Using the Senses
Why do we use our senses
when
writing descriptively?
We use sensory phrases to help the reader build up a
clear picture of our setting in their mind. We can do this
by describing:
what can what can what can what can what can
be seen; be be be be felt.
heard; tasted; smelt;
What questions should we ask
ourselves when writing
descriptively?
Click on the images to find out.
What might you see in this
setting?
What might you smell in this
setting?
What might you hear in this
setting?
What might you feel or touch in this
setting?
What might you taste in this
setting?
Using Figurative
Language
What is figurative
language?
Figurative language is the use of words in a way that
conveys a different meaning from the literal
interpretation.
Why do we use figurative
language in our writing?
• To make our writing more engaging
and interesting;
• to add depth and impact to our
writing;
• to build a picture in the reader’s
mind and spark their imagination.
Using Figurative
Language
What are some common examples of figurative language that we
can use?
Metaphors
Metaphors
compare two
things by
stating that
one thing is
the other.
There were lots of different sounds in the forest. (Literal.)
The forest was an orchestra playing a symphony. (Figurative –
metaphor.)
Using Figurative
Language
What are some common examples of figurative language that we
can use?
Similes
Similes
compare two
things using
‘like’ or ‘as’.
There were colourful fallen leaves all over the forest floor.
(Literal.)
The fallen leaves looked like a colourful carpet on the forest floor.
(Figurative – simile.)
Using Figurative
Language
What are some common examples of figurative language that we
can use?
Personificat
ion
Personification
gives human
qualities or
emotions to
objects or
animals.
The Kauri trees had been there for many years. (Literal.)
The Kauri trees had proudly stood their ground for many years.
(Figurative – personification.)
Using Figurative
Language
What are some common examples of figurative language that we
can use?
Hyperbole
Hyperboles
exaggerates
what is being
said to make a
point.
There were Kauri trees as far as the eye could see. (Literal.)
The Kauri trees stretched on forever. (Figurative – hyperbole.)
Bringing It All Together
In pairs, create a descriptive sentence or two
about this photo using both figurative language
and one of the senses. Here is an example:
Sense: Sight
Figurative Language:
Simile
Description: The window
frames were about as
welcoming as a jail cell,
just bare bars. The glass
was long gone and
cobwebs clung to the
frames like tangled nets.
Descriptive Scene Setting
Listen to your teacher read the following text
aloud. You can follow along on the screen, or you
can close your eyes and try to imagine the
setting as it is being described.
The Classroom
When at first he stumbled across the old wooden building in
the clearing, it appeared as though no one had been near it in
years.
He remembered his father telling him that it had
once been a school, a long time ago. Mark couldn’t
imagine walking in there every day for his lessons,
and he wondered what it might have once looked
like, newly built.
Descriptive Scene Setting
On this day though, many years later, moss hugged the
rusted iron roof, while overhanging branches from a nearby
pine tree formed a protective barrier between the shed and
the rest of the forest. Latticed window frames made the
building look more like a jail than a classroom.
The few remaining shards of glass still attached
to the frames were layered in grime and covered
in cobwebs. The wooden walls, stripped back to
the bare boards after years of exposure to the
elements, still stood solidly as though defying
Mother Nature to do her worst.
Descriptive Scene Setting
The grass in front of the building, still wet with morning dew,
swished around Mark’s ankles as he walked towards the
door. A nearby blackbird was a warning system, squawking
at him to go no further.
The door, which had been blown partially inwards
at some point, moaned when the light breeze
caught it in its grasp. As he approached the door,
the dark shadow of a towering tree loomed over
Mark.
Descriptive Scene Setting
Unlike the rest of the building, the door had managed to
cling to its paint, a faded blue that must have been bold and
striking when it had been freshly applied many decades ago.
The bolt to secure the door shut was long gone, likely to be
rusted and concealed somewhere underfoot.
Despite the warmth of the day, Mark felt a cool
tingle on the back of his neck. A sense of fear ran
through his nerves like the chill of an icy wind. He
reached forward and grasped the door handle,
paint chips peeling into his palm as he gently
pulled it open.
Descriptive Scene Setting
Here is the image of the building that the author was describing.
Can you recall some of the
features of descriptive scene
setting from the text?
Descriptive Scene Setting
Now that you have an image to sit alongside the
description, re-read the text and identify the
different features of descriptive scene setting
that you can find on your activity sheet.
