Using Your 5 Senses in Composition Writing

2. When to Use Sensory Descriptions?

Notice how removing sight verbs puts us right in the evidence itself? Remember, you can describe the scene directly without filtering through someone’s act of seeing it!

(b) Sound

Sound can come in many different forms:

• Onomatopoeic words e.g., boom, splash, hiss, drip, woof
• Dialogue and dialogue tags e.g., bellow, exclaim, whisper
• Deafening silence e.g., as quiet as a graveyard
• Background noise e.g., crickets chirping in parks, fans whirring in rooms

To incorporate sound descriptions effectively, really pay attention to not just the prominent sounds but also the background noises in a setting!

Rather than vague descriptors like “loud” or “noisy,” think about the specific objects making the sounds and use more precise verbs to describe them. For example:

• Forks and knives clinked against plates as people enjoyed their meals.
• The audience erupted in applause when the performer took a bow.
• Maria stormed off in a huff and slammed the door behind her.

(c) Smell

When you think of smell words, the first ones that come to mind are probably “aroma” and “odour”. But there are many other ones you can use! We have divided smells into three categories: pleasant, unpleasant, and environment-specific.

Pleasant:

• The fragrance of her perfume lingered in the room.
• I inhaled the intoxicating scent of freshly brewed coffee.
• A rich, chocolatey smell wafted from the oven as the brownies baked.

Unpleasant:

• The putrid odour of spoiled food felt unbearable.
• The cloying sweetness from the artificial air freshener was overpowering.
• I gagged at the foul, rancid smell of rotten eggs.
• The potent stench of the garbage bins hit me as I searched for my missing wallet.

Environment-Specific:

• The nurses were used to the sharp, antiseptic smell of the hospital.
• I adore the rich, earthy smell of the outdoors after it rains.
• The unused basement had a dank, musty odour.

Tip! To improve your smell descriptions, pay attention to things like the intensity of the smell (from subtle to overpowering) and the characters’ reactions to the smell (e.g., gagged).

(d) Taste

Taste often shows up in food scenes, But many students tend to rely on a limited palette of generic terms such as “delicious”,  “sweet”, and “salty.”

Let’s introduce you to more nuanced flavour descriptions! Jot them down and practise using them to make your taste descriptions more specific.

Here are some adjectives to consider for appetising foods:

• My char kway teow was well-seasoned and featured that characteristic wok hey (smoky flavour of the wok).
• Each scoop of chocolate ice cream was intensely chocolatey, enriched with swirls of fudgy sauce for an extra decadent treat.
• The lemon cheesecake was delightfully tangy.
• The juicy and savoury hamburger patty paired well with the sharp cheddar cheese and was complemented by the tang of crunchy pickles.

But not all the food your characters eat will be scrumptious! Here are some descriptions of unappetising food:

• I had to add seasoning to the disappointingly bland
• “Takeout fries are always overly salty,” Jing Chun complained.
• The fried rice’s excessive oiliness smothered its other flavour and coated my lips in grease.
• Mabel thought the durian tasted like rotting onions mixed with sewage.

Moreover, the way someone eats can tell us a lot about the food—or the person! Instead of just saying they “ate” something, try these more descriptive verbs:

• He relished the decadent chocolate cake.
• Sophie hardly paused when devouring the heavenly pizza.
• I savoured each bite of the smoked salmon appetiser.
• The little boy picked at the wilted spinach on his plate.

(e) Touch

Touch is not just about whether something is smooth or rough! Whether it’s a character actively touching something (like petting a cat) or being touched by their environment (like getting squeezed in a crowded train), touch descriptions can make your scene feel lived in.

Let’s start with texture. Here are some adjectives you can use for texture:

• The coarse fabric of the sweater irritated my skin.
• The jagged edges of the broken glass nearly made me bleed.
• He used a special comb for his bristly.
• The satiny surface of the ribbon shimmered in the light.
• Her silky hair cascaded over her shoulders.
• Yuck! This frog’s skin is so slimy!

Remember, temperature is a part of touch too:

• The cool evening breeze was a welcome relief after a scorching
• “Please reheat the lukewarm tea,” the manager ordered.

However, the most powerful touch descriptions often come from how objects interact with your character. This is where specific verbs to replace “touch” come in:

• The wind caressed my cheek.
• The tight safety harness bit into his shoulders.
• The crowd jostled the little girl from all sides.
• Mabel cried when the gravel scraped her knee.

This is usually what’s missing from a flat composition. Our Creative Writing Crash Course helps bring writing like this to life.

4. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

As you start incorporating more sensory descriptions into your writing, keep an eye out for these common pitfalls:

(a) Repeating “I see / hear / smell / touch / taste”

Many students fall into the trap of just using “I saw X” and “I heard Y”. When you repeat these sensing verbs (use repetitive sentence structures), even the best sensory descriptions will lack the punch!

5. Advanced Sensory Descriptions with Different Character Perspective

Here’s an advanced section for you pro writers out there.

When we write using our five senses, we’re not just describing what’ s there—we want to show how our characters experience it. To do so, include characters’ feelings, actions, and thoughts.

Consider these contrasting descriptions of a roller-coaster ride:

See how the same place can feel completely different depending on who is experiencing it? This is because emotion colours our perspective. In this case, a thrill-seeker notices objects that are interesting while a scared person finds threats everywhere.

There’s no “wrong” way to experience something. Your character’s perspective is valid because it’s true to them. So don’t just describe what’s there—use language to show how it feels to your character.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to put your senses to the test and start crafting some scintillating scenes!