Jun 03

Descriptive Language, Strong Imagery And Writing To Persuade.

Descriptive Language, Strong Imagery And Writing To Persuade.

Session 21

(You might like to make copies of the passage about India * -* to hand out.)

We need to think carefully about adjectives that we use. Some are clichéd, overused, too sentimental…..
Strong adjectives are usually more effective and weak ones can be so banal as to be useless (eg the poor overworked ‘nice.’)

If you wanted to recommend a meal would you say it tastes good or that it is delicious?
If you wanted someone to watch a film with you would you say that you have heard that it is okay or exciting?

Think of some words or phrases you would use for each of the following that would persuade people to buy them

A book, a house, a dog, a car, a magazine, a holiday.


Now choose some adjectives and phrases for each one that are overtly positive rather than negative but might put people off!

Share and discuss.

If you want facts you might look in an encyclopaedia or on-line.
People who are trying to persuade, such as the writers of travel brochures, do not usually give long lists of facts. They write descriptions that are exciting and emotive. They use alliteration, onomatopoeia, poetic language rich and full of imagery

* India will set your pulse racing. It’s exciting, an exotic riot of colour, a bustling clamour of noise. You will see temples and the palaces of the fabulously rich. This is India, the Taj Mahal at sunset, food as varied as the country itself. You can ride on an elephant, visit markets and bazaars, bargain for silks and spices, silver and rubies, colourful carpets and crisp cottons. And you will surely leave India longing to return. *


Choose a place and write a rich, evocative description in about a hundred words.

Share and discuss.

Depending on time, or as a homework, you might go on to do one or more of the following:

Now set some action there. It can be a description that you might use in a story, a character’s reaction, a memory of your own feelings and response to a place, a poem…..

Blog 55 (Category: Group Session) Tags:Description,Language,Creative Writing,Travel Writing

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