This article contains easy steps on how to write a descriptive essay in 2023.
A descriptive essay is a type of composition which describes a person, object, emotions or event. The writer’s goal is to create a vivid reading experience, to show instead of to tell. However, for a better understanding, a descriptive essay is an essay that really describes something and it helps a reader to feel like they know that topic inside and out along with you.
In general, you’re going to be describing a person or a place or a thing in a detailed manner that the person reading knows what it’s like from all five of their senses. A descriptive essay is usually written coherently.
The interesting thing about a descriptive essay is that it can be about anything. Writing a descriptive essay is not difficult but at the same time, it is not as easy as imagined. Before going ahead to write a descriptive essay, it is important to understand the rudiments of writing such an essay to avoid making terrible mistakes.
Writing descriptive essays is easy because they are almost always about personal experiences, but also difficult because of the need to appeal to the reader’s five senses as well as evoke emotions.
This article will teach you easy ways to write a descriptive essay that will capture the minds of the readers. Below are how you can write a descriptive essay.
STEPS ON HOW TO WRITE A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY IN 2023
A. CHOOSE A TOPIC
The very first step in writing a descriptive essay is to choose your topic. This can be a lot more easier when provided with a topic but in a case where you do not have a specific topic provided for you to help narrow down your topic, it can be a bit challenging. An important thing to keep in mind when choosing a topic is that the best topic for a good descriptive essay is one that you have a deep connection with. The more connection you have with a topic, the easier it will be to convey that emotion to your audience and the more points you will have for your essay without running out of ideas.
The easiest way to choose a topic is by brainstorming. This involves thinking about a suitable topic and coming up with rough ideas to support the topic. You should not think as you write the essay because points may not come out clearly. Just take your time and think as you jot down the summary of the points about the topic, on a piece of paper. The best way is creating a list of points before you proceed to the actual paper.
You can do this for as many topics as possible. Only go for the topic you flowed best in and connected more to.
B. WRITE AN OUTLINE
Now that you have chosen a topic of your choice, it is time to write an outline. Outlines may seem like a waste of time but since organization is important for any type of essay writing, it will be worth the extra effort in order to write a good descriptive essay. In writing an outline, all you need to do is to take the ideas that came up in the course of brainstorming and arranging them in logical order.
An outline does not only ensure that your descriptive essay is organized, but it also works as a guide that keeps you on track as you write your first draft. Once your first draft is complete, any drafts after that should be focused on improving or adding descriptions to make your essay appeal to your audience’s five senses/emotions better.
The outline of a descriptive essay contains the segments that should be included in your essay writing. It is the structure of the essay that will guide you on how you should format your essay.
A descriptive essay can be divided into three parts, the introduction, the body and the conclusion. However, a descriptive essay outline is usually composed of the following:
1. An introduction
An introduction usually contains a hook sentence, context/background information and a thesis statement.
- Hook Sentence: This hook sentence is that which is used to grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning. It gives the reader the zeal to keep reading.
- Context/Background Information: Tell the reader what you’re about to describe and explain why it is crucial to you. Give them a brief context for your paper.
- Thesis Statement: The descriptive essay thesis should be a short yet concise summary of the work. It must include the subject of your description, and your purpose for describing it.
2. The body: This consists of the body paragraphs, topic sentence and actual details.
3. A conclusion: This consists of the summary of all main points and a clincher Statement
C. WRITE AN INTRODUCTION
It is the introduction of your essay that sets footing for the reader in your work. Before heading to the body, this is the first thing the reader will come across. It is the introduction that makes the first impression of your work, so it should be very captivating. It is through the introduction that you can be able to make the reader understand what is contained in the essay. Your introduction determines whether a reader will proceed to read the essay or just lose the zeal to proceed.
The following tips will guide you in writing a good introduction to your descriptive essay:
Start the introduction with suspense: You have to choose the right words in the introduction to capture the eye of the reader. This is otherwise known as a hook sentence. To achieve this, you should apply phrases or even rhetorical questions so that the reader can find the answers later in your essay.
Be Concise: An introduction should not constitute a lot of description. However, you should give a brief overview of what you intend to talk about in the body paragraph. At the same time, you should not reveal the objective of the essay in the introduction. Doing this will make the reader become less interested in reading further because the writer may have given off the content of the essay.
D. BODY
After the introduction, what comes next is the body. The body is the main part that makes up your essay. All the points should be covered there. The body should support your thesis statement. The body of your essay should generally be the first part that you’re going to write because it’s going to be the part that you can research. It’s a little more fact-based.
Make a point in each paragraph. You’re going to want each of your paragraphs to have a point to it. Each one is going to explain one aspect of whatever it is you’re describing. But make sure that it’s only focused on one thing.
Don’t forget transitions. You absolutely need to make sure that your paragraphs tie back in together. When you present one idea, make sure that it flows into the next one.
