Reading 5

Module 4 Name ________________ _____ Score 81/81 1st Q

adventurous Sensory Words

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Sensory words allow a reader to feel like they are right there in a scene. The smell of grass, for example, is less
effective than a sentence that includes the earthy smell of fresh-cut grass. Sensory words are descriptive—they describe how
we experience the world: how we smell, see, hear, feel or taste something. Keep reading for lists of words that heighten all
five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.
A. Sensory Words for Sight
Get past ugly and beautiful when describing what a character sees. You might also consider words that express the
opposite of sight such as dark words. If you need more choices for sensory word that describes the appearance of things,
there are lots of wonderful words in the English language. Words related to sight indicate colors, shape, or appearance.
For example:
Gloomy dazzling bright foggy gigantic. Radiant
Resplendent sparkling shimmering shiny twinkling vibrant
B. Sensory Words for Hearing
Finding the right sensory word to describe a sound can be tricky. It depends on whether the sound is quiet or loud
and how the reader should react upon “hearing” it. Words related to hearing describe sounds.
For example:
crashing thumping piercing tingling squeaky clanging
honking howling jabbering ranting raving roaring
C. Sensory Words for Touch
Would you rather sleep on a fluffy, fleecy pillow or an abrasive, scratchy one? Choosing the right touch sensory
words can make a reader feel very comfortable – or, if you’d rather, very uncomfortable. Words related to touch describe
textures. You can use them to describe feelings and abstract concepts, too.
For example:
gritty creepy slimy fluff sticky furry
fuzzy gossamer lacy luxurious satiny silky
D. Sensory Words for Smell and Taste
Smell and taste are separate senses. However, you’ll often find that adjectives that work with taste can also describe a
smell. Use these sensory words to describe a flavorful, aromatic meal or a sharp, pungent smell. Taste and smell are closely
related. Most taste and smell words are easy substitutes for bland words like good, nice, or bad.
For example:
Zesty tantalizing sweet stinky stale. grainy
Medicinal metallic moldy musty nauseating pungent

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!
FT1 Group the following sense words to where they belong. 26
bitter bright buzzing chattering cloudy fruity fragrant sparkly
radiant humming salty scented scratchy sticky rough tangy
gooey gigantic shimmering sparkling gritty faint deafening bland

Taste Touch Sight Sound Smell

Bitter Scratchy Bright Buzzing Fruity

Fruity Sticky Cloudy Chattering Fragrant

Salty rough Sparkly Humming Scented

Tangy gooey radiant deafening tangy

bland gritty gigantic

faint shimmering

sparkling
FT2 Encircle the sense words and label after above with the senses they use – SI for (sight), TO for (touch), HR for
(hearing), SM for (smell), and TA for (tasting). 22
__HR_1. Our cabinets remain squeak-and-creak free. That’s guaranteed for 10 years.
__TA____2. The scrumptious jalapeno poppers comforted Karl after his bitter rejection.
__TO_3. Two minutes into the interview, I knew his abrasive personality would be an issue if we hired him.
__SI____4. Irreverent copywriter on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and to add sparkle to business blogs.
Reading 5 page 2 1st Q
__HR___5. Imagine your readers trudging. Their shoes feel heavy. Squelch. Sploosh. Squelch. Sploosh.
__TA____4. Unfortunately, my schedule is jam-packed; and I’m unable to squeeze in new projects.
__TA___6. It’s a bittersweet situation.
_SI, TO___7. Her golden hair looked disheveled thanks to the gust of wind.
__TO__8. The Hot Pocket was scalding on the outside, but ice-cold in the middle.
__SI___9. He was a towering presence.
__SI, TA____10. I ordered a large orange juice, but the waiter brought me a teeny-tiny glass the size of a thimble.
__ HR___11. He had a big, booming voice.
__TO___12. With a forced smile, I put on the itchy Christmas sweater my grandmother bought me.
__HR___13. The sound of screeching tires was soon followed by the deafening sound of a car horn.
__HR____14. As I peeked under the bed, the cackling laughter coming from the closet made the hairs on my arms stand up.
__SM__15. The pungent smell was unmistakable: someone in this elevator was wearing Axe Body Spray.
__SM, TA___16. No matter the expiration date, it was clear from its rancid stench the milk had gone bad.
__SM__17. The flowery aroma was a welcome change after the elevator and milk incidents.
__HR___18. By the time I got home, my stomach was rumbling and growling.
__SM__19. I was strolling past an Italian restaurant today when I got overwhelmed by the aroma of a professionally
cooked plate of authentic Italian spaghetti, my favorite meal.
__TA__20. The dessert is crunchy yet chewy. It is so delicious.
__TO___21. The cake from City Charms Bakery are airy and light.
__HR___22. The forest is full of snarling, gnarling, and rustling at night.
FT3 Read each clue. Using the word bank, decide on the sensory word that best matches the context. Then, write it in the
blank beside each clue. 10 +48
rotten medicinal sopping silky bland smoky
rumbling crowded tart prickly mumbling muscular
1. _rumbling : a sound that thunder might make 6. _sopping__: completely soaked with water
2. silky_: how satin feels when you touch it 7. _smoky__: characteristic of a burning building
3. _rotten : the taste of spoiled food 8. _mumbling__: speaking very quietly and muted
4. _muscular__: having a lot of muscles 9. _medicinal___: smelling like medicine
5. _crowded___: when there are a lot of people at 10._prickly__: feeling very sharp when it is
one location touched
FT4 Fill in the circle next to the sentence that uses sensory words to make the writing more interesting. 12 +59
1. a) Stacey was eating cereal. 4. a.) The cat’s coat was silky soft, and smelled of kitty
b.) The towels smelled lemony fresh. litter.
c.) The cafeteria was serving hamburgers. b.) I petted the cat for a long time.
d.) My mother drink coffee in the morning. c.) The cat was a Siamese.
2. a.) I bought mittens when it got cold. d.) The cat scratched my face.
b.) They were on sale so I bought them. 5. a.) I go and see the fireworks every Fourth of July.
c.) The scratchy mittens rubbed roughly against my b.) Beaming flashes and showers of brilliant colors
hands. magically light up the night sky.
d.) I never wore those mittens again. c.) Many people are watching them.
3. a.) They had steak for dinner. d.) One year, the fireworks were rained out.
b.) I asked for mashed potatoes, gravy and peas. 6. a.) As I quietly tiptoed through the room, the bright
c.) Our neighbors are barbequing hotdogs. lights flicked on.
d.) The spicy, mouthwatering aroma came from b.) I was trying to sneak a couple of cookies.
their backyard. c.) The neighbor’s dog is loud.
d.) I dropped my backpack on the floor.
FT5 Create a paragraph that contains at least five sense words describing the picture. 10+71 =81

END!