About Descriptive Essays
A cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. However, this type of essay is not description for description’s sake. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. In a descriptive essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a result that is highly evocative.
Writing Practice
The main difference between narrative and descriptive writing is that a narrative essay narrates a story while a descriptive essay describes a certain person, an object or a scene.
As you choose a person, object or scene to describe, how will you describe them?
ADJECTIVES are words that describe people, places, things and ideas.
ADVERBS are words that describe action (verbs), and other describing words (adjectives and other adverbs).
BEFORE YOU WRITE: Why are you compelled to describe this person, object or scene? What importance does she/he/they/it hold for you? Can you find ways to share that importance not only by telling us directly, but also through the words you choose to describe?