

Your memory of a place you visited as a child

An unusual room

A cemetery in a small town

Backstage during a concert

An extremely vivid experience of your own

My topic will be: ______________________________________

Brainstorm your topic in the space below:

Finally, think of metaphors , similes, adjectives , other sensory details that you could include in your essay. Write.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Sensory Details / Adjectives

Comparatives -Superlatives

Similes Metaphors Vivid Verbs

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1 2 3 4

Audience and Purpose

(20)

Contains details that are unfocused or details do not work in support of a clear main impression or purpose.

(1-6)

Creates a main impression, but details do not adequately support the purpose.

(7-11)

Creates a main impression, has a focused purpose supported by sensory details.

(12-16)

Creates a memorable main impression, supported with effective use of many sensory details appropriate to the purpose.

(16-20)

Logic of organization

(25)

Lacks organization,

writing is confusing and difficult to follow;

may be too brief to

assess organization.

(1-8)

May have

organization in

parts, but lacks

organization in

other parts.

(9-14)

Is consistently

organized, although

perhaps

simplistically.

(15-19)

Well organized,

with strong

transitions helping

to link words and

ideas.

(20-25)

Use of sensory details , vivid verbs and figurative language

(30)

No / very limited sensory details , no vivid verbs used in support of main idea; no figurative language.

(1-8)

Details in support of main idea not consistently effective; attempts at figurative language and vivid verbs but not always successful or interesting.

(9- 16)

Sensory details, vivid verbs support main idea; figurative language is used to create comparisons.

(17 –22)

Vivid verbs , sensory details support main idea; creative use of figurative language provides interesting comparisons.

(23- 30)

Grammar, Punctuation and Word usage

(25)

Numerous errors in

punctuation and

grammar distract and/

or confuse the reader.

Word usage cannot be

gauged in such poor

quality work.

(1-8)

Errors in punctua-

tion and grammar

may impair

readability.

Word choice is

extremely simple.

(9-14)

Capitalization is correct, punct. is smooth, spelling of common words is correct, more difficult words are generally correct, grammar is mostly correct, good word choice.

(15-19)

Capitalization is

accurate, punct. is

smooth, spelling is

correct even on more

difficult words,

grammar is almost

always correct, great

word choice.

(20 –25)

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING RUBRIC

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PROOFREADING AND REVISION

Proofreading, editing and revising your own writing is one of the most important parts of writing an essay. Your

job doesn’t end with just writing—you have to go back and check for mistakes!

For proofreading and editing, it’s all in the CUPS …

For revising, use your ARMS ...

C U P S

Capitalization: names, places, months, titles, I, sentences

Usage: nouns and verbs matched correctly (I am, you are, etc.)

Punctuation: periods, commas, question marks, quotes, etc.

A R M S

Add: sentences and words to strengthen your arguments

Remove: unnecessary or incorrect sentences and words

Move: change the placement of sentences and words

Substitute: trade in sentences and words that work better

Original: _______________________________________

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Add: __________________________________________

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Remove: ______________________________________

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Move: ________________________________________

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Original: _______________________________________

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Substitute: _____________________________________

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In the space below, pick four sentences from your essay and revise them using your ARMS.

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EARLY FINISHERS TASK

Find the Figurative Language! Identify any figures of speech used in the following

sentences. Then explain how you can tell.

1– His father yelled, and the mean words hung in the air like smoke, making Eliot’s eyes water.

A) simile

B) metaphor

C) both simile and metaphor

D) there is no figure of speech in that sentence

How can you tell -

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2– The computers in Michael’s office are dinosaurs, and the printer is as slow as a sloth.

A) simile

B) metaphor

C) both simile and metaphor

D) there is no figure of speech in that sentence

How can you tell

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3– Ray was nervous and excited for the school dance.

A) simile

B) metaphor

C) both simile and metaphor

D) there is no figure of speech in that sentence

How can you tell

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4– Malia led her basketball team off the bus, and the trophy waved above them like a flag.

A) simile

B) metaphor

C) both simile and metaphor

D) there is no figure of speech in that sentence

How can you tell

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Practice! Similes & Metaphors

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EARLY FINISHER WRITING TASKS

Describe Scrooge using sensory details and figurative language.

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Write how Scrooge is like or unlike someone you know using descriptive writing techniques.

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Scan and find at least 20 descriptive adjectives from our story ‘A Christmas Carol’.

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Describe one of the scenes from ’A Christmas Carol’.

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Write a descriptive paragraph about what happened to Scrooge after the story ended.

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Write a poem about Scrooge using figurative language and sensory details.

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Describe one of the ghosts of Christmas.

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Describe how Scrooge has changed throughout the story.

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NOTES

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NOTES

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I learned a lot about descriptive

writing. For example:

I think I learned …. I need to study more because

I found the following parts difficult :

What do you want to see less of?

Offer an alternative please.

What do you want to see more of

in the booklet?

REFERENCES & USEFUL LINKS

HOW TO BECOME A

DESCRIPTIVE WRITER COMPARATIVES AND

SUPERLATIVES SONG

SEONSORY DETAILS

IN WRITING

VIVID VERBS VIVID VERBS