CONCRETE WORDS AND SENSORY DETAILS


​​Objectives: ​

I can. use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. (W 5.3b)

Sensory details are words or phrases that use the 5 senses to vividly describe an object, person, or place.  They help the reader to visualize the story as if they were truly there.
​
  • Sentence 1:  The room was a mess.
  • Sentence 2:  Rumpled bedspread, piled up clothes, and a jumbled dresser greeted me as I pushed my way into the room.
Concrete details tell the reader which one using dates, amounts, names, statistics, etc.  Let's look at some examples:
  • Sentence 1:  The movie was awesome.  
  • Sentence 2:  The actors in The Great Gatsby gave believable performances, and the costumes were exquisitely made and historically accurate.

Prompt: Describe a place you enjoy going to.

Which paragraph do you prefer to read?

Paragraph A:
I like to go to the beach. There is a lot of sand and even some trees there. People play games on the beach, and some people like to swim. I used to go to the beach very often.

    vs.
Paragraph B:
One place I enjoying going to is where the land and the ocean meet. This beautiful spot is my sanctuary in the sun—and I choose it very carefully. I look for a cool place under the trees and extend my mat on the white sand. The wind that blows through the trees often caries a light sprinkle from the ocean, and a hint of saltiness. Peace consumes me whenever I see that beautiful white sand. Mixed with the calming sound of the waves hitting the rocks in the distance, are giggles from the children building castles. Here is where happiness lies, with its toes in the sand right beside me.

LET'S PRACTICE​

Rewrite the following telling sentences into descriptive showing sentence,
1. The boy was sad.
2. The kids had fun.
3. The dog was friendly.
4. The man was tired.
5. The girl was happy.

​