Descriptive Writing Assignment

Descriptive Writing Assignment
Writing for College

Description:• Is the act of capturing people, places, events, objects, and feelings
so that a reader can visualize and respond to them
• Suspends objects in time
• In its pure form, does not contain action or time
• Is a sensory experience
• Is based in “showing” rather than telling
• Objective description
o Characterized by impartial, precise, and emotionless tone
o Technical and specific
o Accurate, unbiased, and easily understandable
• Subjective description
o Is intentionally created to produce a particular response in the reader
o Focuses on feelings rather than raw data

Reading and Writing Descriptive Essays:• All good descriptions share four fundamental qualities:
o An accurate sense of audience and purpose
o A clear vision of the object being described
o A careful selection of detail that help communicate the author’s vision
o A consistent point of view or perspective from which a writer composes

Choose an Essay Topic and Begin Brainstorming:

• Essay One: Write an essay describing for your classmates some of the “junk” you have collected over the years. Why are certain items junk to some people and treasures to others? What makes the things you are describing special to you?

• Essay Two: Describe a place that is special to you in some way. It could be your living room, the beach, or where you had your first kiss. It could be where you were frightened the most or delighted the most. Be sure to involve as many senses in your description as possible.


Write Your Essay: • Essays must be typed in MLA format and be approximately two pages in length.