Descriptive Writing

What is descriptive writing? A descriptive essay uses the five senses to describe a place, an object, or a feeling. In descriptive writing, the writer must describe the place, object, or feeling so well that the reader can picture it in his or her mind.

The Five Senses In descriptive writing, you don’t have to use all of your five senses to describe. Most of the time using three of your senses to describe will be sufficient. Your five senses are sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

Prewriting Before you begin writing your essay, you will have to plan for it. Using a bubble-chart is the best way to plan for a descriptive essay. Ex. Beach Sights Sounds Smells

Hook Sentence The first sentence in every essay that you write is called the hook sentence. It’s job is to hook your reader and make them want to read the rest of your essay. A hook can be a question, a quote, or an exciting fact.

Thesis Statement The thesis statement is also located in the introduction of an essay. The thesis statement lists the three main points of your essay in order. The thesis is like a map for your essay. It lets your reader know exactly what you will talk about in your paper. An example thesis could be: I love the sights, smells, and sounds of the beach. Your reader now knows that your essay will discuss the sights, smells, and sounds of the beach.

Body Paragraphs After your introduction, you will write the body of your essay. The body will consist of three paragraphs. The topic of each paragraph should follow the order of your thesis statement. In your three body paragraphs, you should use a lot of adjectives to help describe your topic.

You should also use SMP to help you describe your topic. S stands for simile. A simile is a comparison using like or as. M stands for metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison that does not use like or as. P stands for personification. Personification gives an inanimate object or animal human characteristics.

Conclusion The conclusion of an essay is where the writer restates the main points of the essay and restates the thesis. The conclusion should leave the reader with no questions about the essay.