Descriptive Essay: Definition and Writing Tips

Written by

Jason Kamras

August 11, 2023

7 min read

It is quite difficult to find an essay that could be simpler and more challenging at the same time than a descriptive one. It is assigned to students of all academic levels not depending on their major and subject.

It is the basis of your academic performance, so a successful student must know descriptive essay definition by heart and master its completion. The most important thing you need to remember is that this task aims to show how well you can express yourself and your personal experience.

It is a paper, which is assigned to describe an event, a certain place, a person or an abstract matter. You can be asked to describe literally anything, so it is important to have solid writing skills and personal opinion on a wide range of topics.

A good descriptive essay should involve the reader, introducing him to a completely new world of bright colors, catchy events and individualities! Here are only some of the elements, which your essay should contain:

• Introduction. The first paragraph of your essay sets the tone for the future work, so you need to make it as attractive, as possible. Try to choose the right words, a so-called hook, to start your essay. You can ask rhetorical questions or tell a joke. Don’t forget to make your introduction as detailed as possible, avoiding generalities. The reader needs to understand what your work will be about. At the end of the introductory section, you need to write a thesis statement, which contains the main goal and a brief summary of your work;
• Main paragraphs. Start every paragraph with a topic sentence, which supports a particular idea. Depending on the subject you discuss, your arguments may be structured in a chronological or a logical way. In this section you need to describe the main events of the story;
• Conclusion. You should finish your descriptive essay with a brief summary of the paper. Don’t forget to restate your thesis statement and explain what lessons you have learned from the story.

In case you want to get more information on how to write a descriptive essay, here are the most common mistakes to avoid:

• Weak structure. The reader should always understand what he or she is reading about, so make sure every paragraph of your essay connects with each other;
• Not paying attention to chronology. If you are describing an event, it is important to start following a clear chronological order not to puzzle the audience;
• Bad topic selection. Try to choose the matter not only because it is relevant but also because it makes your heart beat faster! This will keep you motivated;
• Missing the details. A descriptive essay is all about details, so make sure you don’t miss anything;
• Predictable plot. Use interesting twists, catchy phrases and puzzles to hold interest of the audience from the first word to the last one;
• Common words. You should always be creative in choosing the words for your essay, so try to avoid clichés throughout the paper.

Descriptive Essay Examples

If you were assigned a descriptive essay, you are probably puzzled about where to start. If you lack ideas or simply need some help with choosing a topic, you can download descriptive essay examples online.

With their help you can decide what to write about, learn the most common structure of the paper and understand what topics are the most popular at the moment.

Just download a descriptive essay example and greatly simplify your life!

Descriptive Essay Outline Samples

You already know what a descriptive essay is and how to get started. However, knowing the description is only a start and you need to understand the structure and format of the assignment to succeed.

The format of a descriptive essay depends on the specific recommendations of your teacher. Make sure you get acquainted with all of them before getting started, because you may have to redo your essay if you don’t follow all the requirements.

Luckily, usually a descriptive essay doesn’t have any strict recommendations, so you most likely won’t need to follow a particular formatting style. Just make sure you use a clear font and an appropriate style to make your essay clear and tidy.

You should also remember about a descriptive essay outline. It is a brief plan of your future paper, which allows to stick to the point and always remember what you were going to write about.

An outline is very important for a descriptive essay, as it allows you to stick to the plot and include all the important details. Before getting started, you can make a list of the main details and events. This will help you forget about the fear of a clear page.

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How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Once you have an outline, you can start working on the essay itself. Here are some of the tips you may need:

• Choose appropriate material. You need to specify your topic without including lots of side details. This means that if your essay requires research, you should concentrate on a few issues instead of a broad and general topic;
• Link paragraphs to make them sound together. There is nothing more distractive for a reader than not knowing how several elements connect to each other;
• Get ideas from your surroundings. If you feel that your essay is too boring or plain, talk to your classmates, watch movies or simply go for a walk to get a fresh look on the subject!
• Pick every person, event or place properly. Without thorough preparation, your descriptive essay may look blurry and weak;
• Visualize. Take a piece of paper and make columns for all of the five senses, noting down all the associations you have. This will help you to make your lexis interesting and catchy;
• Use adjectives, metaphors and appropriate smilies. Make sure they are relevant to the topic and won’t hurt anyone’s feelings;
• Ask your friends or family members to read the paper aloud and correct any mistakes;
• Use specialized software to detect typos or grammar errors.

Remember, a descriptive essay is all about organization and structure, so you need to think of every stage in advance not to miss a single detail out. Take your time and you will surely get the highest possible grade!

Top Descriptive Essay Topics

Usually students have a chance to select descriptive essay topics on their own, which greatly simplifies the process.

However, sometimes scholars are puzzled, as they are not sure what they want to write about or can’t decide which topic to choose. We have prepared a list of the most popular topics you can use to make an outstanding essay.

1. How your perfect home looks like;
2. What is your dream job and why?
3. Describe a perfect day, spent with the people you love;
4. Who is an example for you?
5. What are your responsibilities at home?
6. What dishes do you like cooking the most?
7. Describe the best vacation you have ever had;
8. What are your most cherished memories?
9. What is the best book you have ever read?
10. How do you imagine your wedding?
11. Describe yourself in five years;
12. How does your regular day look like?
13. The most memorable present you have ever received;
14. What is your favorite movie?
15. What traits of character do you like the most?

Hopefully, now you have an idea of what to write your descriptive essay about! Have fun and consult our guide if you have any questions!