Descriptive Writing - Lesson 2 - Verbs PowerPoint

In the second lesson on descriptive writing, the emphasis is on the power of verbs to enhance writing. Verbs are the heart of a sentence, described as "a doing word," essential for conveying action and bringing sentences to life. For example, the verb 'dashed' in the sentence "Ben dashed home" vividly tells the reader about Ben's action. To practice identifying verbs, students are given sentences and asked to underline, circle, or highlight the verb within them, such as 'kissed' in "Nat kissed his grandmother" or 'grew' in "The flowers grew in the garden." This exercise helps to reinforce the importance of verbs in sentence construction.

The lesson then progresses to challenge students to use more effective verbs in their writing. Before attempting to insert verbs into given sentences, students are advised to choose words that fit the context, enhance vocabulary by avoiding mundane verbs, and select verbs that create a specific image or mood for the reader. For instance, rather than using the word 'walk', one might choose 'stagger' to convey a different sense of movement. Students are then given sentences with missing verbs, such as "The sea _____ against the rocks" or "Lucy _____ her toy out of the pram," and are tasked with filling in the blanks with appropriate and vivid verbs to complete and enrich the sentences.