Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

What is Descriptive Writing?

Descriptive writing helps readers create a clear

picture in their mind of

•objects

•people

•places

•events

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

What is Descriptive Writing?

Descriptive writing provides details that help the

reader see, hear, taste, smell, or feel something

that the writer has experienced.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Descriptive Writing Traits

• A clear, focused, and complete topic

• Well-constructed paragraphs that are organized into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion

• Paragraphs that each have a topic sentence and supporting details

• Transition words that connect ideas

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Descriptive Writing Traits

• A voice and tone that are appropriate for the purpose and audience

Descriptive Writing

• Precise, descriptive language that creates a picture for the reader

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Descriptive Writing Traits

• A variety of sentences that make the writing interesting and easy to read aloud

• No or few errors in grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

• Strong Nouns and

Verbs

• Colorful Adjectives

and Adverbs

• Sensory Details

• Vivid Descriptions

• Figurative Language

• Prepositional Phrases

• Mood

• Tone

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing paints a picture in the reader’s mind. To do this, the writer uses the following:

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Descriptive Writing Example

Sensory Details

I planted my left foot into the muddy ground and kicked

the hard soccer ball with my right foot. Cool mud splashed

across my knees. I watched the soccer ball rocket toward

the goal like a bullet. Suddenly the goalie dove and flailed

his arms wildly, knocking the ball away. The crowd groaned

behind me.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Descriptive Writing Example

Prepositional Phrases

Descriptive Writing

I planted my left foot into the muddy ground and kicked

the hard soccer ball with my right foot. Cool mud splashed

across my knees. I watched the soccer ball rocket toward

the goal like a bullet. Suddenly the goalie dove and flailed

his arms wildly, knocking the ball away. The crowd groaned

behind me.

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I planted my left foot into the muddy ground and kicked

the hard soccer ball with my right foot. Cool mud splashed

across my knees. I watched the soccer ball rocket toward

the goal like a bullet. Suddenly the goalie dove and flailed

his arms wildly, knocking the ball away. The crowd groaned

behind me.

Descriptive Writing Example

Strong Verbs

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I planted my left foot into the muddy ground and kicked

the hard soccer ball with my right foot. Cool mud splashed

across my knees. I watched the soccer ball rocket toward

the goal like a bullet. Suddenly the goalie dove and flailed

his arms wildly, knocking the ball away. The crowd groaned

behind me.

Descriptive Writing Example

Colorful Adjectives

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I planted my left foot into the muddy ground and kicked

the hard soccer ball with my right foot. Cool mud splashed

across my knees. I watched the soccer ball rocket toward

the goal like a bullet. Suddenly the goalie dove and flailed

his arms wildly, knocking the ball away. The crowd groaned

behind me.

Descriptive Writing Example

Colorful Adverbs

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mood is the feeling a reader gets when reading a description.

The mood can be happy, scared, excited, or sorrowful, to name a few.

Writers choose their words carefully to create any mood they want.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The mood of the description below might be a scared or eerie feeling.

Silver moonlight streamed through the tree branches as Greg

inched forward and peered nervously over the edge of the rocky cliff.

White mist curled around the jagged rocks below. Greg took a deep

breath and ordered himself to stay calm. Suddenly, a deafening howl

echoed through the canyon. Greg knew he had to get to safety fast.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tone is how the writing sounds.

It is the attitude a writer expresses in a piece of writing.

The tone can be serious, casual, friendly, or joking, to

name a few.

The tone should also be appropriate for the purpose and

the audience.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The description below has an informative, serious tone.

Franklin Chang-Diaz is a Hispanic astronaut. He was born in Costa

Rica and came to the United States in 1969. After graduating from

college, Chang-Diaz was one of nineteen people to be chosen for the

United States space program. Finally, on January 12, 1986, he blasted

off into space aboard the Columbia spacecraft.

Descriptive Writing

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

• Descriptive Paragraph

• Observation Report

• Character Sketch

• Description of a Process

• Description of a Place

• Descriptive Article

Descriptive Writing

Some common types of descriptive writing include the following:

Strategies for Writers Grade 4 © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All Rights Reserved.