Read this student’s description: It was raining hard as Maria walked down the street. She felt cold and wet and was worried about being late. This description tells readers about the setting and character, but doesn’t help readers picture the scene. Strong writing shows readers what is happening through vivid description. Write a 3–5 sentence version of this rainy scene, but include descriptive language to help readers feel like they’re actually there. Try adding sensory details (what the character sees, hears, tastes, smells, or feels) and more specific verbs (like “strode” instead of “walked”) to show readers the scene. Need a refresher on how to make language descriptive? Check out this lesson.