Descriptive essays are a type of essay that helps the reader know more about a place, a person or thing. The primary purpose of a descriptive essay is to create a picture of how something looks or how the events affecting it unfolded. A descriptive essay is one of the most common types of essays that a student can expect. This post will guide you on how to write a descriptive essay.
Format On How To Write A Descriptive Essay
- Choosing a topic
- Preparing to write a descriptive essay
- Write your introduction last
- Reviewing and editing
Choosing A Topic
For the most part, the topic you choose to write on will depend on the essay question. The essay question helps you determine which object, person or event you will write about.
It is advisable to take some time to review the essay question before you attempt to write the essay. This practice allows you to decide on the subject to write on and how you will describe the events that affect this subject.
Additionally, reading and rereading the essay question allows you to determine what trajectory your research will take. No matter the subject you want to write on, research is essential in helping you describe this subject better.
Preparing To Write A Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay differs from other essays because of the focus on offering a description. Before you write a descriptive essay, it is vital to invest some time in going through the pre-writing process.Â
In the pre-writing process, your focus will be on deciding on the best description to use to bring alive a character or a setting in your essay. Essay experts recommend that for your descriptive essay to stand out, the reader should relate with the character or setting emotionally.
Your primary focus should be to spike an emotional response from the reader. To achieve this, attempt to fully describe the events that the characters in your essay undergo or the characters they interact with.
Additionally plan your essay to the end before you start writing. Ensure that the events in your essay follow a particular chronological order. You are bound to lose your reader if you keep confusing him or her by going back and forth in your essay.
Write down all your ideas on paper and keep referring to them as you write your essay. This practice will allow you to maintain the plot of the essay, and if you need to introduce a plot twist, you will stay on course.
Write Your Introduction Last
The introduction of a descriptive essay will present the most challenge to you as you write. It is therefore important that you write this last after the body of your essay. Additionally, this allows you to write the introduction more convincingly as you will know how to lure your reader into your essay.
The introduction should start in the most convincing manner. Using a catchy hook works the trick in this case. There are several types of hooks that you can use to start your essay with. Depending on the audience that you are writing for, you can use a quote, anecdote, statistic or shocking fact.
In the introduction of your essay, it is also a good idea to deviate from using any confusing language. While it sounds fancy to use metaphors and parables to decorate your essay, be careful not to confuse the reader. The introduction will help the reader determine whether the rest of the essay is worth reading.
Reviewing And Editing
For a descriptive essay to stand out, reviewing and editing play a vital role. It would be best if you took the time to ensure that you review your essay after writing it. Make the review unbiased and if possible, get some help in doing this. However, avoid having the person helping you review the essay from changing the meaning of the essay.
Editing the essay will take even more work, but this is what will make your essay stand out when compared to others. Editing your essay requires a sober mind. It is, therefore, a good idea to take some time off from your computer before coming back to edit your descriptive essay. This practice will allow you to see the mistakes in your essay better. Reading the essay aloud while editing is also a good idea of how you can edit efficiently.
An Example Of How To Write A Descriptive Essay
How to write a descriptive essay about a person
The best tips on how to write a descriptive essay about a person include the following:
1. Choose your subject for your description
2. Know the features of your topic for examples their appearances, character traits, emotions and manners.
3. Once you have acquired the essential characteristics, you can go ahead and write the outline.
4. Ensure you use professional descriptions while writing the essay.
Descriptive essay topics
Here are some of the descriptive essay topics
One’s dream job
A place where a natural disaster has occurred
A favourite hangout spot or restaurant
College, campus or school
The place you visited when you were a child
A celebrity
A best friend
A family member
A professor
A boss
A photograph
The cover of a book
Memorable birthday or event
A president
