A description sketches a picture in words. In a descriptive essay, you describe a thing, person, place, feeling, or an event. To do so, you need to use expressive language and concrete examples. A description is often personal, since you would describe something as you view it. However, if you were to describe a cat or any other animal, you would combine the universal description with your own perception of a cat. So, you could say a cat is a feline, four legged creature, and also add your own ideas about the cat, such as it is disloyal, or that it is cunning, or that it is greedy, depending on how you view the animal. This essay type requires you to describe the subject with a blend of the universal and peculiar and with examples that help the reader get a clear picture of the ideas used in the description.
Describing the subject is heavily dependent on words and the structure of the paper. Words used are mainly adjectival, since they help describe qualities, features, and attributes. It is important to use appropriate and specific words that highlight the quality you focus on.
• Example: To describe a house, you would need to use words like spacious, colorful, comfortable, and such others that refer to its specific characteristics.
The essay structure follows the standard format.
I. Introduction: This will follow the general-to-specific format-general ideas pertaining to the subject and on to specific points.
• Example: In order to describe your house, you could begin with ideas about houses in general and what they mean to their inhabitants, move on to the importance of having a house, and various types of houses. This will lead you directly to the specific house you want to describe. End the introduction with a thesis statement.
II. Thesis statement: This reflects the essay’s focus and determines its content and structure. It usually refers to the subject + the writer’s assertion about it + and reasons for the assertion. A descriptive thesis could be more expansive than other thesis statements.
• Example: “My house is a sprawling structure with lavishly laid out gardens, a scenic location, and aesthetically decorated rooms.” This thesis lays out all the pointers.
III. Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph will address specific pointers in the thesis statement and support it with examples. For example, when you write that the rooms are aesthetically decorated, you will not only explain the idea but also give an example of one or more rooms thus decorated.
IV. Conclusion: This is essentially a summary of the main points. In this section, you will also need to emphasize the thesis. In addition, you could give the reader something to chew upon: how such a house affects your life, what it means for you, and other such relevant details.
The descriptive essay is thus a well laid out compilation of various qualities and features of a subject and creates a word-picture for readers.