Writing Descriptions
BasicUse the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
- Write with five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
- Concrete adjectives create pictures: warm, salty, noisy — not just nice.
- Layer one sense at a time.
文體小知識：Use senses.
§Text Passage
1A Morning at the Wet Market
I see red tomatoes and green vegetables in every stall. A mountain of golden mangoes catches my eye. The fish sellers shout loudly, and the sounds fill the whole street. I hear a lady singing as she sells her fresh tofu.
2I smell fresh bread from the bakery next door. The durian stall has a strong smell that some people love and some people hate. A friendly uncle lets me taste a sweet piece of pineapple. 'Sweet like honey!' he laughs. The ice on the fish feels cold and wet when I touch it.
3The steamed buns are soft and warm in my hands, and I eat one as we walk. Every colour, sound and smell mixes together and makes the market feel alive. Grandma picks the freshest fish and says, 'Look at its bright eyes.' She teaches me how to choose the sweetest mangoes.
4Mum says the market is the best place to know a city. I agree, because all my five senses are awake here. Next week, I want to write about the night market and describe its lights and smells. For now, I hold my warm bun and smile all the way home.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
A Morning at the Wet Market
街市的早晨
I see red tomatoes and green vegetables in every stall.
每個檔攤都見到紅彤彤的番茄同綠油油的菜。
A mountain of golden mangoes catches my eye.
一大堆金黃色的芒果很搶眼。
The fish sellers shout loudly, and the sounds fill the whole street.
賣魚的大聲叫賣，整條街上都是他們的聲音。
I hear a lady singing as she sells her fresh tofu.
我聽到有位姐姐一路唱歌一路賣新鮮豆腐。
I smell fresh bread from the bakery next door.
我聞到旁邊麵包舖傳來的新鮮麵包香。
The durian stall has a strong smell that some people love and some people hate.
榴槤檔的氣味很濃，有人很喜歡，有人很討厭。
A friendly uncle lets me taste a sweet piece of pineapple.
有位友善的叔叔請我試了一塊甜菠蘿。
'Sweet like honey!' he laughs.
他笑著說：「甜得像蜜糖一樣！」
The ice on the fish feels cold and wet when I touch it.
我摸一摸魚上面的冰，又冷又濕。
The steamed buns are soft and warm in my hands, and I eat one as we walk.
熱騰騰的包子在我手上，軟軟的又暖暖的，我一邊走一邊吃了一個。
Every colour, sound and smell mixes together and makes the market feel alive.
所有顏色、聲音同氣味混在一起，令街市充滿生氣。
Grandma picks the freshest fish and says, 'Look at its bright eyes.'
奶奶選了最新鮮的魚，說：「看看牠的眼睛多明亮。」
She teaches me how to choose the sweetest mangoes.
她教我怎樣挑選最甜的芒果。
Mum says the market is the best place to know a city.
媽咪說，要認識一個城市，去街市就最好。
I agree, because all my five senses are awake here.
我同意，因為在這裡我五個感官都很靈敏。
Next week, I want to write about the night market and describe its lights and smells.
下星期，我想寫夜市，描寫它的燈光同氣味。
For now, I hold my warm bun and smile all the way home.
現在，我拿着溫熱的包子，一路笑着走回家。
1Summary 重點摘要
Use the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Sight.
Sound.
Smell.
Taste.
Touch.
Color.
Noise.
Smooth.
3Step by step Steps
- SightVisual description uses colour and shape. Example: The sand is soft and white. The sea is blue. Two or three striking features are enough; piling up too many confuses the picture, and adjectives sit safely after be.
- SoundSound description records the noises of the place. Example: I can hear the waves and the seagulls. Use can hear or sound like to lead in; in a market scene try sellers shout or bells ring, and sound at once makes the picture move.
- Smell/taste/touchSmell, taste and touch add layers to a description. Example: I can smell the salt air. The wind feels cool. Smell takes smell of and touch takes feel plus an adjective; taste words include sweet, sour and salty, chosen to suit the scene.
- TipThe structural trick is one sense per paragraph. Example: one paragraph for the eyes, one for the ears, one for nose and hands. Open with a line such as The beach is beautiful in the morning, unfold the senses one by one, and close with a feeling.
- Sweep the sensesGather material by sweeping through the senses. Example: see red tomatoes, hear sellers shout, smell salt air, touch soft sand — one sense per part. List what each sense finds first, then pick the liveliest items so the writing is never empty.
- Use imagesImages make a description come alive at once. Example: A mountain of golden mangoes — mountain shows the amount in one word. Keep images apt: use like, as in The clouds are like cotton, or a mountain of and a sea of, as in a sea of lights.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we describe a morning at the beach with the five senses? Unfold it in five steps: opening, sight, sound, smell and touch, and a closing feeling.
- Step 1: An opening line — The beach is beautiful in the morning. Name the place and the time first.
- Step 2: Sight — The sand is soft and white. The sea is blue. Colour and texture side by side.
- Step 3: Sound — I can hear the waves and the seagulls. Can hear introduces two sounds.
- Step 4: Smell and touch — I can smell the salt air. The wind feels cool. Smell and feel each do one job.
- Step 5: Close with a feeling — I love the beach. A direct feeling ends the piece.
- Answer: Sample answer: The beach is beautiful in the morning. The sand is soft and white, and the sea is blue. I can hear the waves and the seagulls. The air smells of salt, and the wind feels cool. I love the beach. All the senses work: opening, sight, sound, smell and touch, and a closing feeling complete the description.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Five senses?
Q2What to use?
Q3Sense used?
Q4Use of adjectives?
Q5To describe a place?
Q6Example of taste?
8Recap Recap
- Write with five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
- Concrete adjectives create pictures: warm, salty, noisy — not just nice.
- Layer one sense at a time.
- Images lift description: a mountain of golden mangoes.
- One wide opening plus one feeling line to close.