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The following types were discussed thoroughly in the previous lecture: descriptive essay, definition essay, compare and contrast essay, cause and effect essay, narrative essay, argumentative essay, critical essay, evaluation essay, analysis essay, reflective essay, expository essay.
Lecture Descriptive Essay Recap The following types were discussed thoroughly in the previous lecture: • Descriptive Essay • Definition Essay • Compare and Contrast Essay • Cause and Effect Essay • Narrative Essay • Argumentative Essay Descriptive Essay The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds It can also describe what something is, or how something happened These essays generally use a lot of sensory details The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details Examples: A descriptive essay could describe * a tree in my backyard; How to Write a Descriptive Essay? • A descriptive essay is a form of academic writing that is built around: – • a detailed description of a person – building – place – Situation etc The main purpose of a descriptive essay is to describe something in a vivid and particular manner, so that the readers Steps for Writing an Descriptive Essay Step # 1: Choose a subject on which you want to write and decide what, or who, you will describe Step # 2: Do an outline or a sketch, listing the facts, characteristics you will develop throughout your essay Step # 3: Gather information for the introductory paragraph, if necessary (in case you choose to write about a certain holiday, historical event, Steps for Writing an Descriptive Essay Step # 4: Decide upon the main idea for each of your paragraphs in the Main Body section Step # 5: Write each of the paragraphs, starting from an introductory sentence and then going into details as you develop your thoughts Steps for Writing an Descriptive Essay Step # 6: Write the introduction and conclusion Step # 7: Lay your work aside for some time and then a thorough proofreading Topic Selection • There are various kinds of descriptive essays • The three most common ones are those that focus around describing people, describing places or buildings and Topic Selection Here are several examples of good topics for each category: • A person I will never forget • A place I have always wanted to go • A person I admire • The house of my dreams • A visit to a theatre/ museum/ modern art Key Points to Consider • • • A descriptive essay, as with any other successfully written piece, needs to have a clear well-balanced structure Normally, you should start with an Introduction of the object, person or place you plan to describe While introducing, you should specify your relation to the person, the location of the place, the purpose of the object, etc Dos • Do not be afraid to approach your description from an innovative angle • Do use a variety of techniques to express your thoughts Don'ts • Don’t begin all your sentences in a similar way as it will make your essay sound boring and template-like • Don’t write too generally Go underneath the surface in your descriptions to make your essay sound more realistic Don’ts • • • Don’t switch from present tense to the past and back If you chose to describe an event that occurred in the past (your visit to some place, a person you used to be close with etc.), then only write in the past tense throughout your essay Similarly, if you chose to describe everything in the present or future form, be consistent throughout Don’ts • Don’t write about everything you can think of – Whether it is a person or building that you chose to describe, think of the most peculiar and interesting characteristics that distinguish and highlight this particular person or building for you Don’ts • Don’t focus on what is generally known, believed or considered about your subject • Write about things that matter to you personally Common Mistakes • Absence of a main idea: Your essay should focus around one main idea that needs to be transparent Students often forget about this rule and get lost in separate striking descriptions, which make the whole essay sound abrupt and inconsistent Common Mistakes • Usage of too many ordinary and petty adjectives which make your writing sound mediocre • Instead, try to describe the object or person from a personal perspective, using your emotions and feelings Common Mistakes • • Applying an out-and-out approach when you include negative adjectives in your description Try to use mild language in such cases For example, you can replace “John is arrogant” with “John can sometimes be rather arrogant” Example of Descriptive Essay My Favorite Restaurant Introduction Paragraph As a child, I wasn’t fond of eating out My family would eat out at least once a week, often more than once, and every time we went anywhere, but for a little place called Rivenee’s, it was a challenge for my parents Rivenee’s was that lucky exception – I loved the place and this made my parents love it Supporting Details First of all, Rivenee’s is a small and cozy place, and this is what probably earned my love in the first place This, and the people who worked, and still work there of course Unlike the bigger restaurants, diners and chain buffets my parents also took me to, Rivenee’s was a family-owned business run by a middle-aged couple, Janette and Derek When I think about them now, I still remember their warm smiles and sincere care for everyone around them Missis Jan, as I would call her, loved orange shades, both in her outfits and in the restaurant’s interior decor Warm orange and yellow-pomegranate furniture, sunny-colored napkins and curtains, country-style hard wooden tables and stools at the bar – everything was solid and comfortable about the place Missis Jan would always have something orange in her outfit – to match the place, as I then thought Be it a bright orange ribbon in her hair, or a peachy neat cotton dress, or creamy red nail polish – this woman always belonged to the place like nobody else, and I doubt it was only the external resemblance Supporting Details Her husband Mr Derek was older, with graying hair and a little moustache, which made him look a little strict to me at the time But the moment he started talking, his deep, soft and half-laughing voice, with that particular tender frog-in-the-throat vibes, he would make me listen to his every word with my mouth Conclusion When I visited Rivenee’s after all these years, the memories flashed back through my mind in a heartbeat, and I suddenly felt like a child again The place was still a sunny planet of orange and light, very bright, yet comfortably relaxing with fresh energy I instantly felt like home, and a big bouquet of freshly cut wild Summary • How to Write a Descriptive Essay? • Steps for Writing an Descriptive Essay • Topic Selection for Descriptive Essay • Key Points to Consider • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes • Example References • http://academichelp.net/academic-assignment ... previous lecture: • Descriptive Essay • Definition Essay • Compare and Contrast Essay • Cause and Effect Essay • Narrative Essay • Argumentative Essay Descriptive Essay The descriptive essay provides... bouquet of freshly cut wild Summary • How to Write a Descriptive Essay? • Steps for Writing an Descriptive Essay • Topic Selection for Descriptive Essay • Key Points to Consider • Dos and Don’ts •... a Descriptive Essay? • A descriptive essay is a form of academic writing that is built around: – • a detailed description of a person – building – place – Situation etc The main purpose of a descriptive