Setting description
Read through the extract and highlight all of the descriptive words and phrases.
Mr Peter’s house was old and decrepit. He had lived there for years and it
was obvious he had never cared for it. The crooked gate hung off its hinges and
creaked noisily in the wind, annoying the neighbours. A winding garden path
could just be seen in the overgrown garden, underneath the damp moss and
intertwining weeds.
The house itself was in a sorry state. The crumbling walls looked ready to
collapse, seeming only to be held together by the thick, green ivy which covered
every dark crevice. It crept into every nook and cranny, exploring the years of
neglect and decay.
The dirty windows had long cracks which spread across each delicate pane.
Silky spiders’ webs stretched across the filthy glass and the undisturbed insects
waited silently in the dark corners ready to attack their innocent prey.
Did you notice that verbs, adjectives and adverbs add description to the passage?
When we are writing descriptions it is important we make careful word choices to
create a picture for our reader.
Adjectives – describing words
Can you rewrite these sentences, making them more descriptive by adding some
exciting adjectives?
1.
In the forest stood a tree.
2.
The river ran down the mountain.
3.
A fish splashed its tail in the water.
4.
Flowers grew at the edge of the lake.
5.
The sea crashed against the cliff.
6.
The spider spun a web.
7.
The path followed the direction of the river.
8.
A tree grew in the garden.
9.
The monkey swung in the treetops.
10. The children ran across the playground.
© 2008 www.teachitprimary.co.uk
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Setting description
Verbs – doing words
Can you rewrite these sentences, replacing the verb with a more interesting choice?
1.
The thick, green ivy grew up the tall tree.
2.
A small, black beetle walked across the windy garden path.
3.
The excited boy stepped in the large puddle.
4.
“I’ve lost my mum!” said the small child.
5.
The shiny, green leaves moved in the cool summer breeze.
6.
The angry child ran out of the busy playground.
7.
The happy dog walked into the sunny garden.
8.
“It’s not fair!” said Susan.
9.
The rocky path went across the farmer’s field.
10. The autumn leaves fell to the ground.
Adverbs – describing the verb
Adverbs tell the reader how something is done. For example, ‘the boy talked quietly’
tells us that he was talking quietly. This sentence can change meaning if the adverb
‘loudly’ is used instead.
Can you add an adverb to each of these sentences to tell the reader how the verb is
carried out?
1.
The lively boy shouted.
2.
A furry, ginger cat meowed.
3.
The tall trees swayed in the summer breeze.
4.
The small, brown bird flew down to the ground.
5.
Harry opened his Christmas presents.
6.
The teacher sipped her hot tea.
7.
She opened the door.
8.
The sleepy hamster woke up.
9.
A hairy spider scuttled across the room.
10. The cool river trickled over large rocks.
© 2008 www.teachitprimary.co.uk
8622
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