VOCABULARY SMARTS For Story Writing

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Story Writing
VOCABULARY SMARTS
in Language Arts
by JoAnne Moore
www.books4results.com
© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore
Graphics from iclipart.com professional license, Microsoft Home and Business Powerpoint 2010, 2003
Microsoft Publisher Home and Business 2003, 1997, Books for Results Graphics
Written permission has been granted by either students or parent(s) to share writing examples.
What are the Story Language Skills Kids Need?

1. Writing in Complete Sentences
Varying sentence starters
2. Story Writing Language

Verbs
Showing
*emotions
*motives
*actions
Sensory imagery
*settings
*encounters
*suspense
Onomatopoeia
Similes
Metaphors
© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

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© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

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Writing in Complete Sentences
Why do many children find it hard to write and punctuate proper sentences?
• Most children readily grasp that a sentence requires a noun and a verb. As a result, most
children will place the capital letters and the period correctly in a sentence without predicate
such as “The clown danced.”
• The difficulty comes when predicate is added to the sentence, such as “The clown danced in
the tent.” In this case most young writers will write “The clown danced. In the tent.” Young
children usually need either a year or two of writing experience or an explanation of predicate
they can understand before they can get past this stage.
• Merriam Webster dictionary defines predicate as, “the part of a sentence or clause that
expresses what is said of the subject and that usually consists of a verb with or without
objects, complements, or adverbial modifiers.”
How can we help children understand sentence structure?

• Predicate can be defined using the question words. Begin by teaching children that sentences
can be made up of a noun + verb + question word phrases.
• Question word phrases (how, why, when, where, what, who) can be used at the beginning of a
sentence, between the noun and verb and at the end of the sentence following the verb.
© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore

www.books4results.com 3
Sentence Structure: Teach predicate by adding a question word phrase after the verb From school edition of Smart Start in Language Arts
person + action + how person + action + what

Adjectives:
colour
size
The clown danced quickly. The clown was/is funny. shape
number
State of Being Verbs are other descriptors
used with what predicate
person + action + why person + action + who
The clown danced for fun. The clown danced for the crowd.
person + action + when place + action + ? phrase
The clown danced at night. The castle towered in the distance.

(where phrase)
person + action + where thing + action + ? phrase
The clown danced down the street. The bike glowed in the dark.
(when phrase)

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Sentence Starters: Place the Question Word Phrase at the beginning of to vary
sentence starters.
how + person + action what + person + action

Adjectives: *must use plural noun
colour
Quickly, the clown danced. size Funny clowns are dancing.

shape
number
other descriptors
why + person + action who + person + action
For fun, the clown danced. For the crowd, the clown danced.
when + person + action
At night the clown danced.
where + person + action
Down the street the clown danced.

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Worksheets found in school edition of Smart Start in Language Arts Written permission has been granted
to share this student’s work.
© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com 6

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Practice Applying Different Sentence Starters Through Paragraph Writing

1. “What” Words
*Plural Nouns (Stars dotted the sky.)
*Number Words (Five men stood still.)
*Size Words (Large rocks dotted the hills.)
*Shape Words (Round tables filled the tent.)
*Age Words (Young men lined up for miles.)
*Description Words (Dainty lace flowed from the collar of the dress.)
2. “When” Words

*Suddenly *All of a sudden *At that moment *Instantly *Soon
*All at once *Just then *In a flash/twinkle *Later on *Next
*Not too long after *In a while *A short time later *In a few minutes *Shortly
*Times of Day (morning, afternoon, evening, night)

*Seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter)
*Time Periods (once upon a time, many years ago, long ago, centuries ago, last week/month, yesterday, today)
3. “How” Words
*ly words Example: Quickly, the boy snatched up his ball.”
*ing words Example: Soaring, the plane climbed higher and higher into the sky.”
4. “Where” Words
around, above, behind, beneath, below, beside, between, deep, downwards, down, in, in front, inside, into, on, left, onto, over,
over, passed, right, through, to, toward, upon, under, underneath
5. “Who” Words
*Titles (Mr. Mrs. Miss Dr. Ms.)
*Descriptions of characters
Example One: The little old man limped along.
Example Two: The furry creature disappeared into a hole in the grass.
*Names of characters (Herbert, the horse, flicked his tail.
*Pronouns (I, it, he, her, him, me, my, she, them, they, we)

