Descriptive Essay
A descriptive essay is an essay that describes anything from an object to a vacation. Descriptive essays are filled with vivid details to help the reader visualize and resonate with what is being described.
Descriptive vs. Narrative Essay
For example, if you were to write a narrative story about the first track meet you won, you would mention the training, the struggles, the bonds created with your coaches or teammates, and the feelings you experienced during running your final race.
In a descriptive essay, you would choose one object, feeling, or place. The focus of your descriptive essay could be the track and field you ran at. You would describe the stadiums, how many people were there, the feel of the turf on your shoes, the noises you heard, or the lines drawn on the track.
Helpful Tips
1. Keep your sentences clear and concise.
You can accomplish this by avoiding filler words like "very". Replace your filler words with powerful one-word adjectives. Here are some examples:| Instead of... | Use... |
|---|---|
| Very old | Ancient |
| Very angry | Infuriated |
| Very smart | Intelligent |
| Very sad | Devastating |
2. Dissect the subject you're describing.
You can do this by creating a table of all the senses and using descriptive words or phrases that fit your subject. It’s okay if you do not fill in words for every sense, some senses may not make sense with the subject of your essay. Dissecting your subject will allow you to create a solid foundation to make into essay form.Example Table | Descriptive Essay Table | Subject of Essay: Chirstmas Morning
| Senses | Descriptive Words/Phrases |
|---|---|
| Taste | Sweet cinnamon rolls Cold cup of milk |
| Smell | Freshly baked cinnamon rolls Pine Gingerbread scented candle |
| Sight | LED string lights on a tree Cozy fireplace |
| Touch | Shaking of the gifts under the tree Velvet stocking |
| Hearing | Soft tune of Christmas songs Family talking around the kitchen table |
