Writing: Narrative Writing (B1) - Lesson 2: Describing Characters and Settings Briefly

B1 Lesson 2: Describing Characters and Settings Briefly

In the last lesson, you learned how to structure a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Today, we will learn how to make your stories more interesting by adding simple descriptions of the characters¹ (the people) and the setting² (the place and time).

Good writers don't just tell the reader what happened; they help the reader to see it. This is called "showing, not telling."

See the Difference: "Plain" vs. "Descriptive"

Look at how adding a few descriptive details makes the second story much more vivid.

Before (Plain telling):

A man walked into the cafe. He ordered some coffee. The cafe was on a street.

After (Descriptive ✅ showing):

A tall, friendly man walked into the small, quiet cafe. The air smelled of fresh coffee. He ordered a cup of hot, black coffee and sat by the window overlooking the busy street.

How to Describe Characters and Settings

Add small details in the beginning of your story to help the reader build a picture in their mind.

To Describe a Character, mention:

• Appearance: Is the person tall, short, young, old? What are they wearing?
  Example: a young student in a white shirt...
• Personality/Feeling: Is the person friendly, shy, happy, tired, kind?
  Example: a happy child with a big smile...

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To Describe a Setting, use your senses³:

• Sight: What does the place look like? Is it big, small, clean, messy, dark, bright, crowded, empty?
• Sound: What can you hear? Is it noisy or quiet? Can you hear music, traffic, or nature?
• Smell: What does the air smell like? Can you smell food, flowers, or the sea?

✍️ B1 Descriptive Story Checklist

• ✔️ Does my story have a clear Beginning, Middle, and End?
• ✔️ In the Beginning, did I add a few adjectives to describe the main character(s) and setting?
• ✔️ Have I tried to use at least one "sense" other than sight (like a sound or a smell)?
• ✔️ Do all my descriptions help create a "movie" in the reader's mind?

🧠 Practice Quiz: "Show, Don't Tell"

Which sentence below is a better example of "showing" instead of "telling"?

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1. Telling: The soup was good.

1. I ate the soup.
2. The soup was hot and delicious, with a rich, spicy flavor.

Answer: B. This sentence "shows" why the soup was good by describing its temperature and flavor.

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2. Telling: The man was angry.

1. The man shouted loudly and his face was red.
2. The man had a feeling.

Answer: A. This sentence "shows" the man is angry by describing his actions and appearance.

📝 Homework: Improve Your Story

For your homework, you will be a story editor. Take the short story you wrote in the last lesson (about a birthday, a new food, or a trip).

Rewrite the story, but this time, add more descriptive details. Your goal is to make the story more vivid and interesting.

• Add at least two adjectives to describe a person or character.
• Add at least two adjectives to describe the setting (the place).
• Add at least one detail about a sound or a smell from that time.

Use the checklist to help you improve your story!

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Character: (Noun) - តួអង្គ - A person in a story, play, or movie. ↩
2. Setting: (Noun) - ទីកន្លែងและពេលវេលា - The place and time where a story happens. ↩
3. Senses: (Noun) - សញ្ញាណ - The five natural powers (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell) through which we experience the world. ↩
4. Vivid: (Adjective) - រស់រវើក - Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
5. Briefly: (Adverb) - ដោយសង្ខេប - For a short time; in a few words.