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Paragraph Vocabulary Created by Teacher Teacher Selects Paragraph Topic: Frogs
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1. “What” Words 1. Teacher shares vocabulary for first sentence and invites
*Number words: two, three, hundreds, thousands students to add vocabulary . Teacher models how to write
*Size words: tiny, little, large, huge, humungous first sentence using vocabulary.
*Age: old, ancient, mature, baby, new, young 2. Students circle vocabulary they wish to use for their
*Shape Words: tubby, chubby, plump, roly poly, scrawny, skinny first sentence and then write their own sentences.
*Color Words: brown, green, muddy 3. Students share their sentences. Students edit sentences.
*Description Words: chirping, silky, slimy, shining, hyper 4. Repeat process for sentences 2,3,4,5.
Plural Noun: frogs
Teacher Model
Verbs: suntanned, perched, balanced, sat, leaped, clustered,
1. “What” Sentence Starter: thousands, tubby, little
dotted
Noun: frogs
Verb(s): perched

2. “When” Words
*Suddenly *All of a sudden *At that moment *Thousands of tubby little frogs perched on lily pads.
*Instantly *Soon *All at once
*In a twinkle *Just then *In a flash 2. “When” Sentence Starter: suddenly
*Later on *Not too long *In a while Noun: one
*A short time later *Next *In a few minutes Verb(s): leaped
Noun: one, several, some, a few *Suddenly, one leaped into the pond. Kersplash!
Verbs: dove, leaped, plunged, slipped, splashed, snoozed, napped
3. “How” Sentence Starter: hurrying
3. “How” Words
Noun: rest
*ly words: slowly, gradually, quickly, hurriedly, noisily
Verb(s): joined
*ing words: hurrying, following, copying, splashing, springing joining
Noun: the rest, the gang, the bunch, *Hurrying, the rest soon joined him.
Verbs: dove, joined, somersaulted, raced, slipped, disappeared
4. “Where” Sentence Starter: beneath
4. “Where” Words Noun: tiny creatures
around, above, behind, beneath, below, beside, between, Verb(s): zipped
downwards, down, in, inside, into, on, onto, over, through, to, *Beneath cool water, the tiny creatures zipped between
toward, upon, under, underneath, everywhere jagged rocks.
Noun: frogs, tiny creatures, little swimmers
Verbs: paddled, dove, splashed, zipped, whizzed, dipped, blew 5. “Who” Sentence Starter: funny frogs
Verb(s): frolicked
5. “Who” Words
*Funny frogs frolicked together all day.
*Titles/Synonyms: frogs, amphibians, tiny creatures, frog pond
Verbs: frolicked, played, romped, chased 9
© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore © by J. Moore 2006
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Developing Story Writing Language

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Story Writing Language

Many students in upper elementary write stories that read like book
reports. They have a proper plot but something is missing in the telling.
The first time I was confronted with this issue was in university when an
English professor took a red pen and stroked out numerous words from
my term paper. What do you think she crossed off? Adjectives. She
almost halved my paper—making the point that I had more descriptions
than ideas! The message was clear—although adjectives might get you
good grades in high school, they don’t get you anywhere in university.
Adjectives make writing wordy.
How do novelists make their writing come alive? Lynn Reid Banks, author
of the novel Indian in the Cupboard, said “My whole aim in writing a novel
is to make a movie in the head of the reader.” Quote from Meet the Authors and
Illustrators by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller
How do we develop “movie” language in students?

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After reading Lynn Reid Bank’s quote, I was struck that the writing of many students was
more like a filmstrip than a movie. For example, “Charlie was sad.” Visualize this and you
imagine a boy with an unhappy expression which is like a single frame from a filmstrip.
Contrast the first example with, “Tears welled up in Charlie’s eyes as he shuffled down the
hall.” The second example is like a movie in that it creates the reality and depth needed to
engage the reader.
What is the key to making this important writing shift? The answer is in the word “movie”.
What do movies do that film strips don’t? They move! From this, I realized Lynn Reid Banks
must have been referencing the significant role strong verbs play in her writing. Other
writers describe this as “showing”.

