1.1.5 – Descriptive Writing – Know How!

Descriptive Writing – Know How!

Before you select a descriptive essay topic, see if you can show and not tell your readers about the
characteristics, actions, and emotions in that essay.

Maybe you’ve heard writers say, “Show Don’t Tell.” This motto is an approach some writers use to
make their writing more descriptive. The word “show” means to portray or illustrate feelings and
actions. And “tell” is when a writer says what the emotions and actions are.

For example, “The black poodle snarled and growled.” (showing) vs. “The black poodle was angry and
fierce.” (telling)

In the example above, the first sentence shows that the black poodle was angry because it snarled and
growled. The second sentence says or tells us that the dog was angry and fierce.
Use the “Show Don’t Tell” approach in your descriptive essay by asking these questions about the 5
senses:
1. What did you see?
2. What did you hear?
3. What did you touch?
4. What did you smell?
5. What did you taste?

You probably won’t have answers to all these questions. (Or at least if you write about a mountain, I
hope you can’t describe how tastes.) But write “Show Don’t Tell” content wherever you can in your
essay.