Enhancing Descriptive Language in Sentences

Painting Vivid Imagery with Figurative Language

Read the following sentence: A camper's fire burned the forest.

Which of the following revised sentences uses figurative language to paint a more vivid picture?

• A careless camper's fire destroyed the forest.
• The group of campers left their fire unattended.
• Like a starving beast, the fire consumed the forest.
• The camper's fire was like the dangerous fire of 2013.

Answer:

Like a starving beast, the fire consumed the forest.

Explanation:

It uses more description to paint an image in your head of what the fire looked like. This figurative language evokes a powerful and vivid image of the intensity and destructive nature of the fire.

Additional Comment:

Yes, I feel like it would be like a starving beast because even if the camper was there they could have probably still accidentally set the woods on fire.