Describing Settings and Characters
Good description helps readers imagine the story like a movie in their minds.
Show, Don’t Tell
Tell: Tom was nervous.
Show: Tom’s hands shook and his heart thumped as he stepped onto the stage.
Learning goals (what you will learn)
- Choose strong nouns and verbs to make descriptions clearer.
- Use sensory detail to help the reader imagine the scene.
- Write a short paragraph that shows feelings through action.
Step-by-step mini-lesson
- Pick a setting (e.g. a playground). Close your eyes and imagine what you can see first.
- Write two short phrases about the sight using strong nouns.
- Add a sound and a smell sentence using one strong verb each.
- Combine your phrases into 4–6 sentences and read them aloud.
- Check: Do your sentences show the character’s feelings by what they do (not only telling)?
Modelled write
Setting: A windy beach
The wind tugged Polly’s scarf and pulled sand across her toes. Seagulls called, their cries sharp above the crash of the waves. Salt stung her lips and the old pier groaned like a sleeping giant. Polly hugged her coat tighter and squinted at the small, bobbing boat — she felt both scared and excited.
Practice tasks
- Beginner: Pick a picture and write three sentences using sight, sound and touch.
- Intermediate: Write a 6-sentence paragraph using at least three senses and one sentence that shows feeling through action.
- Challenge: Add a short piece of dialogue and show the speaker’s feeling without naming the emotion.
Use the Five Senses
- Sight: colours, shapes, movement
- Sound: bangs, whispers, rustling leaves
- Smell: smoky, sweet, fresh rain
- Touch: rough, smooth, icy, sticky
- Taste: sour, spicy, minty
Build-a-Paragraph
- Choose a setting (forest, market, beach).
- List 3 sensory details.
- Write 4–6 sentences using vivid verbs and precise nouns.
Quick Checks
- ✓Did I show feelings through actions and dialogue?
- ✓Did I use at least three senses?
Vocabulary & useful words
Nouns
- pier, tide, seagull, scarf
- market, stall, lantern, alley
Verbs
- tugged, creaked, sprinted, whispered
Adjectives
- windy, shadowy, glittering, sticky
Adverbs & phrases
- with a creak, in the blink of an eye, without warning
Edit this sentence (mini-lesson)
Before:
It was scary at the beach.
After:
Salt stung her lips and the pier groaned as the wind swept sand into her face.
Tip: replace 'scary' with details that show what makes it scary.
Model answers — practice tasks
Beginner (3 sentences):
The playground smelled of wet wood. Children’s shouts echoed across the field. A wet swing squeaked as Sam pushed it.
Intermediate (6-sentence paragraph):
Maya crept through the market, bright stalls blinking in the sun. The smell of frying dough wrapped around her like a blanket. Vendors laughed and called, their voices tangled together. A cold coin slipped from her pocket and bounced under a stall. Maya’s heart thumped but she stayed calm and reached with her shoe to knock it out. When she found it, she grinned and ran home, proud she hadn’t given up.
Challenge (with short dialogue showing feeling):
"I can’t see the path!" Tom shouted as rain blew into his eyes. He felt a warm hand on his arm and a neighbour said, "Hold my torch — I’ll guide you." Tom’s shoulders relaxed and he followed the light.