Descriptive Language Reading Comprehension

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🎯 WALT & Success Criteria

We Are Learning To: Identify and understand descriptive language in stories and explain how it helps us picture scenes in our minds.

Success Criteria:

• I can find describing words (adjectives) in a text

• I can explain what descriptive words tell me about characters or settings

• I can make inferences about how characters feel using descriptive clues

• I can write my own descriptive sentences

📖 Reading Passage

The Mysterious Garden

Sarah pushed open the creaky, wooden gate and gasped. Before her stretched the most magnificent garden she had ever seen. Towering sunflowers swayed gently in the warm breeze, their golden faces beaming down at her like friendly giants. Delicate butterflies with shimmering wings danced from flower to flower, whilst busy bees hummed contentedly amongst the lavender bushes.

In the centre of the garden stood an ancient oak tree with thick, gnarled branches that seemed to whisper secrets to anyone who would listen. Beneath its cool, dappled shade, Sarah noticed something peculiar - a small, leather-bound book half-hidden amongst the twisted roots. Her heart raced with excitement as she tiptoed closer, wondering what mysteries the forgotten book might contain.

✍️ Comprehension Questions

1. Find three describing words (adjectives) that tell us about the garden gate. Explain why the author chose these particular words.

2. The sunflowers are described as having "golden faces beaming down at her like friendly giants." What does this description tell us about how Sarah feels in the garden? Use evidence from the text.

3. How does the author make the oak tree seem almost alive? Find two examples of descriptive language and explain what they suggest.

4. What can you infer about Sarah's personality from how she reacts to finding the book? Support your answer with evidence.

5. Write your own descriptive sentence about what you think Sarah might find when she opens the mysterious book. Use at least two adjectives.

Extension Challenge: Choose one sentence from the passage and rewrite it using completely different descriptive words to create a spooky atmosphere instead of a magical one.