Descriptive

Paragraph
Presented by:
- Vira Fahira
- Wahyu Adam
- Wina Asitalia
- Zetta Nuari Ramadhan
Table of Contents

01 Definition
02 Organization

03 Sentence Structure
04 Writing Process

05 Conclusion
 DEFINITION OF DESCRIPTIVE
PARAGRAPH
Descriptive paragraph is a paragraph that describes a person, a place
or a thing, so that the readers can picture it in his or her mind. The author
uses words to explain and help the reader to see, taste, touch, feel, sound or
smell the topic that she or he is describing. A good description is a word
picture; the reader can imagine the object, place, or person in his or her
mind.
 Example

The Stairway'
(1)When I was two or three years old, I lived in a house that had a strange , atmosphere. (2)I do not remember
anything about the house except the stairway. (3)It was dark, squeaking, and quite narrow, and its steps were a little
high for me to climb up. (4)From the bottom of the stairway, it seemed like an endless climb to the top. (5)Beyond the
darkness at the top of the stairway, there was an elegant, middle-aged lady leaning against the wall. (6) I had to pass
her every·time I went to my room, for my room was the first room beyond the stairs on the second floor. (7)The lady
wore a beautiful dress with a quiet pattern and a tinge2 of blue, and her peaceful eyes stared at me every time I went
up the stairs. (8)As I carefully climbed up the last step, her eyes became fixed on me. (9)She didn't talk, nor did she
move. (10)She just stood there and watched me clamber up the stairs. (11) One day I touched her, but she did not
react. (12)Her face did not change expression, nor did she even blink. (13)She just kept staring at me with her I
glittering eyes. (14)Later, we moved out of the house, and I never saw her·again. (15)Now I know that the lady was a
mannequin. (16)My aunt, who lived in the house, used it for her dressmaking class. (17)I did not know my mother.
(18)Maybe I imagined that the mannequin standing at the top of the stairs was my mother. (19)The stairway with the
strange atmosphere has an important place in my earliest memories.
 ORGANIZATION
A descriptive paragraph consisted by topic sentence, supporting sentence, and
conclusion sentence.

The topic sentence tells what topic

the paragraph is going to discuss.

The supporting sentences give

details about the topic.

The concluding sentence

summarizes the main points or
restates.
 Spatial Order

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged
around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a
picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you
describe what is around you
Examples
(3)It was dark, squeaking, and quite narrow, and its steps were a little high for me to climb up.
(4)From the bottom of the stairway, it seemed like an endless climb to the top.
(5)Beyond the darkness at the top of the stairway, there was an elegant, middle-aged lady
leaning against the wall.
(6) I had to pass her every·time I went to my room, for my room was the first room beyond the
stairs on the second floor.
(7)The lady wore a beautiful dress with a quiet pattern and a tinge2 of blue, and her peaceful
eyes stared at me every time I went up the stairs.
 Spatial Order Signal
Spatial order signal is phrases to show time order, there are words and phrases to
show spatial organization. They are often prepositional phrases of location or
position. Notice the kinds of expressions used to show time order.

Examples
Spatial Order Signals
at the top of next to
Beyond the darkness at
in the center between the top of the stairway,
on the left behind there was an elegant,
middle-aged lady
in front of in back of leaning against the
in the front of in the back of wall.
inside across
 Topic Sentence

The topic part of a topic sentence for a paragraph of a description usually

names the person, place, or thing to be described. The controlling idea part
usually gives a general impression (beautiful, neat, messy, interesting, unusual,
and so on)

Example:

•My bedroom at home is my refuge from the outside world.

