Setting Basics Activity 04: Evoking history

About Standards

Describing the Physical World

History of things in the physical world

We can add another layer to our descriptions of places and objects by describing their history.

In the light, Corinne noticed an intricate pattern beneath the grime on Bouki’s shirt, a pattern that showed the shirt had once belonged to someone wealthy, maybe, but now was doing the work of keeping a boy’s back from the sun.

The JumbiesTracey BaptisteSource

In this snippet, Tracey Baptiste points out a pattern in a shirt, and then jumps into the history of the shirt, which also tells us something about the wider world (of rich and poor) and of the character of Bouki.

Here are some examples that use the same pattern:

On the walk back home they passed the Marking Stone. Everyone Kirra knew had their names on that stone, her friends, her parents, even people she’d never met. Dimples in the stone showed where the older names had faded away.

The bright red facade of the brasserie offered a warm contrast to the surrounding townhouses. It hadn’t always looked so inviting. It used to be a run-down lodge for travelling workmen from neighbouring towns. It had gone through quite the transformation since Gustav was a child.

Your turn

Like what you see?

You’re not logged in!

If you want to save your writing, login and either assign this lesson to yourself or access it via your group.