ESSAY-WRITING

Some tips:

1. A descriptive essay describes a particular person, place or

thing.
2. The description could be real or imaginary.
3. Usage of variety of adverbs and adjectives should be done.
4. Use detailed observations.
5. Don’t overdo the use of adjectives.
6. The essay should have an introductory and concluding
paragraph.

SAMPLE 1

A Visit to a Historical Monument

A visit to Agra cannot be complete unless one sees the Taj – the
Crown of the World. This peerless tomb was built by Shah
Jahan after the loss of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, as a token of his
great love for her. It is said that it took twenty years to build,
and that twenty thousand men together were employed at one
time on the work.

The Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautiful garden. In it tall dark

cypress trees grow along the straight walks, and fountains play
in some places. It has many smooth green lawns and many
beds of glowing flowers. All these add to the beauty of the Taj.

The Taj is made of white marble. It stands on the bank of the

river Jamuna. It has four tall slender marble minarets, one in
each corner of the platform around it, on which the great tomb
stands. When you look at it from a distance, it is small and
delicate, like a fairy palace. When you are near, you find how
large and stately it really is. If you go up the marble steps, and
stand close to it, the dome seems to soar high up into the blue
sky.

The real tomb is in a vault beneath the building, and the way to
it, is led by a flight of steps. It is all decorated with precious
stones, and the beautiful screens of carved marble that look
like delicate jeweler’s work in silver. There in front of us is the
grave of the well-beloved queen of Shah Jahan whose love was
so great that he had built for her this wonderful and world-
famous tomb at an enormous cost.

It is delightful to see the Taj at any time of the day. But it is

magnificent when you see it in the light of the full moon. At
that time, it looks like a building of pearl, or a palace made of
silver. It looks so bright and delicate that it seems to have been
made of white clouds. The gleaming white marble, the black
shadows, the dim light, the silence and the sweet-scented
gardens, all make it a wonderful sight to see.
Not carried away by the remembrance that twenty thousand
workmen were employed for twenty-two years in its
construction, that it cost hard upon three crores of rupees and
that gems and precious stones came in camel-loads from all
parts of the earth to furnish the inlayers with their material,
you are lost in admiration at the glorious beauty of the Taj.
Surely man never made such a paradise! It cannot be a building,
you whisper; it is an enchantment.