LITERARY DECRIPTIONS

Descriptive writing creates an impression in the reader’s mind of an event, a place,a person, or thing. The writing will be such that it will set a mood or describe something in such detail that if the reader saw it, they would recognize it. Descriptive writing will bring words to life and makes the text interesting.

Some examples of descriptive text include:

  • The sunset filled the entire sky with the deep colour of rubies, setting the clouds ablaze.
  • The waves crashed and danced along the shore, moving up and down in a graceful and gentle rhythm like they were dancing.
  • The painting was a field of flowers, with deep and rich blues and yellows atop vibrant green stems that seemed to beckon you to reach right in and pick them.
  • The old man was stooped and bent, his back making the shape of a C and his head bent so far forward that his beard would nearly have touched his knobby knees had he been just a bit taller.
  • His deep and soulful blue eyes were like the colour of the ocean on the clearest day you can ever imagine.
  • The soft fur of the dog felt like silk against my skin and her black colouring glistened as it absorbed the sunlight, reflecting it back as a perfect, deep, dark mirror.

In your mind what could you SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE or FEEL

5 Senses Writing: You will need to ensure you cover as many of the 5 senses as you can in your writing.

Descriptive writing must include information that shows shape, colour, texture, sounds, smells and emotion. This is NOT a story or a recount – you are providingyour reader with a sensoryexperience to set a scene.

Working Towards

I can see a child swimming in water which looks dirty. I think they are trying to find something to eat or just cooling off on a hot day. I see green algae and coloured rubbish floating in the water. The smell is terrible; a stale smell. The colours of the rubbish seem to shine in the sunlight. The smell is gets worse as I get nearer the water. I can see different items – bottles, playing cards, plastic bags, rotting fruit, cardboard, chip wrappers and more. The rubbish must feel slimy against the child’s skin. It has collected here over many, many days. Pools of oil are catching the light of the sun making the water shine.

At Standard

I can see a child swimming in dirty water. Maybe they are trying to find something to eat or maybe they are cooling off on a hot day. They are surrounded by green algae and multi coloured rubbish floating on the surface of the water. The smell is terrible; an unpleasant stale smell of mould and of rotting food. The bright colours of the rubbish seem to shine in the sunlight, contrasting with the obviously polluted water. The smell is getting worse as I get nearer the waterand as the day gets warmer. I can see so many different items – different kinds of plastic and glass bottles, clean looking playing cards, torn plastic bags, rotting fruit, soggy cardboard, crinkled chip wrappers and so much more. The rubbish must feel slimy against the child’s skin. Maybe it feels like swimming through long, slippery eels. It has collected here over many, many days. Pools of oil are catching the light of the sun making the water look like it has been polished.

Extending

I can see a child swimming in contaminated, tainted water. Maybe they are trying to find something to eat or maybe they are cooling off on a scorching, hot and sweltering day. They are surrounded by green, slippery algae and multi coloured filthy rubbish floating on the surface of the water. The smell is terrible; a disagreeable, unpleasant stale smell of mould and of decomposing food. The bright colours of the rubbish seem to shine in the sunlight, contrasting with the obviously unhygienic and polluted water. The awful putrid smell is getting worse as I get nearer the dark water and as the day gets warmer. I can see so many different items – different kinds of plastic and glass broken bottles, clean looking playing cards, torn used plastic bags, rotted and decomposing fruit, soggy, mushy cardboard, crinkled and creased chip wrappers and so much more. The child has made a pathway through the rubbish, pushing the decaying items to either side of his young body. The rubbish must feel greasy and slimy against the child’s skin. Maybe it feels like swimming through long, smooth eels. It has collected here over many, many days. Pools of oil are catching the light of the sun making the water look glassy as if it has been polished.The waste is a symbol of the throw away society of many parts of the world today. I feel that the world cares so little about the destruction it is causing and the plight of the people living in these putrid conditions.