DESCRIPTIVE

ESSAY
By Toñi Serna
A descriptive essay provides a vibrant experience for
the reader through vivid language and descriptions of
something. Unlike narrative paragraphs, which must
include personal thoughts, feelings, and growth,
descriptive paragraphs do not need to be personal in
nature.
Descriptive paragraphs must focus on vividly and
objectively describing something to the reader.
In order to provide this vivid detail, the writer must
use language that appeals to the reader’s five senses:
sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch.
To appeal to these senses, the writer must use
descriptive language, usually in the form of
adjectives, that describes the sensations felt by the
senses.
As you get started on your descriptive essay, it's
important for you to identify exactly what you want
to describe. Often, a descriptive essay will focus on
portraying one of the following:
-a person
-a place
-a memory
-an experience
-an object
Ultimately, whatever you can perceive or experience
can be the focus of your descriptive writing.
ELEMENTS OF DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING
Good descriptive writing comprised of five
elements:

-Sensory details
-Figurative Language
-Dominant impression
-Precise language
-Careful organization
Characteristics of descriptive writing

• Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details.

• Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language such as

analogies, similes and metaphors.

• Good descriptive writing uses precise language, specific adjectives, nouns or

strong action verbs to give life to the picture you are painting in the reader's
mind.

• Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways to organize descriptive

writing include: chronological (time), spacial (location) and order of importance.
When describing a person you might begin with a physical description, followed
by how that person thinks, feels and acts.
USEFUL LANGUAGE

○ Usually PRESENT TENSE

○ Adjectives
○ Linking words to add information (also, too,
moreover, in addition, as well…) and introduce
examples (such as, like, for example, for
instance…
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
YOU SHOULD PAINT A PICTURE WITH SENSORY
WORDS:
○ LOOKS LIKE
○ SMELLS LIKE
○ FEELS LIKE
○ TASTES LIKE
○ SOUNDS LIKE
See Hear Smell Taste Feel

colours:maroon(grana loud sweet delicious soft

te), chestnut(castaño) grating (chillón) pungent sour (ácido, agrio) creamy
scarlet(rojo) metallic (intenso,acre) sweet rubbery
crimsom (rojo) melodic acrid (acre, savoury firm
turquoise (turquesa) euphonious(musical) agrio) salty cool/hot
discordant delicious spoiled(podrido) unctuous
contrast : light vs. screeching(chirriante) disgusting bitter (amargo) (empalagoso)
Dark, Deep vs pale gravelly/harsh (áspero) appetizing earthy (terroso) porous/smooth
depth :near vs. far harmonious fresh spicy knobby
stale (rancio) bland (soso, (protuberante)
texture :rough, pebbly fruity insípido) sticky (pegajoso)
(pedregoso), smooth, tantalizing dry/moist/
coarse (granulado) (seductor wet(seco/húmedo/
wrinkled (arrugado mojado)

shape :round, square,

triangular

dimensions :height,
width, length
DESCRIBING A PERSON

Like any other descriptive paragraph, the most important aspect of a person
paragraph is the reason for writing it. Have you ever read a book or article for school
wondering what the point is? Perhaps even feeling disinterested because of what you
felt was a lack of point or reason for reading or even writing the book, poem, article,
etc.? Essentially, the same can be true for your own paragraphs if you do not write
with a purpose. In choosing the person you want to write about, you have a reason for
the choice you have made. It is your job as the writer to show the reader your point.

Thus, whenever writing a descriptive paragraph about a person, you must ask
yourself: Why did I choose this person? What makes this person special? Is it a
memory? Which of this person’s characteristics has inspired me to write about them?
In answering these questions, you not only find the reason or purpose for writing your
paragraph, but you also inadvertently discover how to format your paragraph as well.
Generally, paragraphs can be formatted in a number of different ways. The formatting
of a paragraph rests almost entirely on what you are trying to do or say within your
writing.
 EXAMPLE
DESCRIPTION OF A PERSON
I usually make friends easily, so I have a lot of friends – schoolmates, neighbours, relatives. I can’t imagine my life
without them. But there is one, who will always be in the first place in my heart. Her name is Anna and she is my
closest friend.
Anna is a very beautiful and charming girl and always attracts males’ attention. She is taller than me and has straight
brown hair and deep chestnut brown eyes. Like most teenagers she pays a lot of attention to her appearance and likes
dressing in the latest and most extravagant fashion. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a T- shirt or jeans.
By nature Anna is communicative and outgoing and the thing she likes best is being the centre of attention. Her
biggest dream is to become a singer and I truly believe that one day she’ll make her wish come true. Anna has won
many prizes and has taken part in many concerts, because she sings really incredibly.
As a normal human being, however, Anna also has her shortcomings. She never goes on time to her dates.
Sometimes she is absent-minded and inconsiderate and that makes people think she never takes things seriously. But
this is not true. She has a strong sense of responsibility and you can always rely on her.
Another characteristic she has is that she’s gregarious, sensitive and emotional. She also gets confused easily and
doesn’t forget those who have caused her harm.
The thing I admire most about Anna is that she is protective and likes to look after people. Believe it or not, once she
ever saved my life! I’ll never forget that day. We went swimming in a pool. Suddenly, my left leg went dead I
couldn’t go on swimming. I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes I found myself lying and Anna holding my
hands. She, herself had pulled me out of the water. That was a real narrow escape from the death, and if she weren’t
there, I would have drowned.
For me, friendship is the most important thing in the world. I am proud to say that I have such loyal and helpful
friend – one in a million.
DESCRIBING A PLACE

