Writing- Anyone have any tips when it comes to writing a college descriptive essay.?

Question

I'm not sure but for somereason I just get the idea that it is simply an essay with a lot of extra adjective, am I wrong? help thanks

Answer 1

Descriptive essay assignments are designed to train you to write in specifics and details, rather than empty generalities. Keeping this point in mind will help you to stay on track -- the key is to be specific and detailed.

Among other things, this means your task is not simply to pile on adjectives. And this is a good thing, since stacks of adjectives make for lousy writing anyway.

Instead, mix it up a bit. Use combinations of the following:

* metaphors ("he was a mountain of a man");
* similes ("with a chest like the Great Wall of China");
* active verbs ("sprinted" and "raced" are better than "went quickly");
* specific nouns ("he wore Dockers" rather than "he wore pants");
* and well-chosen adjectives ("hulking" or "bear-sized" rather than "big").

Above all, keep in mind that details aren't necessarily adjectives: "His breath stank of garlic and fish" has no adjectives in it, but is detailed and descriptive -- it is also more interesting than "He had smelly breath" is.

In the meantime, what is your topic/subject? Is it something you find interesting, or is it something you just picked arbitrarily, to speed things along? If it's the latter, reconsider. Before you ever start writing your essay, the first thing you should do -- and this goes for all writing -- is to pick something that interests you. A bored writer produces terrible writing. (I'm assuming here that you have some control over your topic.) Your subject need not be a simple inanimate object, by the way. It could just as easily be a setting, or a piece of music, or a sensation.

The second thing you should do is brainstorm -- list every detail, action, or attribute of the thing in question that comes to your mind, and give yourself some time. I recommend at least a half an hour. Hit all five senses (how's it smell? feel?), and even your emotional or visceral reactions to it if you have them. (Does looking at it make you want to reach for a prayer book or a vomit bag?)

Then try to describe your thing, making use of details and specific word choices (like those listed above) to bring it to life. One last hint: Try to describe your thing in action -- have it DO something. Describing a baseball player swinging wildly at a fastball is more interesting than describing him sitting on a bench.

Good luck.

Answer 2

A descriptive essay is an essay where you basically have to describe something, whether a process or instructions, etc. They're really easy to write if you know the topic really well.

Example: Write a descriptive essay about cars.

Now you can write about how important it is to know how to change your oil, and you can use that as your topic. Each paragraph, you will describe step by step how to check your oil, change it, etc.

Example: Write a descriptive essay about dogs.

You can write about how to train dogs. Describe the process. Why do some people use hand signals? Why do some trainers use audio commands.

And yes, use adjectives, but don't over do them.

Descriptive essays are super easy once you get the main idea... It all depends on your topic.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Descriptive essays do describe a particular person, place or thing, but that doesn't mean you have to overload with adjectives. Adjectives are fine, but too many can make your writing kind of sappy, actually weakening your piece instead of strengthening it. Instead, use good, strong nouns and verbs. They add much more than a ton of adjectives would.

Also, include as many different senses as you can in your work - describe how it looks, sounds, feels, tastes and smells. The more you include, the more the reader will be pulled in. That's always a good thing!

Good luck!

Answer 4

Go get the book Elements of Style by Strunk & White. It's small but covers the essentials of writing. Be carful with adjectives, it is usually best to write with nouns and verbs.

Descriptive writing portrays people, places, things, moments and theories with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about.

Things to Consider as You Write Your Descriptive Essay
Think of an instance that you want to describe.

Why is this particular instance important?

What were you doing?

What other things were happening around you? Is there anything specific that stands out in your mind?

Where were objects located in relation to where you were?

How did the surroundings remind you of other places you have been?

What sights, smells, sounds, and tastes were in the air?

Did the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes remind you of anything?

What were you feeling at that time?

Has there been an instance in which you have felt this way before?

What do you want the reader to feel after reading the paper?

What types of words and images can convey this feeling?

Can you think of another situation that was similar to the one you are writing about? How can it help explain what you are writing about?

Is there enough detail in your essayto create a mental image for the reader?

Conventions of Descriptive Essays Illustrated by Sample Paragraphs
Appealing-to-the-Senses Description: Let the reader see, smell, hear, taste, and feel what you write in your essay.

The thick, burnt scent of roasted coffee tickled the tip of my nose just seconds before the old, faithful alarm blared a distorted top-forty through its tiny top speaker. Wiping away the grit of last night's sleep, the starch white sunlight blinded me momentarily as I slung my arm like an elephant trunk along the top of the alarm, searching for the snooze button. While stretching hands and feet to the four posts of my bed, my eyes opened after several watery blinks. I crawled out of the comforter, edging awkwardly like a butterfly from a cocoon, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The dusty pebbles on the chilled, wood floor sent ripples spiraling from my ankles to the nape of my neck when my feet hit the floor. Grabbing the apricot, terri-cloth robe, recently bathed in fabric softener and October wind, I knotted it tightly at my waist like a prestigious coat of armor and headed downstairs to battle the morning.

Spatial-Order Description: Show the reader where things are located from your perspective.

Billy Ray's Pawn Shop and Lawn Mower Repair looked like a burial ground for country auction rejects. The blazing, red, diesel fuel tanks beamed in front of the station, looking like cheap lipstick against the pallid, wrinkled texture of the parking lot sand. The yard, not much larger than the end zone at General G. Patton High School on the north end of town, was framed with a rusted metallic hedge of lawn mowers, banana seat bicycles, and corroded oil drums. It wasn't a calico frame of rusted parts, but rather an orchestra of unwanted machinery that Billy Ray had arranged into sections. The yellow-tanked mowers rested silently at the right of the diesel fuel. Once red, now faded orange, mowers stood at attention to the left. The oil barrels, jaded and pierced with holes, bellared like chimes when the wind was right. The bikes rested sporadically throughout the lot. In the middle of it all was the office, a faded, steel roof supported by cheap two-by-fours and zebra paneling. Billy Ray was at home, usually, five blocks east of town on Kennel Road.

Answer 5

What re you writing the essay about-a book that you have read or on yourself or an an item I could probably help you out but I need more on your subject get back with me and I will help you if you want

Answer 6

spell check. grammar check.

in addition to using proper spelling and grammar to sound intelligent, you also want to try to convey a sense of passion in your essay.

Answer 7

u dont knw how to write an essay...u shudve paid attention at your special ed class...

Answer 8

Try the links in http://www.hot8sites.com/articles/

Answer 9

write neatly and smudge free, and be descriptive they will be looking for that

Answer 10

This site seems to go into it really well: