(TBASF) Lesson Topic 1: Descriptive Writing

Lesson Topic 1: Descriptive Writing

The previous two lessons have provided some practical and theoretical ideas about literary merit. In this microlesson, we will look at two literary devices that are almost always present within works of literary merit: ambiguity, and irony.

The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place, or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses.

Why is it important to learn about descriptive writing?

  • It will help students' writing be more interesting and full of details.
  • It encourages students to use new vocabulary words.
  • It can help students clarify their understanding of new subject matter material.

Descriptive writing shares the following characteristics:

 Descriptive writing shares the following characteristics: > Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a picture and appeal to all of the reader's senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste when appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint pictures of the feelings the person, place, or thing evokes in the writer. > Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language such as analogies, similies, and metaphors to help paint the picture in the reader's mind. > Good descriptive writing uses precise language. General adjectives, nouns, and passive verbs do not have a place in good descriptive writing. Use specific adjectives and nouns and strong action verbs to give life to the picture you are painting in the reader's mind. > Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways to organize descriptive writing include: chronological (time), spatial (location), and order of importance. When describing a person, you might begin with a physical description, followed by how that person thinks, feels, and acts.

 

Organization in Writing

  • Chronological Organization: Chronological order is the order in which the events occurred, from first to last. This is the easiest pattern to write and follow.
  • Spatial Organization: This type of organization takes the reader from one spot to the next, as if the reader were looking at something. It is very descriptive.
  • Order of Importance Organization: When using the order of importance pattern of organization, information can be structured from most important to least important or least important to most important.

Descriptive writing also uses words, phrases, symbols, and ideas such as simile, hyperbole,  metaphor, symbolism, and personification. This prevents the writing from becoming boring and creates a very descriptive image.

 

 

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