•The campus of our school is like a small city.
 Supporting Sentence

The supporting sentences give some background information

about the item. The supporting sentences also give descriptive details
about the item. These details describe how the item looks, smells,
feels, or tastes. The supporting sentences may also describe in more
detail how the writer feels about the item.
Examples
 Paragraph Unity

Paragraph unity is perhaps the most important principle for good

paragraphs. A reader quickly loses direction and ends up frustrated
when confronted with paragraphs having multiple aims. A unified
paragraph leaves a reader feeling secure that the writer is in control
of her argument and able to lead the reader toward a clear and
satisfying conclusion.
 SENTENCE STRUCTURE

A descriptive paragraph is using compound sentences. A compound

sentences is composed of at least two simple sentences joined by a comma
and coordinating conjunction. In this chapter we are going to learn about
coordinating conjunction, they are and, but, so, or, yet, for, and nor.

The formula of compound sentence:

main clause + conjunction + main clause.

 Coordinating Conjunction
Yet has generally the same meaning as but; it
shows contrast or joins opposites. example
Or joins sentences that give choices or
example
alternatives.
For has the same meaning as because; use
example
for to introduce a reason or cause.
Nor means "not this and not that"; use nor to
example
join two negative sentences.
And joins sentences that are alike. example
But joins sentences that are opposite or show
example
contrast.
So joins sentences when the second
sentence expresses the result of something example
described in the first sentence.
• I was scared, yet I was also curious
about the old lady.
• He could choose a big box, or he
could choose a small one.
• It is not easy to get there, for you
have to hike down a long, hot trail.
• She didn't talk, nor did she move.
(She didn't talk. She didn't move.)
• Deny drove the car, and Lita read
the maps.
• They were happy, but they were
poor.
• Silvia is coming over, so we can go
for a swim.
 Varying Sentence Openings

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase. The
following prepositional phrases express time, place, and possession, among other things.

TIME POSSESSION PLACE

• in the early morning
• at 3:00
• during dinner
• after the accident
• (the color) of the
house
• (the top) of the
stairway
• (a girl) with red hair
• in the hall
• beyond the darkness
• in front of the house
• at the top of the
stairs
 Some prepositional phrases can come at the beginning as well as in the middle and at
the end of a sentence. They also work as time order and spatial order signals at the beginning
of sentences. Moving prepositional sentences to the beginning of those sentences often adds
interest and variety to your writing. If you use time order or spatial order in a paragraph, move
some prepositional phrases to the beginning of their sentences, and add a comma after them.
But, not all preposition phrases can be moved.

The Venusians mowed my lawn in the morning.

 In the morning, the Venusians mowed my lawn.
You arrive at Havasupai Village at the end of the trail.
 At the end of the trail, you arrive at Havasupai village.

The color of the house was white.

x Of the house, the color was white
He married a girl with red hair.
x With red hair, he married a girl.
 THE WRITING PROCESS

Step 1: Prewrite to get ideas. You can use any technique of

prewriting such as clustering, free writing, and listing.

Step 2: Organize the ideas. Decide what kind of spatial

order you will use. Make an outline. Include as many
descriptive details as you can think of.
Step 3 Write the rough draft. Write rough draft at the top of your paper.
• Begin with a topic sentence that names the place and gives a general
impression.
• Use spatial order.
• Include descriptive details to make your description lively and
interesting.
• Write a concluding sentence.
• Pay attention to your sentence structure. Write both simple and
compound sentences, and punctuate them correctly.
Step 4: Polish the rough draft.
• Exchange papers with a classmate and ask him or her to check your
rough draft .Then discuss the completed worksheet and decide what
changes you should make. Write a second draft.
• Use Self-Editing to check your second draft for grammar,
punctuation, and sentence structure.

Step 5 Write a final copy.

 CONCLUSION

Descriptive paragraph is a paragraph that describes a person, a

place or a thing. It consists with the topic sentence, supporting
sentence and concluding sentence, and also it use compound sentence
with coordinating conjunction and comma. The steps to make a
descriptive paragraph are prewriting, organize the idea, write a rough
draft, polish and edit the draft, and last write the final copy.
Thank you very much!
Any questions?
 References

Oshima, Alice and Ann Hogue. 2007. Introduction to Academic Writing. New York :
Longman.
Langan, John. 2008. College Writing Skills with Readings. New York: McGraw-hill.