Revising Personal Narratives
Once you draft your personal narrative, take a break and come back to it to see it freshly. When you revise, you make sure the people, places, and events are clearly described and the writing captures the experience in a vivid way. These activities will help you revise.
Revising to Add Sensory Details
To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.
Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.
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See
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Hear
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Smell
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Taste
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Touch
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bright pink, yellow, and red dresses
sparkly suits
big green chilis in white sauce
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beat of guitar and trumpets
laughter and fast conversations
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yummy smells coming from the kitchen
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soupy and spicy green pepper
delicious tacos
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flaky pastries
high fives
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Watch the video "Sensory Details."
Hide video
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See
|
bright pink, yellow, and red dresses
sparkly suits
big green chilis in white sauce
|
|
Hear
|
beat of guitar and trumpets
laughter and fast conversations
|
|
Smell
|
yummy smells coming from the kitchen
|
|
Taste
|
soupy and spicy green pepper
delicious tacos
|
|
Touch
|
flaky pastries
high fives
|
Add sensory details.
Read the first draft of your personal narrative. Think of sensory details that you could add to make the writing come alive. Record the details in a sensory chart. Then add them to your personal narrative.