Monday, June 9, 2008

Descriptive Essay – Understanding its Basics


Descriptive writing is an exciting type of essay. It is commonly employed by students because it's fun to do than other kind of essays. An efficiently written descriptive essay is thrilling and intriguing as it contains detailed descriptions about the topic.


When you describe a thing, a person or an emotion, it is helpful to list down first things that come to your mind regarding the subject - the way you see, think and feel about the topic. That is what description is all about.


So when you are asked to describe, start with the obvious and take off from there. Start from the general down to the specific. Adjectives to be used are key to a powerful descriptive essay – use precise and strong words. Avoid to much superlatives and vague modifiers. Why?


Because a descriptive essay is supposed to be stimulating. Good choice of words is essential in describing. It mirrors the mood of the writer and arouses readers' senses. It is often regarded as the most complex form of essay writing as it is associated with the ability to transfer emotions to the readers through brilliant use of words.


Aside from that here are more features of a descriptive essay:

  • It has a well-focused subject that can be ordinary or extraordinary. It's up to the writer how to make it as interesting as possible. You can do this by emphasizing what makes it interesting, new, or unusual. It must create a dominant impression for your reader.

  • It has a clear pattern of organization. Your introduction should be from general to specific. Its body have several paragraphs that develop and describe the topic.

  • The tone of the essay is gradually built to highlight that one strong dominant emotion. Your approach must prepare the readers for stronger emotions to follow.

  • It can either be objective or subjective by nature. An objective essay is precise and clinical in approach while a subjective essay of coarse, has a personal touch.

The aim of descriptive essays is to provide a vivid picture of a person, location, feeling, object, or event. These essays offer precise details that enable the readers to clearly imagine the subject described.


So start writing your descriptive essays and enjoy the challenge of conveying your topics' characteristics to your readers. Be creative and imaginative - begin by answering this question: what would you want to describe?


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