The organization of a descriptive paragraph about a place is much like that of a

descriptive paragraph about a person. Thus, there are two main organizational
schemes that you can choose from when composing a descriptive paragraph about a
place: one that focuses on certain characteristics of the place, or one that focuses on
a specific event (or set of events) related to the place. For instance, for the first type
of organization, you would focus on the reasons—or characteristics—why you like or
dislike a place. For the second type, you would focus on the events that explain why
this place is important to you.
But do not forget: you must always make the place the focus of your paper.
 EXAMPLE
DESCRIPTION OF A PLACE
As a child, I always enjoyed spending time up north at our cabin. It was a place where you could go and
get away from the busy life in the city and enjoy doing things that you might not be able to do back home.
While we didn’t get to go there as often as I would have liked, we always tried to go at least a couple of
times during the summer when my grandfather would get his vacation from work. There was so much to
do and see up north. Even though things have changed now, I won’t forget all of the memories that I have
from when I was a child.
Every morning I awoke to the sounds of cars rushing down the street in an attempt to make it to work on
time. The hustle and bustle of city life was all around me. No one ever took the time to sit back, relax and
just enjoy the outdoors. Most of the time that was because it is hard to relax and enjoy the outdoors when
everything is so loud all around you. Going up north made everything different.
At night, it was so quiet you could have literally heard a pin drop. The animals rustled through the leaves
as they gathered food or chased each other up a tree. It was a sight that was far unlike anything I could
have ever imagined back home. With it being so calm and serene, you could sit outside in your camping
chair for hours just listening and watching nature in its truest form.
Living in the city means dealing with the pollution from cars, factories and anything else that might be
coming through the area. Thousands of people hit the streets every day to get to work. The air was
thicker. When you went outside to take in a breath of fresh air, you smelled smog, sewage and any
number of other contaminants. It was a foul smell that you didn’t want to breathe in, but you got used to it
after living in it for so long.
The first time we went up north I noticed a difference in the way the air smelled. I took in a deep breath of
air and noticed how clean it smelled. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to breathe in more and more to keep
taking it all in. How could the air possibly smell this good? I felt my lungs clearing from all the
contaminants and stale air back home. I never wanted to let go of this feeling of freshness.
Even though I can’t relieve the memories I have of being in our cabin today, I did make the decision to
move up north and raise my family here. Now, they get to enjoy the fresh air, relaxed atmosphere and
laid-back setting that is normal for people living up north. Those experiences as a child opened my eyes
to something far better beyond the city that I get to cherish every day with my family.
DESCRIBING AN OBJECT

By now, you may have noticed a pattern when it comes to organizing a descriptive
paragraph. As you remember, you organize a descriptive paragraph about a person
or place based either upon the characteristics of the subject or an event associated
with it, and an object descriptive paragraph is no exception to this pattern. When
writing a descriptive paragraph about an object, you must first decide why you have
chosen this specific object to write about. In answering this question, you will know
how to organize your paragraph. If you decide that an object is important to you
because of the characteristics the object possesses, then you would organize the
body of your paragraph around these characteristics or reasons. However, if an
object is important to you because it was part of a significant event in your life, then
you would produce body sentences that explain the event in chronological order.
EXAMPLE
 EXAMPLE
DESCRIPTION OF AN OBJECT

A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical
operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than
one kind of problem.
Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit
(CPU), and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations,
and a sequencing and control unit can change the order of operations in response to stored information.
Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations.
In World War II, mechanical analog computers were used for specialized military applications. During
this time the first electronic digital computers were developed. Originally, they were the size of a large
room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).Modern
computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early
machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile
devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries.
Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people
think of as “computers.” However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to
fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.