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DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
PURPOSE
The purpose of a descriptive essay is to
describe a person, place, or thing in such
vivid detail that the reader can easily form a
precise mental picture of what is being
written about.
Like a painter painting with colorful words.
HOW
The author may accomplish this by using
imaginative language, interesting
comparisons, and images that appeal to the
senses.
Example of a descriptive essay describing thing.
I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average,
ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be
tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at
some time in history someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that
person invented what must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For
me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that
keeps coming back for more.
A Ride I’ll Never Forget
A Ride I’ll Never Forget
My first experience with a carnival ride was a Ferris wheel at a local fair. Looking at that looming monstrosity spinning the life out of its sardine-caged occupants, I was dumbstruck. It was huge, smokey, noisy and a little intimidating. Ever since that initial impression became fossilized in my imagination many years ago, these rides have reminded me of mythical beasts, amazing dinosaurs carrying off their screaming passengers like sacrificial virgins. Even the droning sound of their engines brings to mind the great roar of a fire-breathing dragon with smoke spewing from its exhaust-pipe nostrils.
A Ride I’ll Never Forget
The first ride on one of these fantastic beasts gave me an instant rush of adrenaline. As the death-defying ride started, a lump in my throat pulsed like a dislodged heart ready to walk the plank. As ride gained speed, the resistance to gravity built up against my body until I was unable to move. An almost imperceptible pause as the wheel reached the top of its climb allowed my body to relax in a brief state of normalcy. Then there was an assault of stomach-turning weightlessness as the machine continued its rotation and I descended back toward the earth. A cymbal-like crash vibrated through the air as the wheel reached the bottom and much to my surprise I began to rise again.
A Ride I’ll Never Forget
Each new rotation gave me more confidence in the churning
machine . Every ascent left me elated that I had survived the
previous death defying fall. When another nerve wracking climb
failed to follow the last exhilarating dissent and the ride was over, I
knew I was hooked. Physically and emotionally drained, I followed
my fellow passengers down the clanging metal steps to reach the
safety of my former footing. I had been spared, but only to have the
opportunity to ride again.
A Ride I’ll Never Forget
My fascination with these fantastic flights is deeply
ingrained in my soul. A trip on a wonderful Ferris wheel
never fails to throw me. Although I am becoming older,
and have less time, with less inclination, to play, the
childlike thrill I have on a Ferris wheel continues with each
and every ride.
• The subject of the sample essay is fairly ordinary right on a Ferris wheel.
• The author makes it interesting, however, By comparing the Ferris wheel to a monstrous creature.
VOCABULARY
The author makes good use of fresh and varied vocabulary. For example, in the
first paragraph alone, she uses verbs that create excitement like “fascinate”,
“amaze”, and “terrified”. In the second paragraph she uses a variety of terms
to describe the machine such as “monstrosity”, “mythical”, “beast”, “amazing
dinosaur”, “fire-breathing dragon”.
SENSES
The author uses her senses
to describe the scene - how
did I looks, sounds, smells,
and feels
EXAMPLES…
• The ride is huge, “smoky”,
“noisy” and it's engines
“drone” like the “roar of a
dragon”. On the ride, she
gets a “rush of
adrenaline” and a “lump in
her throat”, she feels
immobile and then
weightless.
INTRODUCTION
• A lot of the introduction begins with a general
statement, “I've always been fascinated by
carnival rides”, and ends with a more specific
statement of what the essay will be about, “the
thrill and excitement of a carnival ride keeps me
coming back for more.”
BODY
• The body of the essay
is composed of several
paragraphs that
describe the Ferris
wheel, the way it
seems from the
ground and the way it
feels to ride on one.
CONCLUSION
• The conclusion restates the main idea of the
essay, that the author continues to find carnival
rides thrilling and exciting.
ADJECTIVES
A successful descriptive
essay need a variety of
adjectives (describing
words)
EXAMPLES OF ADJECTIVES TO
DESCRIBE PLACES
• Remote, imposing, super, easily accessible, inaccessible, interesting,
peaceful , memorable, awe-inspiring, world famous, off the beaten
track, little/much visited, tourist ridden, beautiful, picturesque,
isolated, breathtaking, pretty, bustling sleepy, lively, sparsely populated
NOTE: Try as far as possible to keep away from lazy adjectives such as – nice,
big, small etc (grade 1-3 words lol)
Think of
the
following
when
describing
places:
LOCATION PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS,
ATMOSPHERE
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
THE CULTURE AND PEOPLE IN THE PLACE
HISTORICAL DETAILS YOUR PERSONAL IMPRESSION/OPINION
EXAMPLES OF ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE
A PERSON
• Interesting, shy, diffident, pushing, overbearing, talented, lonely, sociable, likable, intelligent, introvert, Extrovert, approachable, coachable, businesslike, humble, timid, practical, impractical, a good mixer, a good conversationalist, antisocial, retiring, a spot, a snob, a bore, a know-all, difficult, arrogant, shrewd energetic, conceited, modest, brash, self-confident, lazy, ambitious, easy-going, strict, cunning
NOTE: Again try as best to stay away from sentences such as “she is a nice person” …. Give your essay a vocabulary upgrade in this essay.
