DESCRIPTIVE WRITING. Grade 6 Term 1. Surname, Name: Class:

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1 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING Grade 6 Term 1 Surname, Name: Class:

2 Contents Goals... 2 Parts of Speech... 3 Sentence Structure... 5 Compound Sentences... 6 Complex Sentences... 8 Sensory Adjectives & Verbs Descriptive Challenge Figurative Language Simile Metaphor Descriptive Writing Making Sensory Observations Sensory Observation Homework Descriptive Paragraph Examples Descriptive Writing Assessment EARLY FINISHERS MY NOTES: Goals Grammar Revise the structure of a sentence. Revise the names and functions of the parts of speech. Learn to use coordinating conjunctions to make compound sentences. Learn to use subordinating conjunctions to make complex sentences. Spelling and Learn the names for grammar concepts. Vocabulary Practice using a thesaurus. Learn sensory adjectives. Writing Practice writing simple, compound, and complex sentences. Understand and explain how using a variety of sentence types makes our writing more interesting and clear. Use sensory adjectives to make our descriptive writing more effective. Use metaphors and similes to make our descriptive writing more effective. Write an effective descriptive paragraph that evokes all the reader s senses eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

3 Parts of Speech In language, words are the smallest elements that have meaning. Based on their use and functions, words are categorized into several types, called parts of speech. n. A. Write the name of the part of speech next to its definition, and give at least two original examples of each. Names a person, place, thing or idea. Examples: adj. Describes a noun. Examples: Shows action or being. Examples: v. Describes a verb or modifies an adjective. Examples: B. Underline the parts of speech in this sentence, and label them, using the abbreviations n., adj., v., adv., and c. A young boy suddenly fell into adv. the lake, but a kind dog came and bravely rescued the boy. c eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

4 C. Complete the Mad Lib below with the correct parts of speech. (verb +ing) (adjective) (verb +ing) (noun) (adverb) (noun) (plural noun) (verb) (plural noun) (noun) (verb) (adjective) (adjective) eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

5 Sentence Structure Words represent simple ideas: things, actions, and qualities. To communicate more complicated thoughts, we put those words together into sentences. So, what is a sentence? A sentence is A. Read the following clauses. Explain why they are not sentences. 1. A fluffy dog. 2. Ran around the garden. 3. A fluffy dog ran around the. 4. a fluffy dog ran around the garden B. Label the elements that make this group of words a complete sentence. A fluffy dog ran around the garden. C. Put the words in the correct order to make complete sentences. Don t forget to use correct capitalization and punctuation. 1. never / his car / Jeremy / on Monday mornings / takes 2. a lot of traffic / on Mondays / there is / always 3. to drive / doesn t like / when / traffic / there is / he 4. your dad / how does / to work / go / on Mondays eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

6 Compound Sentences A compound sentence is two simple sentences joined together by a comma and a connecting word, called a coordinating conjunction. There are 7 coordinating conjunctions in English. They are sometimes called FANBOYS words. F A N B O Y S CONJUNCTION WHAT IT SHOWS Reason I feel tired and miserable, I didn t sleep last night. Addition I went to a sleepover at Mike s house, we played video games all night. Negative addition Mike s parents weren t at home, did they know I was staying over. Contrast Mike said that his grandmother would watch us, there was no one home. Alternative Should I tell my mother what happened, should I keep it a secret? Contrast I want to tell my mother, I don t want Mike to get in trouble. Result I know that one lie leads to another, I always tell the truth. She works in the city, but she lives in the suburbs. Simple Sentence Simple Sentence A. Add a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction to make compound sentences below. 1. Jordan broke his arm he had to go to the hospital. 2. My dog chased a rabbit around the yard he couldn t catch it. 3. Taylor didn t study for the assessment did he finish his reading eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

