A good descriptive essay paints a picture in the reader's mind. To write one, appeal to all five senses, use descriptive language such as similes and metaphors, plan the essay with an outline and a clear thesis, and review it with fresh eyes before you hand it in.
Here are the most important tips for writing a descriptive essay that engages the reader.
Appeal to the 5 senses
The key to a great descriptive essay is to capture the reader's imagination. To do that, your words have to reach the reader's five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Each of them should come through in some form in your essay.
Describe your topic
A descriptive essay usually focuses on a person, an object, an event, or a place, and your job is to describe it to the reader. Instead of telling readers what you want them to know, show it to them: they should be able to see in their minds the picture that you paint with your words.
It is not enough to write about an apple tree without mentioning how the apples taste, how the air smells, or how the grass feels. Compare these two sentences:
There was an apple tree in the garden.
The old apple tree leaned over the garden, its branches heavy with red apples that smelled sweet in the warm afternoon air.
Vivid description draws readers in and makes them believe in the scene you describe.
Some writers make a column for each sense to keep track of their details while they plan. For more on sensory language, see how to use sensory words to avoid bland content.
Use literary devices
Literary devices help you bring the senses to the reader, so that your details are seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled:
- Descriptive adjectives: "a crisp, tart apple" instead of "a nice apple".
- Similes: comparisons with like or as, such as "the grass was as soft as a blanket".
- Metaphors: direct comparisons, such as "the tree was a green umbrella".
- Personification: human qualities for things, such as "the branches waved in the wind".
You should also read how to write a perfect character description, and how to write a descriptive paragraph.
Plan with an outline and a thesis
Create an outline that lists the main point and the key details of each paragraph. Also write a thesis statement: one sentence that sets out the purpose of the essay.
Write the conclusion last. In it, restate your thesis where it fits, so that your message stays in the reader's mind long after they have finished reading.
Think grammar is not important? Then read these reasons why grammar and spelling matter.
Take a break, then review
Before you review your essay, take a break. It clears your head of everything you wrote and gives you a fresh view of the text when you come back to it. Read the essay as if you were the reader and not the writer, and make sure your message comes across.
Finally, look for spelling and grammar errors and for missing or misused punctuation. The Spell Checker marks these mistakes so you can fix them before you hand in the essay.