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Practising planning and writing a detailed description based on an image

Lesson details

Learning outcome

I can plan and describe an image using purposeful linguistic devices and sentence structures.

Key learning points

  1. Responding to an image can involve considering what first draws your attention and then zooming in.
  2. Effective descriptive writing allows the reader to visualise the scene.
  3. Linguistic devices and sentence structures can help the reader to visualise the scene.

Keywords

  • Descriptive - writing in an interesting and detailed way

  • Evoke - to bring or recall (a feeling, memory, or image) to the conscious mind

  • Visualise - to form a picture of someone or something in your mind

  • Mood - the emotional response that a writer wants to give the reader

Common misconception

Everyone will respond to an image in the same way.

How you respond to an image, and what you choose to zoom in on, will be different for each person since we're all unique with different memories and experiences.

Teacher tip

You could ask students to share their writing once they have completed it to show them how differently people can respond to an image.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
The emotional response that a writer wants to give the reader is known as the .

Correct answer: mood
purpose
atmosphere

Q2.
Descriptive writing is designed to .

Correct answer: help the reader visualise the scene
help the reader draw the scene
help the reader write about the scene themselves

Q3.
Which word best suits the general mood of wonder?

haze
mystery
Correct answer: astonish

Q4.
A metaphor is .

a comparison using 'like' or 'as'
Correct answer: a direct comparison using the verb 'to be'
where non-human things or objects are given human characteristics

Q5.
Which of the following is a metaphor?

Correct answer: 'Her eyes were stars in the dimming gloom.'
'Her eyes were like stars in the dimming gloom.'
'The stars twinkled in the dimming gloom.'

Q6.
A complex sentence is .

two main clauses joined together with a semicolon
Correct answer: a main clause and at least one subordinate clause
a sentence with a subject, verb and complete thought

6 Questions

Q1.
Which two of the following adjectives creates a positive mood?

Correct answer: beautiful
dreadful
Correct answer: radiant
menacing

Q2.
Which of the following is a complex sentence?

The wind rustled through the trees, but the flowers were protected by the walls.
Correct answer: Rustling through the leaves, the wind danced across the garden.
The wind danced and skipped across the garden.

Q3.
Starting with the first, put the steps to creating a metaphor in chronological order.

1 - Decide on the mood
2 - Choose an object from the scene and add an adjective to describe it
3 - Find something to compare it to that fits with the mood

Q4.
To bring or recall (a feeling, memory, or image) to the conscious mind is to .

Correct Answer: evoke, Evoke, evoke., Evoke.

Q5.
A complex sentence can be effective for descriptive writing because .

Correct answer: it adds extra information to help visualisation
it expresses a complete thought
it shows the connection between two ideas

Q6.
Which metaphor would you use to create a positive mood?

The branches were shackles.
Correct answer: The pollen centre was a tiny orb of sunshine.
The wind was a howling wolf running through the garden.

To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Practising planning and writing a detailed description based on an image, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...