7 B. Connect two simple sentences using the appropriate FANBOYS conjunction. SIMPLE SENTENCES COMPOUND SENTENCE RULE (When do you use it?) Roberta likes going to school. She does not like math class. Linda lost her blanket. She started to cry. Linda started to cry. She lost her blanket. John didn t eat breakfast. He didn t eat lunch. You can sleep on the couch. You can sleep in your bed. You can t do both. Simon can speak French. He can also speak Italian. C. Complete the compound sentences. 1. Most cats are afraid of dogs, yet. 2. I think that old lady is a witch, for. 3. I haven t got a pet monkey, nor eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

8 Complex Conjunctions Complex Sentences A complex sentence contains one simple sentence and one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but isn t a complete sentence on its own. It starts with a complex conjunction (also called a subordinating conjunction) like while, when, after, before, although, and because. A rainbow appeared after the rain stopped. simple sentence dependent clause After the rain stopped, a rainbow appeared. dependent clause simple sentence A. Underline the complex conjunction. Circle the dependent clause. Then rewrite the sentence, switching the place of the dependent clause and simple sentence. 1. The teacher believed Karen s story because she had never lied before. 2. If only I had wings, I would fly to the stars. 3. Wherever I go, my brother follows me. 4. We will play football until the sun goes down eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

9 B. Complete the sentences in a meaningful way using your own words. 1. He was so thirsty because 2. Although William slept for 10 hours, 3. Martha couldn t find her keys even though 4. The children waited until 5. They moved to another city after C. Read the sentences below and write (S) for SIMPLE, (C) for COMPOUND and (X) for COMPLEX sentences: 1. The wind was cold that night. 2. He finally came after we waited hours for him. 3. He asked his father for money because he wanted chocolate. 4. Meg didn t study, so she failed in the test. 5. Bob can t keep secrets. 6. The table will collapse if you stand on it. 7. You will be punished for you have broken the rules. 8. Tell me if this bag is mine. 9. Jim was tired, but he couldn t sleep. D. Read and summarize Gary Provost s advice about writing. This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It's like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals--sounds that say listen to this, it is important. So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader's ear. Don't just write words. Write music eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

10 Sensory Adjectives & Verbs When describing a scene or environment, good writers do not just tell their readers what it looks like. They make their readers feel like they are standing there, experiencing the environment themselves. You can do this too, by using all five senses in your description. It helps to use creative, descriptive adjectives. A. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for each of the sensory adjectives and verbs below. bright ADJECTIVES to stare VERBS high-pitched to whisper sweet-smelling to stink slimy to stroke delicious to smack eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

11 B. Read the two different examples of descriptive paragraphs below. Circle at least 15 of the adjectives as you read. Be ready to discuss the differences with your class. Next to the wandering Kirmir River, at the bottom of a verdant valley, the village of Yeşilöz rolls across a pile of rocks like a lazy dog stretching out in the sunshine. Although it is only a one-hour drive from the bustling, noisy city of Ankara, life here is hushed and slow. The day begins with the call of roosters echoing off the steep rock walls of the valley, then the sounds of breakfast dishes clinking. Farm fresh butter. Sour cherry jam. Sharp cheese. Sweet tea. The tastes of morning carry you into a new day. Soon, the air becomes thick with the scent of cut grass and linden trees baking in the golden sunshine. Under the shade of the trees, the river gently babbles past. Birds chirp in the branches. In the background, the melodic buzzing of cicadas is the restful soundtrack of summer. By night, the cool breeze offers a bouquet of fragrant flowers: jasmine and honeysuckle. From a dozen houses, the sounds of laughter and friendly conversation drift on the night wind. This is Yeşilöz. For me, this is summer. There is a creepy old house in our neighborhood. I am sure that it is haunted. I try not to look at it when I walk past, but that old house has a mysterious power over me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The metallic taste of fear rises from my throat. My mind screams, Go! Don t look! Walk on! But, as if I m under a spell, I stop, and I slowly turn until I m staring at the house. It stares back at me through its broken window eyes. The paint on the walls is peeling and the bricks are crumbling. Torn scraps of dirty curtains hang ghostlike from the corners of the windows. The front door gapes open like the mouth of a hungry creature. From somewhere deep inside the monster s belly, a cold, damp-smelling wind blows. Strange noises echo in the empty rooms. Thumps. Scratches. The howl of an angry cat. Sharp, spiky weeds burst through the fence like bony fingers reaching out to scratch me, pull me, and drag me up the steps and through the door. I turn and run away before they can reach me, my heart pounding in my chest eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

