THE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH

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THE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH
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What is a Descriptive Paragraph?

• This kind of paragraph is used to describe what
  something looks like.
• Good description relies on the five senses.
• The reader should hear, see, taste, smell, and
  feel what the writer is describing.

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What is a Descriptive Paragraph?

• Good description is synonymous of clarity.
• Subjective description allows you to provide an
  emotional account and evoke feelings.
• Objective description usually uses neutral words,
  since they do not evoke emotions this type of
  description generally provides information
  without adding feelings.

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Characteristics of the Descriptive Paragraph

• It has a subject worthy of description.
• It has an emphasis, either direct or indirect, on
  the five senses.
• It uses figures of speech to enrich the
  description and spark reader interest.
• It has one of three patterns of organization
  chronological, spatial, or an order of
  importance.

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How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph?

• Read other writers' descriptions. This will help
  you recognize what works in descriptive writing
  and what doesn't.
• 2. Plan your description. Think about the
  subject. Close your eyes and immerse yourself in
  it. If describing a place, imagine you are
  actually there. Notice all the sights, smells and
  noises around you. If describing a character,
  imagine he is standing in front of you and look
  at him closely, visualizing all the details of
  his appearance. Imagine he is talking to you.

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How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph?

• Make notes. Never attempt to write something
  until you have done this. Make notes based on all
  the thinking you imagined in the previous step.
  Write down notes relating to all five senses.
  Think about and jot down any strong adjectives
  and adverbs you could use in your description.
  Write down any ideas for metaphors, similes and
  personification.
• 4. Make a draft. Try out different sentences,
  words, adjectives and see if they work. If not,
  try new ones. Use a thesaurus to help you find
  alternative words if your writing is too
  repetitive or if you want a word that is more
  dramatic or descriptive. Try writing a sentence
  to describe each of the five senses. Attempt
  different ways of ordering your sentences to see
  which is the most effective

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How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph?

• 5. Write your paragraph once you are pleased
  with your draft. Use your notes and your draft to
  help you. Make sure you include all the relevant
  information and that you use a variety of
  different kinds of sentences to make your
  paragraph interesting. Check that your sentences
  are grammatically correct and that you have used
  the right punctuation.
• 6. Read through your finished paragraph. Try
  reading it out loud so you can really hear how
  the vocabulary you have chosen creates a mood and
  brings your description alive. Have a friend or
  classmate read your paragraph to see if she can
  picture what it is you are trying to describe.
  Don't be frightened to change anything you are
  not satisfied with.

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Transition Words in a Descriptive Paragraph
Chrnonological Order Spatial Order Order of Importance
first... second... third...generally... furthermore... finallyin the first place... also... lastlyin the first place... pursuing this further... finallyto be sure... additionally... lastlyin the first place... just in the same way... finallybasically... similarly... as well above, below, besides, between, next to, in front of, behind, inside, outside, opposite, within, nearby, over, under First, second, third, Firstly, seconly, thirdly primarily, on the first place, on the second place
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Activity. Read the paragraph and guess which
picture is being described

• Watson and the Shark
• Watson and the Shark is a painting by John
  Singleton Copely. In the foreground of the
  painting, one naked man is being attacked by a
  huge gray shark in the cold and choppy seawater.
  One small overloaded rowboat is near the naked
  man and the frightening shark. There are nine
  horrified men in this rowboat. They are trying to
  rescue the naked man. One young man takes a long
  spear and wants to kill the shark. Some people
  are reaching for his hand, and some are throwing
  a rope for him to catch. In the background of the
  painting, under the dark and cloudy sky, there
  are many ships stopping in the stormy harbor. The
  whole painting makes people feel tension and
  fear.

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