The Beach
The golden sand stretched along the horizon as far as the eye could
see. It felt warm underfoot and tickled like a feather between the toes.
The tide gently lapped against the shore leaving a trail of white foam that
inched ever closer toward the sun bathers.
All along the beach, holiday makers relaxed: many had deep, brown
tans, whilst some were as red as lobsters. Shoulders and necks sizzled
in the heat and skin began to peel as sun cream was hastily applied.
Some people hid in the shade or under a towel, reading books or sipping
exotic cocktails, watching the world go by.
Children splashed happily, chased each other with water pistols and
built sand castles. A group of boys raced into the sea after a ball, pulling
and grabbing at each other like animals. One girl screamed with delight
as she was hit in the back by a cold shot of water whilst another cried
having being told off for wandering too far out.
Lone swimmers weaved along the distant horizon, gliding head first into
the waves, and then moments later surfacing for air. Further out,
dazzling white yachts were safely anchored to the sea bed and bobbed
gently on the waves. Their sails cast dark shadows over the clear blue
water.
The Beach Questions
Write down any examples of descriptive techniques that you find:
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The Castle
Suggest 3 effective METAPHORS to describe the castle.
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The Classroom
How does the descriptive make you feel?
What attitude does it suggest the reader has about school?
The Fun Fair
Write your own description of a fun, using this one as inspiration.
The Castle
The thunder rumbled menacingly in the black sky, the rain rattling down
as hard as rocks. Suddenly, lightening struck, illuminating the castle and
the moat. The towers were as high as mountains, poking into the
blackness like spikes. The gushing sound of water could be heard under
the rickety bridge of the moat and a horrible stench of decay drifted up
from below. The cold stone of the castle walls was as ancient as time
itself. They stood guard, like silent sentinels, to whatever lay beyond the
gates. There was no sign of life except for the occasional squawk from a
bird as it dropped down from a perch to gouge its unsuspecting prey
with razor sharp talons that gripped like a vice.
The Classroom
The bell rang and pierced the buzz of chatter and laughter in the
school yard. Hundreds of shoe clad feet walked quickly towards the
building, splashing in the grey puddles and slapping on the hard
concrete. Inside the cramped corridor there was a mixture of smells:
damp masked by cheap lynx deodorant, the welcoming aroma of
flapjacks from the canteen and floor polish. Pupils slowly tried to
navigate their way through the corridor to class like a ship navigating a
storm. The sea of bodies pushed and pulled. A few shouts and high
pitched giggling could be heard. A teacher barked and order was
temporarily restored with pupils walking sensibly in file, on the left hand
side, like cars on a road.
Inside the classroom, rulers tapped on tables, chairs squeaked,
and pupils whispered to each other. The fluorescent lights burned
brightly. The teacher pointed to the board as instructions were given out
and slowly repeated. The pupils began their work reluctantly, black pens
barely touched paper. Suddenly there was a loud bang - a pupil leaning
back on his chair, falling hard onto the floor. His face flushed bright red,
as the others pointed and laughed, like a pack of hyenas.
Description of a fun fair
It was a scorching hot summer’s day: perfect for a day at the fair. The
sky was dotted with a few fluffy clouds that looked like candy floss.
The entrance to the fair could be seen in the distance and the long
queues edged forward slowly. Customers were becoming increasingly
excited and impatient as they took a few steps forward every so often.
Faint music could be heard from beyond the tall gates with the
occasional happy scream suddenly piercing the air. Closer to the
entrance and the massive structures of the rides could be seen: a
rollercoaster, a big wheel, a helter skelter. They were steel giants
reaching for the sun.
Once inside, the braver kids ran towards the first rollercoaster. It zipped
back and forth across the queue as fast as a bullet. Those sat at the
front screamed the loudest, their eyes bulging like frogs, as the wind
howled into their faces. Hands gripped the safety bars like a vice as the
shuttle suddenly flipped upside down. One formerly cocky boy,
immediately felt nauseous, his confidence knocked and his turned face a
sickly green colour.
Below, younger children stood watching, eating their sweets and snacks.
Ice creams wobbled perilously over the cones and dripped down their
small fingers as they melted. Some munched on brightly coloured balls
of candy floss. The strands dissolved on the tongue and the sweet sugar
stuck to the teeth like glue. A few ate too much and complained to their
mummies and daddies.
Across from the queues for the rides, were the picnic tables, a refuge
from the madness. Families, young couples and groups of friends sipped
on drinks, applied sun cream or kept a vigilant watch on their children.
One harassed mum, struggled as a pack of young wolves yelped and
cried around her for a drink, a snack, to go on the tea cups, to go on the
big ride, to go to the toilet, to go home.
