descriptive-essay

HowtoWriteaDescriptiveEssayWritingadescriptiveessayAdescriptiveessayisatypeofessaythatprovidesavividdescriptionofaperson,place,scene,object,experience,memory,etc.inthewaythereadercaneasilygetitsphysicalrealization.Morethanmanyothertypesofessays,descriptiveessaysstrivetocreateadeeplyinvolvedandvividexperienceforthereader.Greatdescriptiveessaysachievethisaffectnotthroughfactsandstatisticsbutbyusingdetailedobservationsanddescriptions.Whatdoyouwanttodescribe?Asyougetstartedonyourdescriptiveessay,it'simportantforyoutoidentifyexactlywhatyouwanttodescribe.Often,adescriptiveessaywillfocusonportrayingoneofthefollowing:apersonaplaceamemoryanexperienceanobjectUltimately,whateveryoucanperceiveorexperiencecanbethefocusofyourdescriptivewriting.Whyareyouwritingyourdescriptiveessay?It'sagreatcreativeexercisetositdownandsimplydescribewhatyouobserve.However,whenwritingadescriptiveessay,youoftenhaveaparticularreasonforwritingyourdescription.Gettingintouchwiththisreasoncanhelpyoufocusyourdescriptionandimbueyourlanguagewithaparticularperspectiveoremotion.Example:Imaginethatyouwanttowriteadescriptiveessayaboutyourgrandfather.You'vechosentowriteaboutyourgrandfather'sphysicalappearanceandthewaythatheinteractswithpeople.However,ratherthanprovidingageneraldescriptionoftheseaspects,youwanttoconveyyouradmirationforhisstrengthandkindness.Thisisyourreasonforwritingthedescriptiveessay.Toachievethis,youmightfocusoneofyourparagraphsondescribingtheroughnessofhishands,roughnessresultingfromthelaborofhisworkthroughouthislife,butyoumightalsodescribehowhewouldholdyourhandssogentlywithhisroughhandswhenhavingaconversationwithyouorwhentakingawalk.Howshouldyouwriteyourdescription?Ifthere'sonethingyoushouldrememberasyouwriteyourdescriptiveessay,it'sthefamoussaying:show,don'ttell.Butwhat'sthedifferencebetweenshowingandtelling?Considerthesetwosimpleexamples:Igrewtiredafterdinner.AsIleanedbackandrestedmyheadagainstthetopofthechair,myeyelidsbegantofeelheavy,andtheedgesoftheemptyplateinfrontofmeblurredwiththewhitetablecloth.Thefirstsentencetellsreadersthatyougrewtiredafterdinner.Thesecondsentenceshowsreadersthatyougrewtired.Themosteffectivedescriptiveessaysareloadedwithsuchshowingbecausetheyenablereaderstoimagineorexperiencesomethingforthemselves.Asyouwriteyourdescriptiveessay,thebestwaytocreateavividexperienceforyourreadersistofocusonthefivesenses.sightsoundsmelltouchtasteWhenyoufocusyourdescriptionsonthesenses,youprovidevividandspecificdetailsthatshowyourreadersratherthantellyourreaderswhatyouaredescribing.QuickTipsforWritingYourDescriptiveEssayWritingadescriptiveessaycanbearichandrewardingexperience,butitcanalsofeelabitcomplicated.It'shelpful,therefore,tokeepaquickchecklistoftheessentialquestionstokeepinmindasyouplan,draft,andreviseyouressay.Planningyourdescriptiveessay:Whatorwhodoyouwanttodescribe?Whatisyourpurpose/reasonforwritingyourdescription?Whataretheparticularqualitiesthatyouwanttofocuson?Draftingyourdescriptiveessay:Whatsights,sounds,smells,tastes,andtexturesareimportantfordevelopingyourdescription?Whichdetailscanyouincludetoensurethatyourreadersgainavividimpressionimbuedwithyouremotionorperspective?Revisingyourdescriptiveessay:Haveyouprovidedenoughdetailsanddescriptionstoenableyourreaderstogainacompleteandvividperception?Haveyouleftoutanyminorbutimportantdetails?Haveyouusedwordsthatconveyyouremotionorperspective?Arethereanyunnecessarydetailsinyourdescription?Doeseachparagraphofyouressayfocusononeaspectofyourdescription?Areyouparagraphsorderedinthemostaffectiveway?Methodsonemaychoosetodescribesomething(descriptiveessays):usageofvivid,freshandvariedlanguageusageofbrightexamplesusageofinterestingcomparisonsusageofvarietyoftermsusageofimagesthatappealtosensesusageofsensestransitionofsomethingordinaryintoextraordinaryeffectiveusageoftimefreeplayoffeelingsandemotionsPrinciplesofaDescriptiveEssay:itmakescleardominantimpressionitcanbeeitherobjectiveorsubjectiveitspurposeistomakethereaderrepresentclearlythethingsbeingdescribedPointstoConsider:sticktoaclearstructureofyourdescriptiveessay,itshouldconsistofintroduction(workingfromgeneraltospecific,containingathesisstatement),mainbody(havingseveralparagraphsinwhichyourtopicisdescribed)andconclusion(inwhichyourestateyourthesisinotherwordsandconcludeyourthoughts)trytoselectsomeextraordinarytraitsofthesubjectdescribed,picksomethingunusualtocapturethereader’sattentiongiveasmuchdetailsaspossible,describeeverythingasifyouhearandseeityourselfusethewordsthatappealtothereader’ssensesfocusyourdescriptionsonsight,sound,smell,touchandtastefirstly,planyourdescriptiveessay,thendraftandreviseitmovethereaderthroughspaceandtimechronologicallyuseathen-and-nowapproachtoshowthingsintheirdevelopingorfallBecreativeanddon’tforgetthebasicruleofdescriptiveessays:SHOW,DON’TTELL!DescriptionofaplaceMyFriend’sDormitoryMyfriend’sdormitoryisasmallroom,withfourbunkbedsalongthewhitewashedwall.Everyday,thesunlightsneaksintotheroomthroughthepinkcurtainandthebellhangingatthewindowalwaysswaysgently