Writing to Describe

Writing to Describe Objectives: To understand the conventions of writing to describe. D McBain Writing to Describe

Conventions = things you should do • When writing to describe, you are trying to create a picture in the reader’s head. To do this, you have a number of techniques at your disposal: • Similes • A simile is when you compare something to something else, for example “as strong as an ox” or “red like a rose” • Metaphors • A Metaphor is when something is transformed into something else for descriptive purposes, for example “He was a pig” or “the car flew down the road”. D McBain Writing to Describe

Basics • Verbs = Doing words • Adjectives = Describing words • Adverbs = Describe how an action is performed (usually ending in “ly”) D McBain Writing to Describe

Simile Metaphor Alliteration Onomatopoeia Power words Words that sound like the noise they describe. Comparing two things, saying something is like something else. Saying something is something else. Tragic instead of sad; vast instead if big; deafening instead of loud. Repeated letter sounds in a phrase of sentence. Can you match terms to definitions? D McBain Writing to Describe

Describing box one The rain beat down like a drum. It left pools on the ground like mysterious, ever increasing crop circles. It felt as if the world was going to be washed away. The stormy sky had darkened to inky black. D McBain Writing to Describe

Describing box one onomatopoeia simile The rain beat down like a drum. It left pools on the ground like mysterious, ever increasing crop circles. It felt as if the world was going to be washed away. The stormy sky had darkened to inky black. metaphor simile alliteration simile power word D McBain Writing to Describe

Using the skills you have learned. • In as much detail as you can and using all the techniques you have learned, describe the classroom you are in. • Be as imaginative as you want and don’t be afraid to try an individual approach. D McBain Writing to Describe

Writing to Describe