Descriptive writing creates a picture of a person, place, thing, or

event. A well-written description should arouse a particular response

or emotion in the reader's imagination.

Description tells what something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or

feels like. It works with all of the senses, i.e., Sight, smell, taste,

touch, hearing.

Descriptive writing is the only type of writing which can be and

should be used in all other forms: Expository, Narrative, and

Persuasive.

Your goal as a writer is to describe something so well that your

reader will see, in his or her imagination, what you have

experienced in life!

Vivid sensory details-details appealing to one or more of the

five senses. This is often best achieved by using vocabulary

that includes specific nouns, active verbs, adjectives, and

adverbs.

A clear, consistent organization using either spatial,

chronological, or thematic order.

To make an imaginary world seem real, an author often makes

use of words and phrases that appeal to the senses. These

words and phrases, are called images, and help a reader

mentally experience what the characters in the literary

selection are actually experiencing.

Before writing the Descriptive Essay, you have to think about

3W.

What, Why, and How.

1)What do you want to describe?

It’s an important step for you to know what are you

describing:. a person , a place , a memory, an experience , an

object .

2)Why are you writing your descriptive essay?

Usually, you have a particular reason why you need to write this descriptive essay.

Getting in touch with this reason can help you focus your description and imbue

your language with a particular perspective or emotion.

Example

Imagine that you want to write a descriptive essay about your grandfather.

chose to write about his

◦ physical appearance

◦ the way that he interacts with people.

However, rather than providing a general description of these aspects, you want to

convey

◦ your admiration for his strength

◦ kindness.

This is your reason for writing the descriptive essay.

To achieve this, you might focus one of your paragraphs on describing the

roughness of his hands, roughness resulting from the labor of his work throughout

his life, but you might also describe how he would hold your hands so gently with

his rough hands when having a conversation with you or when taking a walk.

3)How should you write your description?

As you write your descriptive essay, the best way to

create a vivid experience for your readers is to focus

on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.

When you focus your descriptions on the senses, you

provide vivid and specific details that show your

readers rather than tell your readers what you are

describing.

Good descriptive writing is comprised of five elements;

Sensory Details,

Figurative Language,

dominant impression,

precise language, and

Careful Organization.

1) Sensory Details

Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a

picture and appeals to all of the reader's senses of sight, hearing, touch,

smell, and taste when appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint a

pictures of the feelings the person, place or thing invokes the writer.

2) Figurative Language

Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language to help

paint the picture in the reader's mind. There are many ways to use

figurative language, and it is a talent that should be practiced until

perfected.

-A simile uses like or as to compare two unlike things.

Example: Her smile was like sunshine.

-A metaphor compares two unlike things without using like or as:

Example: Her smile was a light that lit up the room.

-Personification suggests comparison between a nonliving thing and a

person by giving the nonliving thing human traits.

3) A Dominant Impression

When you plan a descriptive essay, your focus on selecting

details that help your readers see what you see, feel what you

feel, and experience what you experience. Your goal is to

create a single dominant impression, a central theme or idea to

which all the details relate-for example, the liveliness of a

street scene or the quiet of a summer night. This dominant

impression unifies the description and gives readers an overall

sense of what the person, place, object, or scene looks like(and

perhaps what it sounds, smells, tastes, or feels like).

Sometimes _ but not always_ your details will support a thesis

making a point about the subject you are describing.

4) Precise language

Good descriptive writing uses precise language. Using

specific words and phrases will help the reader “see”

what you are describing. If a word or phrase is specific,

it is exact and precise. The opposite of specific

language is language that is vague, general, or fuzzy.

5) Careful Organization

Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways to

organize descriptive writing include: chronological

(time), spatial (location), and order of importance.

Transitions used in descriptive writing vary

depending on whether you are describing a

person, a place, or a thing. Here are some

examples of transitions that might be used in

descriptive contexts:

Descriptions of people or places : These portray thephysical appearance of a person or place and show readerswhy the subject is important or special.

Remembrances : Capture a memorable experience in thewriter’s life, either a specific moment or a longer period.

Observations : Describe an event the writer has witnessed.

Vignettes : Capture a single moment in the writer’s life,painting a picture with words.

A descriptive essay simply describes something or someone by appealing to the reader’s senses:

sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Here are the basic steps to writing an effective descriptive

essay:

1. Select a subject

Observation is the key to writing a good description. For example, if you are writing about a place, go there

and take notes on the sights, sounds, and smells. A descriptive essay paints a picture for the reader, using

descriptive devices and the senses. Create a thesis statement that informs the reader who or what you are

describing. Examples: “The wooden roller coaster in Coney Island is a work of art.” “My bedroom is an

ocean sanctuary.”

2. Select dominant details

Select only the details that support the dominant impression (your thesis statement).

3. Organize details

The paragraphs in a descriptive essay can be structured spatially (from top to bottom or from near to far) or

chronologically (time order) or from general to specific. Descriptive essays can also use other patterns of

organization such as narrative or exemplification.

4. Use descriptive words

Do not use vague words or generalities (such as good, nice, bad, or beautiful). Be specific and use sensory,

descriptive words (adjectives). For example:

I ate a good dinner. OR I devoured a steaming hot, cheese-filled pepperoni pizza for dinner.

Provide sensory details:

Smells that are in the air (the aroma of freshly brewed coffee)

Sounds (traffic, honking horns)

Sights (“The sun scattered tiny diamonds across dew-covered grass as it peeked out from beyond the

horizon.”)

Touch (“The texture of the adobe hut’s walls resembled coarse sandpaper.”)

Taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, tart (“Giant goose bumps formed on my tongue when I accidently

bit into a sliver of lemon.”)

5. Draw a logical conclusion

The conclusion may also use descriptive words; however, make certain the conclusion is logical and

relevant.

Planning your descriptive essay:

◦ What or who do you want to describe?

◦ What is your reason for writing your description?

◦ What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on?

Drafting your descriptive essay:

◦ What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures are important for

developing your description?

◦ Which details can you include to ensure that your readers gain a vivid

impression imbued with your emotion or perspective?

Revising your descriptive essay:

◦ Have you provided enough details and descriptions to enable your readers to

gain a complete and vivid perception?

◦ Have you left out any minor but important details?

◦ Have you used words that convey your emotion or perspective?

◦ Are there any unnecessary details in your description?

◦ Does each paragraph of your essay focus on one aspect of your description?

◦ Are you paragraphs ordered in the most affective way?

Thank you

so much

for

your attention