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Do authors knowingly focus on verbs?
“Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs.
The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate
noun out of a tight place.”
Quote by E.B. White coauthor of The Elements of Style and author

of Charlotte’s Web, winner of the Newberry Medal.
Did you know that in 1978, the Pulitzer Prize Board

gave E.B. White a unique Pulitzer for “his letters,
essays and the full body of his work”?
The quote and thumbnails here were used for the purpose of criticism (showing that authors base their writing most heavily on nouns and
verbs). The use of this quote and thumbnails is covered under the Fair Dealing of Canadian Copyright law under section 29.1 (criticism or
review) which states “Fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review does not infringe the copyright if the following are mentioned:
a)the source; and
b) if given the source, the name of the author, in the case of a work

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Written permission has been granted

Developing Story Writing Language to share this student’s work.
Key 1: Use verbs.
Let’s look again at this child’s story. This example

illustrates the wonderful effect developing a vocabulary
of strong verbs has on very young writers.

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Dictionary of Action Words: Strong Verbs

1. Ate bit, chomped, chewed, gulped, sucked, gnawed, licked, sipped, tasted tried, samples
2. Blew up broke, burst, crushed, gushed, demolished, dismantled, exploded, erupted, flashed, jerked, ruptured,
snapped
3. Bumped hit, smacked, pounded smashed, knocked, slammed, swatted, banged, crashed, thudded
4. Choked gasped, spluttered, sputtered, turned blue
5. Climbed crawled, mounted, ascended, scrambled, clambered, inched, ascended, clutched, grabbed, squeezed
6. Collected gathered, found, searched, located, amassed, mounded, piled, grabbed, clutched, snatched
7. Cried wept, sobbed, pouted, howled, yowled, wailed,

Tears: rolled, trickled, dribbled, streamed, spilled, welled, poured, rained
8. Dug shoveled, scratched, clawed, pawed, unearthed, delved, tunneled
9. Fell plummeted, plunged, crashed, toppled, tumbled, tripped, spilled
10. Filled covered, plastered, coated, blanketed, enveloped, flooded, burst, overflowed, surrounded
11. Flew soared, sailed, glided, winged, floated, hovered, dipped, darted, leaped, drifted
12. Hung dangled, swung, swayed, suspended, jutted, projected, beetled, rocked
13.Jumped leaped, sprang, pounced, bounded, dove, hopped, plunged, sailed
14. Made a Noise

grunted, snorted, rasped, howled, squeaked, squealed, screeched, buzzed, hissed, roared, shrieked,
sputtered, spluttered, squawked, thundered, boomed, yelled
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15. Pain shot exploded, raced, throbbed, ached, winced
16. Pulled tugged, yanked, grabbed, snatched, pried, jostled, wiggled, wriggled, stretched, rattled, shook,
fished, hooked, jerked
17. Pushed shoved, thrust, forced, jammed, crammed, wedged
18. Raced hurried, stormed, rushed, darted, hustled, dashed, bolted, charged
19. Saw spotted, spied, noticed, stared, studied, observed, detected, watched
20. Slipped tripped, stumbled, faded, disappeared, melted
21. Sprayed squirted, splashed, splattered, clouded, doused, melted
22. Squished squashed, flattened, squeezed, crushed
23. Stuck jammed, clogged, plugged, caught, hooked, latched, snagged, wedged, blocked, crammed, glued,
cemented
24. Swung dangled, hung, hovered, swung, suspended
25. Tried to swim thrashed, paddled, flopped, sank, sputtered
26. Wiggled squirmed, wriggled, jiggled, twisted, thrashed, tossed, turned
27. Suddenly just then, at that moment, instantly, moments later, hours later, a short time later

