One word, more than one sense
Some describing words work for two senses at once. You have already met a few.
| Word | Sense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sweet | taste | a sweet peach |
| sweet | smell | The flowers smell sweet. |
| soft | touch | a soft blanket |
| soft | sound | a soft voice |
| sharp | touch | a sharp pin |
| sharp | taste | a sharp cheese |
The word does not change. What changes is the naming word next to it.
The sentence tells you which one
“Ava has a soft pillow.” You cannot hear a pillow, so this is touch.
“Ava has a soft voice.” You cannot hold a voice, so this is sound.
Look at the naming word and ask which sense could pick it up. That answers it every time.
Choosing the exact word
The more senses you use in writing, the more the reader is actually there.
“We made bread.”
“We made warm bread that smelled sweet and tasted salty.”
Three senses in one sentence. That is what these words are for.
Two or three is plenty. A sentence with a describing word on every noun gets tiring to read.
A mistake to watch for
Do not pick a sense word that cannot go with the thing.
“a salty song” is wrong. A song is not something you taste.
“a quiet song” works.
Check that the sense and the naming word belong together.
Your turn
Which sense is being used?
- “a soft rug”
- “a soft whisper”
- “a sharp lemon”
- “a sharp thorn”
Check your answers
- Touch.
- Sound.
- Taste.
- Touch.
Remember
- Some words work for more than one sense.
- The naming word next to it tells you which sense is meant.
- Do not pair a sense word with something that sense cannot reach.