Name: _____________________

My Descriptive
Paragraph
Painting a Picture with Words
You will be writing a descriptive paragraph that
thoroughly describes the image you have chosen.
Your paragraph will contain the following elements:
1. A topic sentence that hooks the reader and indicates what youre
describing.
2. Supporting details that are relevant to your topic and help paint a
picture of what youre describing to the reader.
3. The use of figurative language (ie: similes, metaphors,
personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, and maybe even alliteration
and allusion) to describe your details in a creative and original way.
4. The use of sensory language that appeals to the readers senses to
help them to better imagine what youre describing.
5. The use of strong verbs and adjectives to make your writing
interesting.
6. A closing sentence that neatly wraps up your paragraph.
7. Close attention to proper spelling and grammar.
Setting the Scene: imagine that your reader cannot see the image
that youre describing. What, in a brief sentence, do you want to
describe to your reader? What impression or feeling do you want them to
have of the image?
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Dont pack your T.S. too

Creating a Topic Sentence: come up with a

full of details. Thats
what the rest of the
creative topic sentence that both introduces
paragraph is for.
the paragraphs subject/topic and captures the
readers attention in an original way. Your topic
sentence should begin to capture the feeling that you
referred to above. Do it in your Writers Notebook
first, in case you want to tweak it. Put your final
version below.
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Name: _____________________
Details: outline all of the specific, nittygritty details you will describe in your
paragraph remember to consider all of the
senses
(if you can). Keep in mind that the details that you decide to describe have to
support whatever it is youve set out to describe they need to be relevant
to your topic sentence.

Describing the Details: use the table below

to come up with some specific, creative
descriptions of some of the details. Not every sentence
needs to use figurative language, but every sentence
and description should contribute to the readers
visual understanding of the image. Try a variety of
techniques.

Techniques to Use:
simile
metaphor
personification
hyperbole
onomatopoeia
alliteration
allusion
strong verbs
powerful adjectives
sensory language

Variety is important; you wouldnt want a whole garden

filled with one flower

Detail from
Image

Description

Technique(s)
Used

Detail from

Description

Technique(s)

Name: _____________________
Image

Used

Name: _____________________
Wrapping it Up: come up with an interesting and powerful
way to conclude your paragraph. Your closing sentence
should remind readers of what you just described, leaving them
with a lasting idea of the person, place, or thing in their minds; do
not leave your reader hanging mid-description of a specific detail.
Zoom back out and give an overview of that same feeling, emotion, or
general description that you outlined in your topic sentence.
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Putting it all Together: its now time to draft your full paragraph.
Transfer your topic sentence, supporting details, and closing sentence
into your Writers Notebook in full, organized sentences. You may
need to add some things here and there to ensure that your sentences flow
nicely together. Start paying close attention to proper spelling, punctuation,
and sentence variety.