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Key 2: Show emotions by describing facial expressions, body language,

speech and actions.
Molly Bang, author of The Paper Crane, once said, “Emotions are never stated,
but they are made clear by the actions of the characters.”
Quote from Meet the Authors and Illustrators by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller
Kevin Henke`s picture book JULIUS THE BABY OF THE WORLD contains a great
example of showing. The author shows Lily the mouse`s anger over her
cousin`s criticism of her baby brother.
The quote and thumbnail
Lily`s nose twitched. face part + verb here were used for the
purpose of criticism
(illustrating how authors
Her eyes narrowed. face part + verb use the showing technique
to depict emotions in
their characters). The
Her fur stood on end. body part + verb use of this quote and
thumbnails is covered
And her tail quivered. body part + verb under the Fair Dealing of
Canadian Copyright law
under section 29.1
(criticism or review)
which states “Fair dealing
Emotions are shown through a description of: for the purpose of
criticism or review does
1. face parts + verbs not infringe the copyright
if the following are
2. body parts + verbs mentioned:
a)the source; and
3. speech/thoughts b) if given the source, the
name of the author, in the
4. character’s actions case of a work
Showing Example:
Eyes twinkling, Olivia stuck out her tongue and raced across the yard.

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“Showing” Basic Emotions

Happy smiled/grinned/beamed
eyes: twinkled/sparkled/shone
Sad tears: rolled/spilled/trickled/welled/slid
cried/ sobbed/ howled
Angry face turned red/purple

steam: poured/shot/spewed
eyes: glittered/flashed/narrowed
roared/thundered/shook/quaked/stomped
Scared face turned white

teeth: chattered/clattered
knees: knocked/collapsed/buckled
eyes: widened
Surprised chin: dropped/fell open/dropped

eyes: twinkled/sparkled/shone
Embarrassed face turned red

stammered/stuttered/choked
Sick face turned green/blue

nose: dripped/ran/poured
coughed/sneezed
Key 3: Motives can be shown through a character’s speech or thoughts.

Remember: Motive is what a character needs or wants.
Telling example:
Andrew wanted to play catch with his dad.
“Showing” example:
“Hey Dad! Can we play catch?” called Andrew
tossing his ball into the air.
Tip: Sometimes the narrator will directly tell the reader the character’s motive.
Other times it is shown through a character’s speech or thoughts which may be
supported with a description of facial expressions, body language or the character’s
actions.
Author Peta Coplans used speech to show the main character`s motive in
her picture book The Perfect Pet. Quote:
“ A hen went into a pet shop.
“May I help you ?” asked the pig behind the counter.
“I want a pet, ” said the hen. “That’s why I’m here. ”
The quote and thumbnail here were used for the purpose of criticism (illustrating how authors use speech to establish a
character’s motive). The use of this quote and thumbnail is covered under the Fair Dealing of Canadian Copyright law
under section 29.1 (criticism or review) which states “Fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review does not infringe
the copyright if the following are mentioned:
a)the source; and

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Showing Emotions and Motives
Facial Expressions
hair, forehead, eyes, ears, nose, tears, mouth, teeth,
tongue, head, face, steam, smoke, head, beak,trunk
PLUS action words (verbs)
Body Language
This graphic organizer has more tips on
neck, body, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, tail, wings,
when to use dialogue and some tips on fins PLUS action words (verbs)
what the actions of a character should
include in a story. Speech/Thoughts (motive or feelings)
*strong emotion
*telling what the character wants/doesn’t want/needs
*requesting help
*invitations/directives
*expressing a plan for how to get what the character:
wants/doesn’t want/needs
*meeting another character
*synonyms for “said”
*shortcut for expressing lengthy/boring events
Actions (onomatopoeia used here)
*what the character does to get what he wants or
needs
*how character responds to the tricks/
disasters/acts of god/use of force he faces
Example of Sad:
Tears welled up and began dripping down Rooster’s beak.
His claws dragged in the dirt as his wings hung low. “What will I
do now?” he wept.

