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.