Lesson 2.03 Writing Concretely

Introduction
Learn
Try It
Task

Introduction

Introduction
Example #1
Example #2

Introduction

Have you ever completed a writing assignment that you thought you did really well on, only to find it wasn't "descriptive" enough for the teacher? Even writers such as J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, and Stephanie Meyer practice improving their diction Word choice. . Look at specific ways you can improve your diction.

Vary word choice.
Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Choose words that fit the tone of the writing.
Make sure all words mean exactly what they intend to mean.

Look at the examples below.

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Example #1

Read this sentence: Sitting in the laundromat, the walls are depressing.

Try to make the sentence more descriptive by inserting the words pungent, gloomy, and eggshell into the appropriate blanks in the sentence. Use the buttons to change the words in the blanks.

Sitting in the

______

laundromat, the

______

walls are depressing and

______

If you add a phrase to your sentence, you continue to add to the description: Sitting in the pungent laundromat filled with bags of dirty clothes and soured towels, the eggshell walls, graffitied by pink and green crayons, are depressing and gloomy.

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Example #2

Read this sentence: The flower is pretty.

Try to make the sentence more descriptive by inserting the phrases below into the appropriate blanks in the sentence. Use the buttons to change the words in the blanks.

the sunny yellow daffodil | fragrant and eye-catching | Swaying in the gentle spring breeze, | inside a crystal bud vase

________________________

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Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

write sentences using clear, detailed, and precise language.
compose descriptive sentences, employing various types of phrases, to add variety and improve diction.
properly punctuate phrases and clauses in sentences.

The above objectives correspond with the Creative Writing Course Standards: 1, 2, 3.