A. What do you want to
describe? 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:
1. a person
2. a place
3. a memory
4. an experience
5. an object
B. How to Write Effective Description
1. Recognize your purpose:
a. “Description is not free-floating;
it appears in your writing for a particular reason—to help you inform, clarify,
persuade, or create a mood.”
b. “In some essays you will want
your description as objective—without
personal impressions—as you can make it. . .”
c. “Other times, however, you will
want to convey a particular attitude toward your subject; this approach to
description is called subjective or impressionistic” (307).
2. Describe clearly, using
specific details
a. “you must include a sufficient
number of details that are specific rather than fuzzy or vague” (308).
･ Larry is a sloppy dresser
･ Larry wears dirty, baggy pants,
shirts too small to stay tucked, socks that fail to match his pants or each
other, and a stained coat the Salvation Army rejected as a donation” (308).
b. “clear images can be reproduced
in the mind like photographs” (308).
3. Select only appropriate
details.
a. Your purpose.
b. A dominate impression.
4. Make yours description vivid
a. Use sensory details: “If it’s
appropriate, try using images that appeal to your reader’ five senses” (310).
･ Sight, hearing, smell, touch,
smell, taste
b. Use figuration language when
appropriate
･ “Smile: A comparison between
two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’
･ Metaphor: A direct comparison
of two things that does not use ‘like’ or ‘as.’
･ Personification: the
attribution of human characteristics and emotions to inanimate objects,
animals, or abstract ideas.
･ Hyperbole: intentional
exaggeration or overstatement for emphasis or humor.
･ Synecdoche: a part of something
used to represent the whole.
A hundred
tired feet hit the dance floor for one last jitterbug” (310-311).
C. Problems to Avoid
1. Remember you audience
2. Avoid any sudden change in
perspective
D. Examples
Example 1
Christmas Time descriptive essay
Example of a Descriptive essay on Personal about:
christmas / holidays
Title: Christmas Time
Christmas time is genuinely unforgettable and unique impression everyone senses
at the depth of a heart. The occasion brings us an all-hearted spiritual
unification with Christ and so every single soul is willing to celebrate.
Joyful Christmas-tree decorations and sparkling lightings, underneath boxes
with presents, magic odours and Christmas cuisine tastes – all make up a
magical celebration atmosphere indulging children and adults within the wonders
of a Christmas night.
Jingle bells are magically ringing while miraculous horses are dashing through
the snow. The Holy Spirit is flying in the frosty air warming people’s souls
with hope and joy. And no-one can be left aside at Christmas Time for everyone
is cheering with joy, singing carols and glorifying Christ’s mercy.
On Christmas night all wishes come true and so the celebration is special. Main
meals and desserts taste as never again during a year-time, houses are
carefully decorated with a special attitude from each member of a family.
Outside things are no less miraculous - the entire atmosphere recalls a fairy
tale. Everyone makes wishes through frosty windows, while enjoying
falling snowflakes, sparkling stars above the darkness. All sorrows and regrets
are forgotten and forgiven as on Christmas Night Jesus mercifully forgives
every one of us.
Joyful and spiritual Christmas time is a period of family unification and so
each family member expresses a particular attitude to his/her relatives. Only
then with the first star in the sky our wishes come true, we hold our hands in
prayer celebrating together with Jesus and the whole Christian world! Only then
it is right time to say - Merry Christmas to You!
On this particular occasion we hold special senses to Jesus and each other –
and so the joyful atmosphere is mutual; we feel it, cherish it, and certainly
promise to make this world a better place and our living within to gather anew
at a Christmas table in a year time, and say Merry Christmas!
Example 2
Descriptive Essay of my Grandparents’ House
by lemon2x • August 7, 2012
When I was
younger, I used to always go to my grandparent’s house. Even though they haven’t
lived in their old house in a while, I will always remember it. It is a place I
loved and have many memories in. My grandparent’s house was my home away from
home. They were very hardworking, caring, and strict and the way their house
felt reflected their personalities.
The house I will
forever have embedded in my mind was located in the rural town of Bovina,
Texas. This was the house my father and his twelve brothers and sisters grew up
in. Every time we went there, I remember driving up and the first thing I saw
was a medium sized dead tree with a rickety tire swing hanging from one of the
larger tree limbs. The front yard had splotches of somewhat green grass here
and there. The walkway to the front porch was kind of old and some of the
cement bricks were broken. As you neared the house you got a better look at the
house. The right side of the house, right under all the window sills, there
were dying flowers. My grandma loved to tend to her garden but since she was
getting up in the years, it became harder and harder for her to do so. The
paint on the house was old and weathered and some of the bricks were broken and
missing which brought out the real age of the house. There was a weird sound
that you heard as you entered the doorway that sounded a little like a car that
was about to stall out. I later learned that that was the old leaky swamp
cooler on top of the house.
When you got
into the house, the smell of Mexican food and cleaning products attacked your
nostrils. The living room walls were made of this fake wood-looking stuff. It
looked like a typical living room. It had two couches, a chair and a table in
the middle of the room. The couches were a dark maroon color and the center
table was glass with metal legs that were painted gold. The carpet was brown
and the mixture of the walls, the furniture, and the carpet made the room
pretty dark and a little chilly. The top of the TV was used as a mantle on
which they held all their religious items. They also had a few crosses and a
thing like that decorating the 70’s looking walls. Although the living room was
comfy, my grandpa said it was off limits to everyone.
After all the
hugs, hellos, and small talk, everyone would venture into the kitchen where my
grandma would have a smorgasbord of all our favorite foods. On the way to the
kitchen, you pass through a narrow hall. The walls going through the hall were
littered with pictures of my dad and his brothers and sisters, some of the
grandchildren, and again more religious items. You may begin to look at all of
the pictures but since the kitchen is right there, the accentuating smell is
luring you away. As you enter the kitchen, the floor no longer has carpet. The
floor is now black and white vinyl squares. There is a giant table in the
middle of the kitchen that could easily sit 10 people. The walls were white and
had little kitchen knick knacks like clocks shaped like cows and things of that
nature. The cupboards were old and rickety but, of course, always filled with
snacks and candy for when the grandchildren came over. After everyone stuffed
their face, everyone would sit around in the kitchen and catch up on things.
When we have to leave, the room is filled with tears from both grandparents and
my dad. Even though we live like 45 minutes away, they balled as if we were
never coming back. I’d take one last swing on the old tree and we’d depart.
Although the house wasn’t too big, the house was full of love and I
always felt like it was my second home. Now the house is no longer there and my
grandparents live 9 hours away, but no matter where they move or live, there
house is always filled with the same love and it feels as if they never moved
when I’m at their house.
[1] The following content is selected from Jean Wyrick.
Steps to Writing Well. Ninth Edition.
United States: Thomson, 2005.
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