Lesson 4: Describing Something
Have you ever picked up a book, and been so caught up in the words that you felt like you were right there in the story? Have you ever read a book and felt like there was a movie playing in your head? If so, you have experienced good descriptive writing.
Descriptive Words
When you add description to your writing, you are adding words that make a vivid impression on the reader or listener, and words that allow the reader be able to picture his mind the objects or places being described. We all use description every day. It is how we detail all of the events in our lives. If you learn to use descriptive words well you will find that your writing comes alive. The details, colors, shapes, smells, and sounds we hear can all be a part of a good descriptive paragraph.
One way to become familiar with descriptive words is to get into the habit of using a thesaurus. A thesaurus is a book that gives you synonyms, or words that mean the same, for many words. Using a thesaurus will help you to add colorful words to your writing and will help you to avoid overusing the same word.
Here are some examples from Thesaurus.com:
Some synonyms for run are: amble, bound, gallop, scramble, and skitter. How much more descriptive will your sentences be if you use descriptive words found in the thesaurus!
Here are two worksheets to help you practice using synonyms.
Using a Thesaurus: http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/english/t...
Thesaurus Quiz: http://www.ncistudent.net/StudySkills/Wr...