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These excerpts illustrate how learning to “show” emotions impacts the writing
abilities of young writers.
A splash, a plop, Ted had

tears coming down his
cheeks. He wanted a pet.

to share these student’s’ work.
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Key 4: Show character’s actions and journeys using prepositional phrases.
Author Hazel Hutchins used prepositional phrases in her

picture book Two So Small when she wrote:
“Remember the way, for it is dangerous to go beyond our

little land,” said his father. “Under the bridge, around the
trees, left at the big rock, in front of the water fall and
over the hill to Grandmother’s house.”
The quote and thumbnail here were used for the purpose of criticism (illustrating how authors use prepositional phrases to
describe journeys). The use of this quote and thumbnail is covered under the Fair Dealing of Canadian Copyright law under
section 29.1 (criticism or review) which states “Fair dealing for the purpose of criticism or review does not infringe the
copyright if the following are mentioned:
a)the source; and
Tip: Making Connections

In the paragraph writing activities students were taught that “where” words
can be used to start sentences (see below). These words are called
prepositions and are also used to write prepositional phrases used in describing
journeys or a character’s actions so that the reader can visualize better.
“Where” Words
around, above, behind, beneath, below, beside, between, deep, downwards,
down, in, in front, inside, into, left, on, onto, over, over, passed, right, through,
to, toward, upon, under, underneath

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Character Journeys to…
List “went” synonyms:

______________________________________
______________________________________
above across after around

behind below beside between
by down in inside
into onto over through
toward under underneath
List or draw:
trees/plants/water/buildings/roads/landmarks the
character passes on his walk or journey.
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Example: Josh took his dog and marched through

the front hall, out the front doors and into the
street.
Example: Bear lumbered over a log, down the path

and into the forest. © 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore
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Sensory imagery is a very important story writing tool. This literary device describes one
or more of the five senses. It is used to describe places, meetings between characters,
journeys and new experiences.
heard, listened, eavesdropped, scent, smell, odour, stench…

caught, overheard filled, flooded, wafted, clung,
enveloped, surrounded
smelled
heard
saw, noticed, spotted, spied,

observed, glimpsed, set eyes on
saw nibbled, tried, bit, ate, sampled,
ate, chewed, savored, relished,
enjoyed
tasted taste, flavor, hint of
burst, filled, flooded…mouth
sweet, sour, bitter, savory,

felt, sensed, touched zesty, tangy, lemony, minty
felt
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Key 5: Use sensory imagery to describe settings.

Author Alma Flor Ada in her Folktale Writer’s Workshop shared how to
use sensory imagery to write a setting in this quote:
“Pay attention to the world around you. Once you have an idea for a story,
try to imagine the world where it takes place. Is it a real world or an
imaginary one? What is the place like? Describe your setting with color,
smells, and noises. Describe how something tastes, or how it feels to
touch. Research your setting. Read about the trees that grow in that
location, the animals that live in that climate, the typical plants and
flowers. Be accurate in your descriptions.”
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/folktalewshop_index.htm
The quote and thumbnail here were used for the purpose of criticism (illustrating how authors use sensory imagery to create settings or describe places). The use
of this quote and thumbnail is covered under the Fair Dealing of Canadian Copyright law under section 29.1 (criticism or review) which states “Fair dealing for the
purpose of criticism or review does not infringe the copyright if the following are mentioned:
a)the source; and
Telling example:
Deep in the hills lived an old black bear.
Wind danced through the aspens and meadow grasses
as an old black bear wandered along the foothills
searching for the last of the buffalo berries.
CHALLENGE: Children often lack the background knowledge of which trees, plants,
flowers, animals and birds are found in the settings they write about. Teachers will need
to provide this information along with coinciding verbs.

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Key 6: Use sensory imagery to describe encounters.

