Descriptive Essay Writing Basics
22 Mar 22On the thorny path to professionalism during studying a student has to write a ton of essays. Mostly, students learn how to do descriptive essay writing in the actual process. Such a way of getting to know the basics of academic writing might cause a row of issues and drawbacks.
There is no other way to fix this problem but to read what you have to do when you get an assignment. And now we will shed light on what descriptive essay writing is and how to write descriptive essay.
The Definition of Descriptive Essay
Its designation is quite obvious. A student has to explain something via characterization and depiction. The professor might ask students to describe a(n):
- object;
- historical figure;
- event;
- place.
The objects of observation will get their description from the perspective of a student. That means that this can be only an interpretation of what objectively exists. Still, quite often professors expect their students to be precise with what their object is in reality. So, even if your attitude to this thing has a strong emotional coloring, you should remain neutral.
That situation changes when your professor allows using semitones of emotions. Or when they want solely emotional description. Yet, that’s a rarer case.
What Skills Students Improve by Descriptive Essay Writing?
Saying that future professionals learn how to describe things is too vague. It is like that, though, but let’s see the whole complex:
- Attentiveness to details. Descriptive essay writing requires paying attention to every component of an object. So, students have to be attentive to its forms, peculiarities of functioning, sensory details, and so on.
- Vocabulary enrichment. The more you describe, the more words you use. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Yet, the semitones of the wording change the reaction of readers drastically. You kind of have to be picky to deliver your vision clearly and understandably. Moreover, remember that you are not writing a fictional story. You are most likely to write an essay about something from objective reality. And your interpretation shouldn’t distort it.
- Objectiveness like researchers have. Again, descriptive academic writing is about real-existing things. You have to be impartial yet accurate which is not easy to achieve. So, this assignment also helps you learn how to separate your feelings from facts but have involvement.
- Clarifying and explaining. When you write an essay, you perform an act of communication. It has to be clear, so your readers get your idea without distortions. This skill is useful in everyday life, even though we all do our common explanations intuitively.
- Presenting objects from a different perspective. Here we get back to sensory details. When you have to write a descriptive essay assignment, you don’t have restrictions on what you want to describe. So, try combining visual, audial, even olfactory depictions to elucidate your object fully.
Structuring Time
The structure for this kind of essay remains unchanged. Like any other common academic paper, it needs:
an introduction;
- a body-text (3-6 paragraphs, sometimes more);
- a conclusion.
There is nothing to alter, so use this eternal classical structure for a descriptive essay without second thoughts. Remember that your essay thesis changes after details, though. So, don’t repeat yourself and don’t position your object in the same manner as you have done in the beginning. The more details it has, the fuller its vision is, so it never stays the same.
Also, you have to depict everything in chronological order. Save non-chronological descriptions for fiction writing. Academic writing asks for a structured, consistent, and stable description.
Stages of descriptive essay writing
There are four versatile stages you have to complete if you want your essay (including descriptive one) to be good.
1: Prewriting
This is the moment when you meditate on what you want to describe and how you will do it. It will be more effective if you take small notes. The first things to write down are associations. Then try searching for sources that give diversified details about your object of observation. You can also ask your friends and relatives what they think about your topic and consider their ideas.
2: Drafting
At this time your essay has the right to be a bit chaotic. Don’t lose energy on systematizing and refining it right away. You will have time to do it after you include every idea you think is representative. Moreover, you will write something at least understandable automatically. Don’t get too carried out and remember that you have to describe something concrete.
The most important thing here is to mark out significant points and come up with logical bridges that connect them.
3: Re-building and refining
Now that you have a ton of material, it is time to make it all 100% logical. Add connections where the change of focus is too sharp. Cut out repetitive facts or descriptions. Also, take a look at your drafted introduction and decide if it needs any alterations. Sure, that works for your conclusion too.
4: Proofreading in descriptive essay writing
Focus on the technical implementation of your paper. Correct mistakes, eliminate typos and double-spaces in the lines, and so on.
When you have passed them all, your descriptive essay can go to your professor’s table!
Before Goodbyes
Writing a descriptive essay isn’t that different from other forms of essay writing. Follow the standard structure, focus on your topic, don’t skip stages of writing. That way, your essay will always be at least good if not perfect.