Descriptive

Essay
What is a Descriptive Essay?
• A descriptive essay is an essay that gives a
vivid, detailed description of something –
generally a person, place or object, but
possibly something more abstract like an
emotion or experience.

• Descriptive essay test your ability to use

language in an original and creative way, to
convey to the reader a memorable image of
whatever you are describing.
Examples of Descriptive Essays

• The first day of spring (an experience)

• Your best friend (a person)
• Health is Wealth (idea)
• Nervousness/fear (emotions)
• A museum sculpture (an object)
• My wedding day (an event)
• Your bedroom (place)
 Types of Descriptive Essays with Topics

a. Concrete
A topic about something concrete is something that you can see, touch or taste, hear, or smell – in
other words, something concrete can be described with your senses.

Examples:
Concrete topic Descriptions using the senses
Smell the aroma; see the toppings; feel the heat and taste the
Pizza
sauce; hear the crunch of the crust
Hear the people and the birds; smell the earth; feel the shade of a
A day at the park
tree or the heat of the sun
See its size; feel its weight and the engraving; hear it clink on the
A coin
floor
b. Abstract
Describing an abstract topic is more challenging. Ideas and emotions are abstract topics – they cannot
be touched. Therefore, it is difficult to describe them with our senses. In order to write a descriptive essay of
this type, writers often turn to context – experiences or situations – that point the reader towards
understanding the topic.

Examples:
Abstract topic Context (experiences or situations)

Honesty Return a lost wallet; don’t cheat on a test; saying the truth when it is difficult
Poverty Not enough food; no jobs; emotional stress
Fun Choosing an activity; smiling; everyone getting along; energizing
Friendship Doing similar activities; trust; helping one another; sharing hopes and fears
 Parts of a descriptive essay
a. Clear topic
A descriptive essay must focus clearly on the topic. The topic
should be as specific as you can make it. A vague topic makes it
difficult to focus on. In addition, if the description includes a time, place,
or point-of-view, the writer must make that clear.

b. Sensory description or context

Depending on whether the topic is concrete or abstract, a large
part of a descriptive essay will be sensory description or context. This
part of the essay has enough details and information for readers to
clearly imagine whatever is being described.

c. Conclusion with purpose

A strong descriptive essay leaves the reader with a strong image
or impression of the topic. A purposeful conclusion helps the reader
see the value or importance of the topic. In other words, it states the
purpose or point of the essay.
How to write a descriptive essay

• Remember these writing goals when writing a descriptive essay.

a. Use your senses

Think about all five of your senses (sight, sound, hearing,
touch, taste) when you write about your topic. Let your
readers ‘see’ your topic with two or three senses.
b. Consider your point of view
Many descriptive essays use a straightforward
look at their topic, but sometimes a creative 
point of view lets your readers see the topic in a new
light. For instance, you can describe a tree from the
point of view of a bird, or items in your bedroom
described by a person from the past. Writing a
descriptive essay with a creative point of view can be
very effective, but be aware of what your audience
wants!
c. Consider figurative language
Descriptive essays are all about imagery. Similes and metaphors can
create vivid images to your descriptive writing.

Revision:
Draft:
Small groves are dotted across the face of
There are patches of woodland in the park.
the park like a patchy beard.
d. Don’t slip into narrative
A descriptive essay should ‘paint a picture’ — not show a
movie. You won’t see dialogue, a chain of events, or characters
 (unless a character is the topic) in a descriptive essay. Keep
your essay focused on a single, steady image.

Draft:
The walk around the park felt nice, but I
was hungry, so I walked towards the
pond where I saw a hotdog stand.
There were a bunch of kids there, and I
had to wait in line. I was sweating by
the time I got my hotdog, and then I
had to find somewhere to sit.
Revision:
On the other side of the wooded path
sits a large pond with a lawn beside it.
Ducks quack loudly while kids chase
each other on the flat green lawn. On
the far side of the grass I see the glint
of sunlight of the metal cart of a hotdog
stand.
e. Be clear with your word-choice
A successful narrative essay requires careful word choice. Take a close look at
the adjectives (describing words) you use. See if you can find a more specific or
descriptive word. Also make sure you use clear, active verbs (action words).

f. Search for unique details

Find small, interesting details that others may not see. Think about focusing
your description in a way that will give your audience a new view on something
they might’ve already seen.

Revision:
Draft: I watched the ducks for a while. They
I watched the ducks for a while. Most of scrambled after the bread on their awkward,
them were light brown, with matching orange webbed feet. The nostrils on their bills were
feet and beaks. A few ducks were darker shaped like question marks. When they
brown, and had vibrant green head feathers. gobbled the bread I saw a ridges of bumps,
like teeth, lining their bills.
 On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The
garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and
I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise:
the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the
pond beside me.
My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above.
From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbors.
He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for
the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.
With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet.
The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every
stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place
better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its
details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the
movement of the insects it shelters…
Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is
more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world
contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.