Encounters are meetings between characters.
They are sometimes suspenseful.
Telling example:
One day Ryan met another boy named Matt.
Ryan rode his bike across the street and headed into the
park. Seconds later he saw a flash of red, and found himself
sailing through the air. Landing with a thud, he rolled over in the
grass. The quote and
thumbnail here were
“Hey there! Are you okay?” came a voice. used for the purpose
Ryan opened his eyes slowly. of criticism
(illustrating how
“I’m Matt. I guess you didn’t see my skateboard.” authors use sensory
imagery to create
encounters and
suspense). The use of
this quote and
In the picture book Effie, Beverley Allinson used sensory imagery to thumbnail is covered
under the Fair Dealing
create a suspenseful encounter between an ant and an elephant. of Canadian Copyright
law under section 29.1
(criticism or review)
They were all crowded around their nest, glancing fearfully into which states “Fair
dealing for the
the sky. Effie felt the ground shake. She saw a spreading purpose of criticism
shadow cover the ground. She looked up. A huge foot was about or review does not
infringe the copyright
to crush them all. if the following are
mentioned:
a)the source; and
Effie took a deep breath. “STOP!” she roared. “HOLD it right b) if given the source,
there!” the name of the
author, in the case of
a work
Here are ideas for interesting encounters using sensory imagery.
coughing, sneezing, whistling scent, smell, odor, stench…

whispering, singing, shouting, perfume, aftershave, smoke,
buzzing, roaring, howling baking, gasoline, manure,
footsteps: shuffling, pounding
smelled ammonia
heard
eyes: gleaming, glowing, glaring

saw shadow: flickering, following something furry, smooth, rough,
dark figure: lurking, disappearing cold, hot, warm, jagged
felt

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to share this student’s work.

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Key 7: Onomatopoeia is a literary device which mimics the sound of something.

It can be combined with “showing” the actions of a character or
combined with sensory imagery.
“Showing” Technique for a Character’s Actions

Telling example without onomatopoeia:
Cindy slipped and dropped one shoe.
“Showing” example with onomatopoeia:

Cindy’s feet slipped from under her and one shoe flew off. Plop!
It landed in a puddle.
Describing the Weather with Sensory Imagery

Telling example without onomatopoeia:
It began to rain.
Sensory Imagery example with onomatopoeia:

Splish! Splash! Drops of rain danced on the tin roof.

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Onomatopoeia Dictionary
Thud! Billy’s bat hit the ground.
B bang bump bop bark
blip blink blast blurt
blurp burp boom buzz
C chomp chug clump clunk

clip clop clunk cluck
crash clink clank click
clack crack clap clomp Plop! Cindy’s shoe landed in a puddle.
click crunch
D drip drop
F flip flop flap
G glug
K kaboom kerplunk kersplash kerplop
P plink plop plunk plop

pop
S spurt splash snap snip Whirr! The tiny hummingbird darted

swish smash split splish in and out of the delphiniums.
stomp stump snap
screech swoosh
T tweet thud thump thunk
W wham whack wigwag whirr
whiz whoosh
Z zip zoom zing zig
zag
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Key 8: A simile is a literary device used to create imagery by comparing one

thing to another using the words like or as. It can be combined with
“showing” the emotions, motives or actions of a character. It can also
be combined with sensory imagery.
“Showing” example with a simile:

Wallace’s face turned red as a beet.
Sensory Imagery example with a simile:

Spring clouds hung in the air like fluffy sheep.

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Key 9: A metaphor is a literary device used to create imagery by directly

comparing one thing to another. Direct comparisons can be made using
the words is, are, was, or were. A metaphor can be combined with
“showing” or sensory imagery.
“Showing” example with a metaphor:

Samuel is a night owl.
Sensory Imagery example with a metaphor:

The blizzard was a raging lion.

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Story Writing Language Review:

1. Write with strong verbs.
2. A complete sentence can be made using:

noun + verb + question word phrases.
3. Vary sentences starters using the question words.

What: adjectives
Where: prepositions
When: time of day, time periods, seasons,
words showing a short amount of time such as just then, suddenly, all at once, in a twinkle
How: adverbs, ing verbs (participles)
Who: titles, descriptions of characters, names, pronouns
4. Show emotions by describing facial expressions, body language, speech and actions.
5. Motives are either told directly by the narrator or expressed through a character’s
speech or thoughts. Motive is what a character wants or needs.
6. Use strong verbs together with prepositional phrases to describe journeys.
7. Use strong verbs together with sensory imagery to describe settings and places.