Link your paragraphs using good transition words for descriptive essays. Most of the transition words are usually conjunctions, so you should be able to select appropriate conjunctions to suit your explanations. If you are connecting contradicting sentences, you should use contradicting conjunctions such as ‘however’ if you are adding, use additional conjunctions such as ‘in addition to.’
Organize your paragraphs appropriately.
The organization of your work is the basis for the merit in essay writing. You have to place each idea into its paragraph. The length of the paragraphs should also be standard but do not make your paragraphs too short or too long. A body paragraph should contain at most six sentences.
E. WRITE YOUR CONCLUSION
The last part of your descriptive essay is the conclusion. Finally, the conclusion paragraph makes a summary of your entire essay. Your conclusion needs to be well written because it is the final thing to be read by your reader and will remain on their mind the longest after they have read the remainder of your essay.
A conclusion is the last chance that you have as a paper writer to impress the reader of your work. Make sure that the reader knows they are approaching the end of your paper, by use of words that suggest ending. The same way you captured the minds of the readers from the beginning with the use of a hooker sentence, you are advised to leave them with a lasting impression about your essay through what is called a clincher statement.
F. REVIEW YOUR ESSAY
Upon writing the concluding paragraph, it is important to take a break from your writing once you have completed the work. By stepping away from the work for a short time you can clear your mind and take a short rest. Coming back to the work after a break gives you the opportunity to view the essay with fresh eyes.
At this point, read the entire essay again thinking about yourself as the reader. You should ask yourself if you were the reader, would the essay make sense to you? Is it easy to read so that anyone can understand what the topic of the essay is? Does any of the paragraphs need to be rewritten because they are confusing and need to be better written to be descriptive?
Your choice of words should convey what you are trying to describe when you talk about a particular topic. The details that you have provided should give your reader enough information that they can form a complete picture. Any details in the essay should help a reader to understand the meaning of the topic from the writer’s point of view.
Read and review your essay over again, read out loud this time. Sometimes reading something out loud can help to identify any errors that should be corrected. On the other hand, you can give to a friend or family member to help you cross-check in case of any unnecessary errors.
G. FINISH IT UP
Finally, read your essay again very carefully and check for any grammar, punctuation or spelling errors that are obvious within the essay. If there are any parts that don’t make much sense, rewrite them once again and then follow the proof reading and reading aloud process again to ensure that the final product is as it ought to be.
Example Of A Descriptive Essay About A Person You Admire
When asked about the person I admire in the universe, I do not require to look at celebrities or any other big influential names in society. When it comes to me, the person I admire most in the world is my mother.
We all have people whom we consider to be highly inspirational and influential to look upon, and in my case, my mother is an excellent example of these characters. She is an extraordinary person in my life because of her enduring strength that I dearly admire, and she is also kind as well as supportive.
One thing I admire most about my mother is her strength, which appears to be resistant throughout hard times. My mother is a single mother, and she has managed to raise three children all by herself, providing us with a good life and education, while still balancing work. For instance, when my brother and I cleared high school, only one of us hoped to join college because of our financial situation, but she worked two jobs to ensure that we enrolled in college.
I hold great admiration for my mother because of her determination, how she never backs down, and the way she stands up for what she believes in no matter the hardships that come along.
My mother has a striking appearance, but behind this, she is very alluring, admirable, and kind. At first, one can conclude that she is a blunt and cold person because of her quiet nature, but after knowing her, she turns out to be a friendly, warm-hearted, gentle, and generous person.
My mother has been a dedicated individual in the society through volunteering in church during weekends and holidays as well as helping in the local homeless shelters. Kindness is crucial and healthy since one takes pride in caring for others since they need caring, and it gives people a pleasant feeling (Adamu par. 6). Thanks to my mother, I have grown to be a kind-hearted and deeply-caring person since I believe that it’s upon me to help those in need whenever I am capable.
I am lucky to have a mother who always supports me no matter my misgivings. No matter the activity I am in or the decision I make, my mother is still there for me to give me advice and encouragement, but at the end of the day, she is at all times by my side.
I had a difficult time adapting to my first year in high school, and I almost quit, but my mum listened to my grievances, and with her support, I managed to finish high school. Supportive behavior is crucial for individual well-being, especially when it comes to emotional support, where a person can be able to relieve distress from a challenge (MacGeorge and Van Swol 7). My mother’s supportive character has given me the strength to endure a lot of challenging situations in life as well as learn a lot in what life has to offer.
Special people like my mother exist to make our lives better and to mold us to become a better version of ourselves. My mother is a strong spirited person, kind-hearted, has unbreakable strength and is very supportive. Over the years, I have learned a lot through her character and thoughts, which have molded me to the caring, decent, and brilliant person I am today. The people around us turn out to be the best role models.
Using the sample above as a case study, the writer started the essay on a powerful note. He introduced the essay with a hooker sentence, one that holds every reader spellbound and desirous to read further. It was concise and never gave away the whole content of the essay but still, it gave the readers a general idea of what the essay was all about.
