Expressive and Sensory Language · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Words That Paint a Picture

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 6-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Read this line: 'The rain tapped on the tin roof all night.' Which word lets you hear the rain?

    • night time
    • tapped
    • roof top

  2. Which phrase often starts a fairy tale?

    • The end of the story
    • Once upon a time
    • Chapter one of the book

  3. In 'the icy wind howled', which word tells you the wind was cold?

    • Icy
    • Wind
    • Howled

  4. Which phrase often ends a fairy tale?

    • To be continued next time
    • The next day begins
    • Happily ever after

  5. Read this: 'The soup bubbled and hissed in the big black pot.' What do the words 'bubbled and hissed' help you imagine?

    • An empty pot on a shelf in the kitchen.
    • A cold, still bowl of soup on the table.
    • A hot soup making noise as it cooks

  6. In 'Rosa's hands were sticky with jam', the word 'sticky' tells you what the jam smelled like.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Which of these phrases shows up again and again at the start of lots of stories?

    • The doorbell rang at noon.
    • Long ago, far away
    • Aunt May baked a pie.

  8. Read this: 'The old stairs creaked under her feet.' Which sense does the word 'creaked' speak to?

    • What you see
    • What you taste
    • What you hear

  9. Which sentence is the plain one, with no sensory words in it?

    • The kettle screamed on the stove.
    • The kettle was on the stove.
    • Steam curled from the spout.

  10. Read this: 'Ella pulled on the damp, gritty rope.' What do 'damp' and 'gritty' help you imagine about the rope?

    • A dry, smooth rope hanging still.
    • A wet rope with sand on it
    • A bright red rope lying there.
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Words That Paint a Picture W1-mt_fL1Xz8ostr-s1

  1. tapped · 'Tapped' is a sound word, so you can almost hear the rain hitting the tin.
  2. Once upon a time · Many fairy tales begin with this exact phrase, so it feels familiar right away.
  3. Icy · 'Icy' describes how something feels, so it lets you feel the cold.
  4. Happily ever after · This phrase shows up again and again at the end of many stories.
  5. A hot soup making noise as it cooks · Bubbling and hissing are cooking noises, so you imagine soup that is hot and moving.
  6. False · 'Sticky' is a touch word. It tells your skin what her hands were like, not what the jam smelled like.
  7. Long ago, far away · Storytellers open tales this way so often that readers know it right away. That makes it recurring story language.
  8. What you hear · 'Creaked' is the groaning noise old wood makes, so it speaks to your ears.
  9. The kettle was on the stove. · 'The kettle was on the stove' only tells you where the kettle sat. Nothing in it wakes up a sense.
  10. A wet rope with sand on it · 'Damp' means a bit wet and 'gritty' means rough with grains, so you imagine a wet, sandy rope.
Worksheet · LightMySky