DESCRIPTIVE WRITING

OBSERVATION
• Good writing comes from close observation of people,
places, objects, and even our own feelings and emotions.

• What follows are some examples of descriptive writing.

 WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE WRITING?

The moon with its wisps of white light hung suspended in the frosty air
over the still, quiet countryside. He could see in all directions, from the
majestic outcrop of mountains to the vast ocean on the other.
WOW!!
The reader can certainly SEE the moon and the countryside.
Notice the images of colour and shape.

Descriptive writing focuses on observation, is static,

and paints pictures with words.
 HERE’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE:

In a large box out in the garage, • What brings this scene to life?
surrounded by gumboots, shovels • Write down the words that help
and old paint tins, is a scene of joy. the reader visualise this scene.
The happy mother lies on a tatty
red and yellow blanket, her litter at
her belly. She licks them, and looks
up with watchful brown eyes when
we bend over to see. The tiny
puppies, blind and almost hairless,
scramble over one another,
searching for the teats, or sucking
hungrily. “Aaaah,” we say. We
don’t dare touch yet. But we can’t
help but stare. It’s better than TV
any day.
 AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE
OBSERVE PEOPLE – AT THE
The girls stand in nervous
DISCO.
clusters, wearing their name
brand gear – Rip Curl, Esprit,
Billabong, tight tops with string
straps. Little black numbers.
The guys have on their best
Levis, T shirts, gelled hair.
or moving across to chat
someone up. Later, in small
groups, they’ll pour out into the
night street, heading for
McDonalds and the scent of hot
fries. A good night out.

The air is full of noise, booming so

loud you can’t hear a word.
Rainbow coloured spots cut
through the haze of smoke like
searchlights, picking up the
silhouettes of dancing girls.
The boys lean against the
walls, sipping Coke, watching,
 Word Power
• Descriptive writing is writing with flair. It
means using words so that they paint a
picture for the reader, but doing so in ways
that often surprise the reader. Here are
some of the tools available to you:
 Similes
Comparisons using the
words “like” or “as”
( simile)
• The surface of the moon is
like crumpled sandpaper
• I felt as nervous as a fish
out of water
• As clear as crystal
 Metaphors
Comparisons minus cue
words
• My tears were a river
• I died with embarrassment
• Her heart was on fire
• He hit the wall of exhaustion
 Adjectives
Words which describe or
modify nouns
• The tall, thin man entered
the spooky room with
measured steps. Inside the
room deep shadows
crouched in wait for him.
 Adverbs
Words which describe or
modify verbs
• The jets dived steeply out of the
sky, tumbling rapidly as they
manoeuvered gracefully past
each other.

• USE ADVERBS TO
DESCRIBE A FIREWORKS
DISPLAY. (1 – 2 SENTENCES)
 Interesting verbs
• It is worthwhile taking the time to think about the verb for
the situation you are trying to bring to life. Often a
carefully chosen verb can transform a so-so passage into
something quite different.
• He ran.
• He jogged.
• He fled.
• He sprinted away.
• He stormed off.
 TASK
• Rewrite the following passage,
changing each verb to a more
interesting one. You might like
to check your thesaurus, but be
careful of your choice of words:

• The teacher waved at the coach

to stop the game. However the
coach was interested in the play
and didn’t do as suggested.
Surprised by this response, the
teacher took the opportunity to
yell out, ‘STOP!’
 CHARACTER, PLACE AND
ACTION
• The best descriptions have a focus. They aren’t just lists of
everything in the scene thrown together. Try concentrating
on character – bring it to life!
Their jeans brushed the polished floor, scuffed running shoes
squeaking in unison as the two teenagers crossed the crowded space
from the music shop to the food court. One of them, her hair -jagged
tufts of red and green, smirked at the looks of disbelief the pointy stud
in her bottom lip drew. The other, eyes narrowed and searching,
curled his lip in a silent snarl, reached deep into the pockets of his
black coat and pulled out a crumpled shopping list.
The girl walked with a swagger that suggested she was not to be
crossed. Her eyes were pin-points, and her nostrils flared with disdain
at what she saw around her: losers. Everyone round her was a loser,
and nothing would change that.
HAVE FUN DESCRIBING
AND WRITING…..