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Describing a place: Choosing vocabulary

Posted February 23, 2010 | by Kim Kautzer | in Teaching Writing

Describing a place: Choosing vocabulary

Descriptive writing is an art form. Its painting a word picture so that the reader sees exactly what you are describing.

~Brenda Covert

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Whats the big deal about writing descriptively? For one thing, its much more than page- lling uff. Descriptive writing imprints images intothe readers mind, making you feel as
though youre right there. Its all about engaging the ve senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch to transport the reader and stir emotion. By choosing vivid details and
colorful words,good writers bring objects, people, places, and events to life. Instead of merely telling you what they see, they use their words to show you.

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Writers use this powerful method to make their pieces memorableeven brilliantrather than dry and boring. In many ways, description is the most important kind of writing
you can teach your children. Why? Because it supports other reasons for writing such as storytelling, informative reports,or persuasion.

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Even if your child never aspires to write stories or poetry, description is a wonderful skill to develop. Without it, all other writing falls at.

Describing a Place
Vivid writing is especially important when describing a place whether to describe a vista for a travel guide or esh out a scene in a novel.

Master storyteller Charles Dickens was also a master of using description to create a mood.

It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of smoke trailed themselves for ever and ever, and never got uncoiled. It had a black canal in it, and a
river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, arid vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam-engine
worked monotonously up and down, like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy madness. ~Charles Dickens, Hard Times

But your child doesnt have to be a Dickens to add color, depth, and interest to his writing. Here, a ninth grader draws on all ve senses to describe a place and create a mood.

Moist and salty, a chilly breeze blows in across the swells, bringing with it the pungent smells of seaweed and sh and making me pull my jacket a little closer. Sea spray transforms into
ery prisms as the waves splash against the shore, catch the last golden rays of sun, and toss them up like liquid crystals.

With a few tips and tools, your child can effectively describe a place too.

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Suppose hesplanning to writefree
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desert. Hell need to describe basic desert features, of course: sand, rock, hills, and dunes. But deserts arent all alike, so his word choices will
need to re ect the kind of desert he wants to write about. For example, if he chooses a desert in the southwestern United States, hell probably describe plants such as
sagebrush,Joshua trees, yuccas, or saguaro cacti.

But if hes writing about an oasis in the Sahara Desert, where vegetation is much different, he would instead describe date palms, oleanders, acacia trees, succulents, and desert
grasses. His description of either desert scene will spring to life as he tells about these places using rich and appropriate details.

Finding Vocabulary for Describing a Place

How do you help your child study his subject and choose strong words that make his writing sparkle? Whether he decides to write about a desert, city, rain forest, or pond, these
ideas will help him nd words that will form the foundation of his descriptive piece, narrative story, or report.

Using a Search Engine

Search engines such as Google make a great resource for inspiration. In addition to collecting general terms about the locations ora and fauna (the desert, for example), hell also
nd concrete, speci c nouns and adjectives that add color to his writing. Suggest that he begin his search by looking up terms like these:

desert landscape

desert features

desert climate

desert plants

desert animals

desert description

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What if your child wants to describe a city instead of a desert? City words are trickier to nd, and he may have to hunt more. Try some of these search terms:

describe city sights

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describeChicago, describe Pittsburgh, etc.

describe downtown (use quotes)

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Using Other Sources

While search engines can lead you to a wealth of information, dont discount the value of print media such as magazines and books. Also
considerdigital media such as TV documentaries or DVDs about the subject.

When describing a place, visit in person, if possible. But if not, can you explore a spot with similar features? Many children are visual and
tactile learners. If your child wants to describe what a sidewalk looks like, how about taking him outside to explore the sidewalk on your
street? It will help him describe the texture, color, and appearance of a city sidewalk, even if you live in a suburb.

Expanding Vocabulary
As your child searches the Internet, ask him to keep an eye out for adjectives that describe desert or city features (or whatever place he
wants to write about). Encourage him to come up with words on his own, but also to watch for words he meets in articles or photo
captions.

If he doesnt understand some of the words, pull out the dictionary and make it a teaching moment! And show him how to use a thesaurus
(we love The Synonym Finder[aff]) to nd other words that say the same thing. Both of these exercises will help his vocabulary to grow.

Some Desert Adjectives

Desert: harsh, dry, arid, sparse, severe, hot

Rock: sharp, rough, jagged, angular
Grasses: windblown, bent, dry, pale green, brown
Sand: coarse, ne, glittering, shifting, rippling, sifting, white, golden
Sky: pale, intense, cloudless, azure, purple, crimson
Cactus: tall, short, squatty, spiny, prickly, thorny
Date palm: tall, bent, leather (leaves), frayed (leaves)

Some City Adjectives

City: active, bustling, noisy, busy, clean, dirty, windy

Traf c: loud, congested, snarled
Buildings: old, shabby, rundown, crumbling, modern, futuristic, sleek, towering, squat
Buildings (walls): brick, stone, marble, glass, steel, graf ti-covered
Monuments, statues: stone, copper, carved, ancient, moss-covered, faded, green, bronze

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Sidewalk: concrete, cement, slick, cracked, tidy, littered, swept
Paint: fresh, weathered, peeling
Signs: neon, weathered, worn, bright, welcoming, ashing
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Buses, cars, taxis: belching, crawling, speeding, honking, waiting, screeching

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People: hurried, bundled, smiling, frowning, eager, rushed

Use these suggestions to encourage your child come up with ideas for describing a place of his own. Youll both discover that hunting for words can become a favorite pre-writing
game! And as your child dabbles more and more indescriptive writing, Im con dent his words will soon begin to show more and tell less.

