How to Write a Descriptive Essay

1. How to Write a Descriptive Essay HealdCollege Rancho Cordova, California

2. Descriptive Essay • A descriptive essay describes something using specific, rich language that conveys to the reader a vivid picture of what the author is expressing.

3. Descriptive EssayPurpose • The purpose of a descriptive essay could be to inform, persuade, entertain, reflect, examine, or define.

4. Descriptive EssayElements • Elements of a descriptive essay include: Observation + Description of a Relationship

5. Descriptive EssayRelationship A relationship may be between: • One person and another person or people • A person and his/her past • A person and an object, a place, or an animal • One place and another place • One object and another object Notice that many relationships involve people, but relationships may also include ideas, the past and present, or systems of things.

6. Descriptive EssayObservation Observation means to become aware of or to study intently. This is done through the senses: • Sight • Sound • Taste • Smell • Touch • Motion • Emotion

7. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe what you see. Avoid: “I saw a tall tree.” • Use specific words: “The evergreen tree, four feet wide at the base and rising to over 150 feet, was gnarled and burned near the base, but stood determined to reach the sky.”

8. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe what you hear. • Avoid: “The cafeteria was noisy.” • Use specific words: “The low hum of conversation was occasionally interrupted by laughter or the clink of dishes. Popcorn was popping in the cafeteria microwave.”

9. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe what you taste. • Avoid: “The food tasted so good! It was absolutely delicious!” • Use specific words: “Anise, cinnamon and nutmeg mingled with the sweet aroma of fresh garlic, local honey and chicken, resulting in a flavor my tongue believed to be somewhere between astounding and divine!”

10. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe what you smell. • Avoid: “My Grandmother’s kitchen always smelled so good.” • Use specific words: “My Grandmother’s kitchen, sweet with freshly rising bread dough and herbs from her garden hanging to dry, was always a place of comfort for me.”

11. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe what you feel, or your sensation of touch. • Avoid: “We were freezing cold!” • Use specific words: “Frost lingered in the air after we exhaled, and ice clung to our eyebrows. The blue in our lips now colored our fingers as well. We were fools for leaving so late in the day, and for leaving so unprepared.”

12. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe your sense of motion, or movement. • Avoid: “We were driving way too fast.” • Use specific words: “The speedometer said “100,” but I felt smooth and in control as the other cars blurred into the oleander growing along the roadside.”

13. Descriptive EssayObservation When writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, use words that describe your sense of emotion. • Avoid: “I was so depressed.” • Use specific words: “Black wallpaper covered every room in my heart, every windowless room. I couldn’t see anything, couldn’t see any light, couldn’t see any love, couldn’t see any goodness, because I couldn’t see anything. I could see no evil, either. So I did nothing, responded to no one, took no action for any reason.”

14. Descriptive EssayReview I Q: What is a descriptive essay? A: A descriptive essay describes something using specific, rich language that conveys to the reader a vivid picture of what the author is expressing.

15. Descriptive EssayReview I Q: What are the elements of a descriptive essay? A: Elements of a descriptive essay include: Observation + Description of a Relationship

16. Descriptive EssayReview I Q: What does the word “relationship” include? A: A relationship may be between: • One person and another person or people • A person and his/her past • A person and an object, a place, or an animal • One place and another place • One object and another object

17. Descriptive EssayReview I Q: How should an observation be described? A: Observation means to become aware of or to study intently. This is done through the senses: • Sight • Sound • Taste • Smell • Touch • Motion • Emotion

18. Descriptive EssayDescriptive Words The relationship that has been observed needs to be described. • The description is made using: • Specific Words • Literary Devices

19. Descriptive EssayDescriptive Words • Use specific words for more vivid description. For example, let’s say you were hungry. • Rather than simply stating “I was hungry,” describe what hunger feels like. • “My energy drained, leaving me without ambition or discipline. The only thing I could focus on was the thought of finding something, anything, to eat: Something fast, something easy, something cheap.”

20. Descriptive EssayDescriptive Words • Use specific words for more vivid description. • Brainstorm a word, moving from general to specific or vice-versa. • For example, suppose you were describing a recent mishap: “The goat walked through the room.” • This gives the reader some idea of what happened, but it is not very descriptive or interesting. • Brainstorm other words for “walked” (ie, ambled, sauntered, skipped, etc.) • When you cannot think of any other words for “walked”, use a Thesaurus to generate more ideas (ie, toddled, strode, promenaded) • “The goat promenaded through the kitchen….”

21. Descriptive EssayDescriptive Words • Literary devices, also known as rhetorical tools, are used for richer description. Certain words used together, or used in a particular way, carry greater significance than just the words alone.

22. Descriptive EssayDescriptive Words • These are examples of some common literary devices: Metaphors Similes Personification Allusion Hyperbole Understatement Note: Literary devices are discussed under another power point.

23. Descriptive EssayReview II • Q: What are the elements of a descriptive essay? • Q: Who or what can have a relationship? • Q: How are observations made and written about?

24. Descriptive EssayReview II The relationship that was observed needs to be described. What are two ways to do this?

25. Descriptive EssayReview II • A descriptive essay describes something using specific, rich language that conveys to the reader a vivid picture of what the author is expressing. • Elements of a descriptive essay include observation + description (of a relationship). • Relationships often involve people, but relationships may also include ideas, the past and present, or systems of things. • Observation is done through the senses. • The relationship that has been observed needs to be described. • The description is made using specific words and literary devices.

26. Descriptive EssayConclusion For more information about descriptive essays, consult your English text book, or explore online at http://www.heald.campusguides.com