12 Descriptive Challenge In our class reader, Holes, Stanley writes a letter to his mum and describes Camp Green Lake. He doesn t want his family to be sad, so he lies. He describes the camp as if it were a fun summer camp. C. Now you try the same! Write a letter as Stanley. Describe Camp Green Lake to your mother, using lots of positive sensory adjectives. D. Now imagine Stanley is writing in his diary. Describe Camp Green Lake as it really is eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

13 Figurative Language To make our descriptions more colourful and effective, we often use figurative language. Figurative language is the use of words and expressions that mean something other than their literal meaning. Literal Language Figurative Language That man is very old. That man is 93 years old. He is as old as my grandfather. That man is ancient. That man is as old as the mountains. His mother was a dinosaur. Simile A simile is a type of figurative language that compares two unlike things using like or as. E. Underline the two things compared in each simile. Explain the difference between similes that use like and similes that use as. Your room is as messy as a pigpen. Your room looks like a pigpen. I feel as free as a bird. The horse ran as fast as the wind. Winning the race was as easy as taking candy from a baby. He was as happy as a pig in poop. I feel like a bird. The horse ran like the wind. The old couple fought like cats and dogs. I know this city like the back of my hand. F. Explain why these sentences aren t similes. 1. John is as tall as Gary. 2. I like chicken. 3. My dog looks like your dog. G. Write two similes for each picture, one using like and one using as eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

14 Metaphor A metaphor is a type of figurative language that compares two unlike things. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not use like or as. When using a metaphor, you may say that the thing you are describing is something else, or you may give it characteristics that normally belong to something else. A. Read the following examples. Explain the metaphor. The world is a stage, and all the men and women are actors. Laughter is the best medicine. Stanley and Zero climbed up the edge of the frying pan. The room was dirty and had the bitter smell of failure. The old lady s eyes were full of the ghosts of the past. B. Write your own metaphor about each topic. C. Reread the two descriptive paragraphs on page 12. Underline the metaphors and similes eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

15 Descriptive Writing Making Sensory Observations Where are you? At this very moment, millions of pieces of information are entering your brain through your five senses. Your mind is sorting that information into an image that you recognize as your classroom. This image is more than a picture. You also feel the softness of your clothes on your skin and the firmness of the chair under you. You hear the sound of traffic outside the window, and you smell pencils and dust. Your conscious mind usually ignores these and thousands of other sensations, but they are an important part of your sense of place. Our goal in descriptive writing is not to tell our readers what a place looks like. Our goal is to make our readers feel like they are there, in the place we are describing. Before writing, we must carefully observe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings that make up the sensory experience of that place. A. Carefully observe your sensory experiences in a place your teacher chooses. Take notes eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

16 Sensory Observation Homework Just as you did at school, choose a place to observe. It could be your school bus, a park, your bedroom, a coffee shop, or anywhere you feel comfortable. Sit quietly for at least 10 minutes. Carefully observe all the sounds, sights, tastes, smells and feelings you experience. Use at least 3 adjectives for each sense. B. Carefully observe your sensory experiences in the place you choose. Take notes. C. Write one simile and one metaphor describing one of your observations. Simile: Metaphor: eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