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Do you struggle with teaching and grading writing? Does yourchilds writing need a boost? Consider adding WriteShop to your curriculum choices for this school year!

The rst seven lessons of WriteShop I speci cally teach your teen descriptive writing. This important skill is then practiced in the remaining informative and narrative writing
lessons. In addition, WriteShop teachesand offers practice in usinga wide array of sentence variations that help to enhance a students paper with fresh style and vigor. When
combined with strong, dynamic word choices, sentence variations give dull writing new life.

For younger children, WriteShop Primary introduces K-3rd graders to activities that widen their writing vocabulary. Book Ccontains three speci c descriptive writing lessons.
WriteShop Junior, for upper elementary, also provides many opportunities for students to incorporate description.

Learn more here.

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Photos:Alice,Dietmar Temps, & Phillip Capper, courtesy ofCreative Commons

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Tags: concrete writing, describing a place, descriptive writing, stories, vocabulary, word picture

16 Comments

Posted April 22, 2016 Reply

Mike Kussmaul

Hi Kim. One of the things I like to do with my students is have them describe their favorite room in their house. I tell them to describe what they would see as they walk in the door
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and move to the left, going around the perimeter of the room rst and then to the middle of the room. They have to use shapes, colors, etc. so that everyone can see the room in
their minds. After they have completed this task, I hand them a sheet of paper and I ask them to draw their room. You would not believe how engrossed they are in actually
4 printable story prompt
drawing something. Once they have completed these 2 things, I put them in pairs and they have to share what theyve done with a partner. While they are sharing, I am walking
around the classroom listening to what they have to say. Eventually I will choose 2-3 pairs to come to the front of the room and share with the entire class. It is a lot of fun and the
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students really enjoy it.

Posted April 22, 2016 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Mike: What a fantastic way to get kids excited about thinkingand writingdescriptively. Im so glad you shared this activity with us!

Posted October 20, 2016 Reply

Laura

Very good post. Thank you, Kim.

Posted October 20, 2016 Reply

Kim Kautzer
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Im so glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks for commenting.

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Posted October 24, 2016 Reply

yusra

it really helped and i love it. Thanks alot.

Posted November 17, 2016 Reply

maida

Hi! Actually this activity can be made even more interesting when students are asked to exchange their descriptive writings and draw what they get to read. They can also be
asked to highlight all those words which they have been able to draw. Students can then share their experiences in discussions. If they will have any ambiguity in drawing then they
will be able to relate it to their writing as well.

Posted November 17, 2016 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Thats a great idea, Maida! Weve also found this to be a practical exercise when students describing a pet or a person. It really helps them learn to focus on concrete,
tangible description. Thanks for weighing in!

Posted December 2, 2016 Reply

Imran

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Its wonderful to visit your website. Im an English teacher and I often struggle when teaching descriptions to my students.I have learnt a lot from you Kim.

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Posted December 2, 2016 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Thank you, Imran! It makes me happy to know youre getting some good tips to share with your students. Hope you visit again soon!

Posted January 5, 2017 Reply

Nor ain syuhada

Hello kim. I would like to ask you about how I want to describe a smell in class. I doesnt have any idea right now.. can you help me?

Posted January 5, 2017 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Here are some websites to get you started:

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How to Describe a Smell
Adjectives for Scents (mostly pleasant)
Adjectives for Smells (mostly unpleasant)

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Best of luck with your assignment!

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Posted February 15, 2017 Reply

Daran

If you are looking for actual smells, you could think in terms of the things held in an elementary classroom. Things like glue, construction paper, and crayons have a
de nite smell. Many classrooms have class pets which certainly have an odor. You could also mention the smell coming in from the cafeteria and parking lot, as well as
from the grass if it is freshly mowed or the athletic elds if they have been tended recently. Some teachers wear a particular fragrance and it lls the room after so long.
Also, hand sanitizer and other cleaning products have a distinct smell in the classroom now as well.

Posted February 15, 2017 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Daran! What fantastic ideas for describing a classroom through its distinctive smells! Thank you for sharing these.

Posted March 9, 2017 Reply

sam

Hi my name is sam and i really loved your website.i am currently in 10th and my vocabulary has de nitely improved after visting this page thank you

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x Posted June 25, 2017 Reply
Yashika

4Hey
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Kim! I have a problem that whenever I try to write short compostions I end up writing a big one. So can you please give me some tips or tricks on how to write a short
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important elements of the composition.

Posted June 26, 2017 Reply

Kim Kautzer

Great question, Yashika! In A River Runs Through It, the main character, Norman, learns to write by taking his essays to his father, who always tells him, Good. Now make
it half as long.

Conciseness is a worthy goal. When Im invited to write an article for a magazine, I might be given a 1200-word limit. If I write 1700 words, they wont accept my article. I
have to keep chopping out words, phrases, and sometimes entire paragraphs until I nally reach 1200. The process can be painful, especially if those words were written
with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears! Every word we write seems important to us, doesnt it? But having a word limit is an excellent practice in writing concisely; it takes
discipline to write within speci c parameters, and it takes a good deal of bravery to remove words weve chosen with such care and feel attached to.

So start with a word, paragraph, or page limit. For example, challenge yourself to describe an object or person using one paragraph thats no longer than 10 sentences. Or
try Normans exercise, taking something you have already written and cutting it by half.

It helps to ask yourself questions like these and then be ruthless with your editing pencil!

Do I really need all these words here?

Can I replace several weak or dull words with one stronger one?
Have I repeated myself? If so, which parts can I remove?
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Is my writing too wordy or owery?

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