Descriptive Essay

In a descriptive essay, a student is doing just that – describing something. This can be anything from an object, to a place, to an emotion. The writer is best-suited to draw on something they are intimately familiar with. Being able to describe something in clear, precise detail is vital to a successful descriptive essay. It is because of this need for clarity that one should brainstorm before beginning. This will ensure all the necessary details are identified and that the description can be presented in a clear, logical fashion.

When writing a descriptive essay, one should be vivid in one’s word choices. To do this, a write should use their senses to fully immerse themselves in the element they are describing. If writing about a place, a person should consider all the senses: what they see, what they hear, what they smell, how things might taste, if applicable, and how things feel. If describing a food, similar elements can be considered: where it is served, how it is presented, what is smells like, the texture, and how it tastes. Word choice is vital in a descriptive essay, as it can be the difference between a time of happiness and a time of jubilation; the latter is more vibrant and conveys a greater sense of excitement than does the former. No matter what topic one chooses to focus on in the descriptive essay, it is imperative that the reader be able to fully understand all the elements described; the more vivid and realistic the language, the more likely this is to happen.