Selecting captivating and appropriate words to convey a message. Word Choice Selecting captivating and appropriate words to convey a message.

Key qualities of word choice… Applying strong verbs Selecting striking words and phrases Using specific and accurate words Choosing words that deepen meaning

Nonstandard English….a no no! Text talk and spelling -u instead of you -ur instead of you are -jk, lol, ttyl…..NO

Think about: applying strong verbs Have I used action words? Did I stretch to get a better word – scurry rather than run? Do my verbs give my writing punch and pizzazz? Did I avoid: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been...whenever I could?

Applying Strong Verbs When Jared saw the skunk in his living room, he went up the stairs and went under his bed. When Jared spotted the skunk in his living room, he darted up the stairs and disappeared under his bed. Where are the strong verbs? Weak verbs?

Replace verbs with STRONG verbs! Activity I am going to the track meet later today. It’s going to be fun. My brother is going to be running the 200-meter race. It is a sprint. Sprints are hard because you have to run so fast. He should win.

Think about: selecting striking words and phrases Did I try to use words that sound just right? Did I try hyphenating several shorter words to make an interesting-sounding new word? Did I try putting words with the same sound together? Did I read my piece aloud to find at least one or two moments I love?

Striking? Homework is terrible. I hate homework. I work pretty hard in school and so I don’t know why I have to do so much at home, too. There is a lot of other stuff I’d rather do than homework. I wish we never had to do it anymore.

How about now? No reruns of Friends. No Mortal Combat. No toe-tapping tunes from Beyoncé. No life. When I get home from school, I don’t grab my board to do a goofy-grab or fakey-stance or try for my first air walk. No, I do homework. That sit-in-your-chair-till-it’s-done work that never ends, day after day after live-long day. Until Saturday. Then it’s my time. But meanwhile, I’m doing my math, studying my science, reading my book, wishing I was free.

Think about: using specific and accurate words Have I used nouns and modifiers that help the reader see a picture? Did I avoid using words that might confuse the reader? Did I try a new word, and if so, did I check to make sure I used it correctly? Are these the best words that can be used?

Bad figurative language She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like a dog gagging. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a thigh exerciser. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

Think about: Choosing words that deepen meaning Did I choose words that show I really thought about them? Have I tried to use words without repeating myself? Do my words capture the reader’s imagination? Have I found the best way to express myself?

Scary story…and forbidden words. Ideas for a scary story… Plot, characters, setting, problem to be resolved 1 paragraph, 5-7 FULL sentences