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8. Use strong verbs together with sensory imagery to show encounters between characters
or to create suspense.
9. Onomatopoeia is a literary device which mimics the sound of something. It can be

combined with “showing” the actions of a character or combined with sensory imagery to
describe how something sounds.
10. A simile is a literary device used to create imagery by comparing one thing to another
using the words like or as.
11. A metaphor is a literary device used to create imagery by directly comparing one thing to
another. It sometimes uses the words is, are, was or were.

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To help students apply story language, word webs are

made for different parts of the story being taught.
1. Each story part on the story map will become one writing lesson.
Match each story part to its corresponding language technique.
2. Create a word web for each story writing lesson.
Story Part Teacher Makes a Word Web of:

Settings Sensory imagery (what is seen, heard, felt, smelled) by
listing nouns and verbs from the setting.
Short journeys “Went” synonyms, list of prepositions, and nouns from the
location where the journey takes place
Long journeys Word web is the same as for a short journey but also includes
sensory imagery to describe what the character sees on his trek.
Encounters Sensory imagery (what is seen, heard, felt, smelled, tasted) which
shows interesting ways the two characters might meet and the
dialogue which follows after their meeting.
IMPORTANT: encounters between characters lead to the
divulging of one or more motives.
Motive Dialogue or thoughts from the “showing” technique which reveal

what the characters want or need.
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Story Part Teacher Makes a Word Web of:
Suspenseful encounters Sensory imagery (what is seen, heard, felt, smelled, tasted) that
creates suspense in a meeting between characters.
Character response Suspenseful encounters lead to fighting/fleeing/hiding/

confrontational conversation/strong emotion. Make a word web
of the “showing” technique (facial expressions, body language,
speech and actions).
Strong emotions “Showing” technique

(facial expressions, body language, speech and actions).
Story problems Strong verbs and onomatopoeia words. Students sequence

order of character’s actions and match them to strong verbs and
onomatopoeia. Some story problems include:
Tricks *A character deceives another. (“showing” technique)
Disasters *An unintentional problem. (“showing” technique)
Acts of god *Weather e.g. tornado (sensory imagery)
*Magic (sensory imagery and “showing” technique)
Use of force *A use of force can be physical or political. (sensory
imagery and “showing” technique)

40

VOCABULARY SMARTS For Story Writing

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1

What are the Story Language Skills Kids Need?

2. Story Writing Language

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Writing in Complete Sentences

How can we help children understand sentence structure?

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore

person + action + how person + action + what

person + action + why person + action + who

person + action + when place + action + ? phrase

The clown danced at night. The castle towered in the distance.

person + action + where thing + action + ? phrase

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

how + person + action what + person + action

Quickly, the clown danced. size Funny clowns are dancing.

why + person + action who + person + action

when + person + action

At night the clown danced.

where + person + action

Down the street the clown danced.

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com 6

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Practice Applying Different Sentence Starters Through Paragraph Writing

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore

*Times of Day (morning, afternoon, evening, night)

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore

Developing Story Writing Language

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Story Writing Language

How do we develop “movie” language in students?

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Do authors knowingly focus on verbs?

Quote by E.B. White coauthor of The Elements of Style and author

Did you know that in 1978, the Pulitzer Prize Board

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Written permission has been granted

Key 1: Use verbs.

Let’s look again at this child’s story. This example

© 1997, © renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

Dictionary of Action Words: Strong Verbs

4. Choked gasped, spluttered, sputtered, turned blue

7. Cried wept, sobbed, pouted, howled, yowled, wailed,

8. Dug shoveled, scratched, clawed, pawed, unearthed, delved, tunneled

9. Fell plummeted, plunged, crashed, toppled, tumbled, tripped, spilled

13.Jumped leaped, sprang, pounced, bounded, dove, hopped, plunged, sailed

14. Made a Noise

© 1997, renewed 2018 JoAnne Moore www.books4results.com

15. Pain shot exploded, raced, throbbed, ached, winced

17. Pushed shoved, thrust, forced, jammed, crammed, wedged

20. Slipped tripped, stumbled, faded, disappeared, melted

21. Sprayed squirted, splashed, splattered, clouded, doused, melted

22. Squished squashed, flattened, squeezed, crushed