17 Descriptive Paragraph Examples When writing descriptively, it is important to use interesting adjectives. However, good descriptive writing involves more than good descriptive adjectives. C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles, wrote this advice about descriptive writing in a letter to another author. A. Read and summarize C.S. Lewis advice about descriptive writing. In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was terrible, describe it so that we ll be terrified. Don t say it was delightful ; make us say delightful! when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, Please, will you do my job for me? Barbara Kingsolver wrote a book of descriptive essays about Arizona called High in Tuscon. In this paragraph, Kingsolver describes the desert waiting for the summer rain storms to come up from the Gulf of Mexico. Notice how she uses creative similes and metaphors, sensory verbs and sensory adjectives to make the reader feel the dry heat of the desert without using the words dry or hot. B. Read Barbara Kingsolver s paragraph. Circle the sensory verbs and adjectives. Underline the similes and metaphors. June is the cruelest month in Tucson, especially when it lasts till the end of July. This is the season when every living thing in the desert swoons south toward some faint salt dream of the Gulf of Mexico: tasting the horizon, waiting for the summer storms. This year they are late. The birds are pacing the ground stiff-legged, panting, and so am I. Waiting. In this blind, bright still-june weather the shrill of the cicadas hurts your eyes. Every plant looks pitiful and, when you walk past it, moans a little, envious because you can walk yourself to a drink and it can t. C. Write a sentence descibing the scene below. Use words that engage either the sense of smell or sound eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

18 Descriptive Writing Assessment In this assessment, you will write a descriptive paragraph. You may describe the place you observed in class (using your notes on page 16), the place you observed for homework (page 17), or another place you know well and can clearly picture in your mind. Your paragraph must be at least 120 words long. It should contain at least one simile and one metaphor, and at least one adjective relating to each of the five senses (at least 5 adjectives in total). Assessment Rubric Below basic Basic (1 point) (2-3 points) Engages only 1 sense Engages at least 2 senses Proficient (4-5 points) Engages at least 3 senses Advanced (6 points) Creatively engages all 5 senses Content Use of figurative language Contains no metaphors or similes Contains at least 1 metaphor or 1 simile Contains at least 1 metaphor and 1 simile Contains creative, effective similes and metaphors Use of adjectives No or only one adjective is used accurately 2-3 adjectives are used accurately 4-5 adjectives are used accurately Many creative, interesting adjectives are used accurately Use of indentation, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling Paragraph has 6 or more errors. Paragraph has 3 to 5 errors. Paragraph has 1 or 2 errors. Paragraph has no errors. Accuracy of grammar Sentence Variety Structures used in sentences are not accurate. Mostly simple sentences are used. No different sentence type variety. Very limited number of sentences are written with accurate structures. There is an effort to use some different sentence types; however, the variety is limited. Most of the sentences are formed with accurate structures. Almost all through the paragraph a good variety of different sentence types are used. Almost all of the sentences are written with accurate / extended sentences eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

19 EARLY FINISHERS 1. Try to search and find the sensory adjectives in the puzzle to reveal the hidden message: HOW DESCRIPTIVE ARE YOU? BLAND BURNT DELICIOUS FILTHY FRAGRANT HUSHED IMMENSE METALLIC PRICKLY RESTFUL ROTTEN SHARP SLIMY TANGY TORN VERDANT! eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

20 2. Read the story prompts given below and try to finish one or both of the stories on a separate piece of paper or in the space below: _ eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

21 3. Can you try to find the answers to the brainteasers and riddles given below? Five girls participated in a race. Maria finished before Sarah, but behind Ella. Marianne finished before Julia, but behind Sarah. In what order did the girls finish the race? Mike walks across a bridge. He sees a boat full of people, yet there isn t a single person on board. How is this possible? ANSWER: _ When you look for something, why is it always in the last place you look? ANSWER: _ A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed in town for three days and rode out on Friday. How was that possible? ANSWER: eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

22 References: Early finisher Word search puzzle com Early finisher Story Prompts Early finisher brain teasers Frugalfun4boys.com Early finisher riddles eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

23 MY NOTES: eng-wb-t1-(descriptive writing)

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