descriptive essay

Writing 02 - Le Phuong Thao DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY What is a descriptive essay? It is an essay to describe a person, a thing, or a place The purpose of descriptive writing is to make our readers see, feel, and hear what we have seen, felt, and heard Whether we are describing a person, a place, or a thing, our aim is to reveal a subject through vivid and carefully selected details Descriptive essay is mainly made up of details There are two types: personal description, which includes feelings and opinion, and impersonal description, which includes facts • Impersonal description conveys to the readers what the writer has seen In other words, it conveys the information about the appearance and the characteristic of a place, a person, a process, or an object • Personal descriptive conveys to the readers what the writer has seen and how he feels How we arrange the details? In this kind of essay we use the space order (from left to right or vice verse/ from top to bottom or vice verse/ from far to near or vice verse/ from general details to specific ones or vice verse.) It means you should describe something/ someone the ways it/he looks or arrange the details according to where the objects being described are located Language used? We should use more adjectives to make the description vivid Personal descriptive language material Face shape: Square, oval, round, broad, triangular, heart – shaped, moon – shaped, angular (góc cạnh) Face expressions: scowl (cáu kỉnh), frown (cau mày), worried, blank (ngây dại), vivacious (sôi nổi), delicate (thanh tú), placid (điềm tỉnh), peaceful Complexion: freckled, rosy (ửng hồng), ruddy (hồng hào), tanned (rám nắng), wrinkled (nhăn nheo), pale (xanh xao), spotless (láng), silky(láng trơn lụa), smooth, creamy, baby-soft (mềm mại da bé), glowing (mạnh khỏe, sinh động), paper-thin; rough (xù xì), callused (chai sần), dry e.g Mary has a soft, creamy complexion Eyes: Brown-eyed (mother), bright-eyed (sister), wide-eyed (child), large, small, almond-shaped (hình hạnh), round, squinty (lé), crinkly Eye expressions: piercing (sắc), mesmerizing (quyến rũ), sad, sorrowful, tear-filled, gentle, sympathetic, warm, compassionate, expressive (diễn cảm), twinkling, lively, laughing Mouth/Lips: thin lips, full lips, pouting lips (trề), pursed lips (mím môi tập trung tư tưởng), laugh, smile, beam (rạng rỡ), grin (cười toe tóet), grimace (nhăn nhó), scowl Hair: wavy, curly, straight, spiky, stiff, buzzed, shaved, parted, neatlycombed, tamed, long, short, cropped Hair Styles: braids (tóc bím), ponytail, pigtails (đuôi gà), bun (búi tóc nhỏ), twist, bob (tóc ngắn qua vai), ringlets (món tóc quăn), bangs (món tóc ngang trán), layered (xếp tầng), feathered (túm tóc dựng ngược), gelled, spiked (như bông), slicked down (bóng mượt), thick, full, lustrous (bóng láng), bushy (rậm), thin (thưa), scraggly (lởm chởm), t, balding (become bald), bald, receding hairline (become bald), permed (uốn), dyed (nhuộm), bleached (tẩy), highlighted Hair colors: black, brunette (tóc nâu), brown, chestnut-brown, honey-blond, blond, golden-blond, auburn (nâu vàng), red, strawberry-blond (hung đỏ), gray, silver, white, salt-and-pepper Facial Hair: Beard, goatee, mustache, sideburns, Five o’clock shadow, bearded (có râu quai nón), unshaven, clean-shaven, trimmed (tỉa tót), neatly-trimmed Sentence Starters Describing Clothes: Smartly dressed in (name of garment), she Casually attired (mặc) in (name of garment), Jolene… Simply clad in (name of garment), Mark Clothing: denim (bông chéo), wool, cotton, tweed (vải len thô), polyester, corduroy (nhung kẻ sọc), fleece (lông cừu), Styles Casual (thường), scruffy (lôi thôi), shabby (xòang xónh), smart, tidy, messy (luộm thuộm) Clothes Leather jeans, cargo pants, slacks, trousers, overalls (áo khóac), sweatpants, crop pants (quần da), skirt, culottes (quần soóc rộng), shorts, sport shirt, polo shirt, button-down shirt, blouse, long-sleeve, shortsleeve, sleeveless, collared, T-shirt, sweatshirt, pullover, sweater, cardigan, dress, uniform, costume, pajamas, bathrobe, robe, vest, jacket, blazer, coat, socks, stockings, gloves, hat, cap, shoes, boots, slippers, sandals, flip-flops (dép hở mũi), heels Personalities: careful, hard-working, worried, cheerful, broadminded, active, curious, secretive (giữ kẽ), dull (tối dạ), boring, imaginative (giàu tưởng tượng), ambitious, crafty (láu cá), sensitive (nhạy cảm), gentle, nạve (ngây thơ), generous (rộng rãi), loyal, self-controlled, moody (tính tình thất thường), trusting (thật thà), modest, tolerant, friendly, energetic (mạnh mẽ, nghò lực), confident, selfish, shy, stubborn (cứng đầu), reliable, clumsy (vụng về), intelligent