Think of
the
following
when
describing
a person:
Physical appearance
Personality , character
attitudes, behaviour
interests, hobbies, profession
your personal impression/opinion
EXAMPLES OF ADJECTIVES TO
DESCIBE AN OBJECT.
• Blue, Brown , cotton,
leather, green, grey, metal,
plastic, nylon, long, thin,
round, short, small,
square, paper, wood,
thick, big, wide,
rectangular, narrow, large,
glass
Think of
the
following
when
describing
objects:
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
ORIGIN (WHERE IT WAS MADE )
USE YOUR PERSONAL IMPRESSION/OPINION
SOME MORE DESCRIPTIVE
WORDS
Appearance Condition Feelings Bad Feelings Good Shape
Adorable Alive Angry Brave Rd broad
Beautiful Better Clumsy Calm Chubby
clean Careful Embarrassed Delightful Crooked
Drab Clever Fierce Eager Curved
Elegant Dead Grumpy Faithful Deep
Fancy Easy Helpless Gentle Select flat
Glamorous Famous Itchy Elated High
Handsome Gifted Jealous Jolly Hollow
Long Helpful Lazy Kind Low
Magnificent Important Mysterious Lively Narrow
Old
fashioned
Inexpensive Nervous Obedient Round
Plane Mushy Panicky Proud Shallow
Quint Odd Repulsive Relieved Skinny
Ugliest Powerful Scary Silly Square
Unsightly Rich Thoughtless Thankful Steep
Wide-eyed Shy Uptight Victorious Straight
Sound Time Taste Time Size
Deafening Ancient Bitter Bumpy Big
Faint Brief Delicious Chilly Colossal
Hissing Early Fresh Cold Fat
Loud Fast greasy Cool Gigantic
Noisy Late Juicy Cuddly Great
Purring Long Hot Damp Huge
Screeching Modern Icy Dirty Immense
Thundering Old Melted Dry Large
Voiceless Old fashioned Nutritious Dusty Little
Whispering Quick Rotten Filthy Massive
Rapid Salty Fluffy Miniature
Short Sweet Freezing Scrawny
Slow Sticky Hot Short
Swift Tasteless Warm Small
Young Weak Prickly Tall
Yummy Uneven Teeny tiny
Things to consider
• Think of an instance that you want to describe.
• Why is this particular instance important?
• What are you doing?
• What other things are happening around you? Is there anything specific that stands out in your mind?
• Where are objects located in relation to where you are?
• How do the surroundings remind you of other places you have been?
Things to
consider
What sights, smells, sounds, and tastes are in the air?
Do the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes remind you of anything?
What are you feeling at the time?
Are there instances where you have felt the same before ?
What do you want the reader to feel after reading your essay?
What types of words and images can convey this feeling?
Can you think of another situation that has been similar to the one you are writing about? How can it help explain what you are writing about?
Is the enough detail in your essay to create a mental image for the reader?
PLEASE
WRITE IN
PRESENT
TENSE!!!!!
When you write your essay, make sure all your VERBS are in PRESENT TENSE. For example:
She was eating porridge NOT PRESENT TENSE
She IS eating porridge. Present tense
She EATS porridge. Present tense
NOT: It usually rained everyday BUT It usually rains everyday.
EXTRA
TIPS
Read, REREAD and REREAD your work before submitting you essay assignment.
Read ALOUD if you have to. Often one can hear when a sentence does not sound write.
Pay close attention to PUNCTUATION!!!. You cannot have ONE sentence the size of a PARAGRAPH.
ASK FOR HELP!!
• Please ask for help if you need it.
• No we cannot edit your essay for you
but if you have any questions about the
format or how to formulate the essay,
please do not hesitate to ask either Mr
Ackerman or Ms Classen
• You can contact your English teacher’s
in their Google Classrooms, or email:
• GOOD LUCK!! HAVE FUN!!
