In your notebook….In your notebook….

Write 3-5 sentences that explain what Aron Ralston does in his article to try to make his story interesting to the reader.

BEING DESCRIPTIVEBEING DESCRIPTIVE

Showing rather than tellingShowing rather than telling

Famous American author Mark Twain once said of being descriptive in your writing:

“Don’t TELL me the old lady screamed; bring her on stage and let her scream for herself.”

Simply put, Twain is saying that good descriptive writing SHOWS readers what is happening rather than TELLING them.

TechniquesTechniques

1. Imagery:

Language that appeals to one of the five senses.

2. Figurative Language:

Language that means other than what it literally says.

ImageryImagery

1. My test paper feels damp and smells musty in the oppressive humidity.

2. My cat smiled widely and meowed with happiness when she caught the chipmunk.

What senses are being appealed to in these two sentences?

Figurative LanguageFigurative Language

Four kinds:

1. Simile-A Comparison with like/as

2. Metaphor-A comparison without like/as

3. Personification

-Giving living qualities to nonliving things

4. Hyperbole-Exaggeration

Pat is old.Showing or telling?

Showing: Pat’s creased and dusty face was barely visible through the brittle tendrils of hair that fell sadly from his papery scalp in thin wisps. His cruel bones creaked and his tired lips curled feebly around teeth that were no longer there.

Examples of Telling and ShowingExamples of Telling and Showing

Your TurnYour TurnChoose TWO of the following “telling” statements and make it more descriptive by “showing”. Each of your responses should be at least three sentences. Keep in mind our discussion of IMAGERY and FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.

1. This tastes bad.

2. My gym locker smells.

3. It’s hot out.

When you are done with that, come up with two “telling” statements of your own and make them more descriptive by “showing” instead.

HomeworkHomework

Go back into the article “Trapped” by Aron Ralston. Mark the following directly on the paper:

1. Examples of imagery (1 for each sense)

2. Examples of figurative language (1 of each of the 4 kinds)