writing workshop descriptive writing
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Writing WorkshopDescriptive Writing: Descriptive Essay
Through the power of language, a good writer of description can open up new worlds for the
Descriptive Essay
Assignment: Write an essay describing something you’ve observed. Your teacher, classmates, family, or friends will be your audience.
description can open up new worlds for the reader. As you plan and write your essay, think about how you can use descriptive details to bring your subject to life.
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Descriptive Essay
Choosing a Subject
Finding More Ideas
Gathering Ideas
Feature Menu
Organizing
Getting Started
Assignment
1. Can I observe the subject closely, or can I picture it
2. Would a reader find it as interesting as I do?
Use these questions to help you choose a subject to describe.
Descriptive EssayChoosing a Subject
can I picture it clearly?
interesting as I do?
Cool! Yuck!
Descriptive EssayChoosing a Subject
3. Can I think of enough sensory details for a full description?
Smell:Hmm. I don’t
Taste:I’ve eaten fried frogs’
legs.
Touch: soft,warty, damp,
cool
Hmm. I don’t know. How would I
find out? See:puffed throat,
brown and spotted,bulging eyesHear: croaking,
burplike sounds;
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Descriptive EssayFinding More Ideas
What would you enjoy observing and describing?
an interesting
object?
an animal and
its unusual
behavior?
Descriptive EssayFinding More Ideas
What would you enjoy observing and describing?
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a person you
already know?
a place where you’ve
been happy?
the first time you
did something?
1. What facts do I know about my subject?
Descriptive EssayGathering Ideas
To gather details about your subject, freewrite for a few minutes about each of these questions.
Tiger is three months old. She was a
She chews Mom’s plants and unrolls toilet paper. Sometimes she hides in my closet. She races around the house and then curls up in my lap to sleep.
Tiger is three months old. She was a birthday present. She’s a tabby.
2. What actions are associated with my subject?
Grey with black stripes; big, grey eyes. Smells like pet shampoo and sometimes like cat food. Her fur is soft, but her claws and her little teeth are sharp! She meows loudly.
3. What are some sensory details about my subject?
Descriptive EssayGathering Ideas
4. What are some of my thoughts and feelings about my subject?
I miss her when I’m at school. Hugging her makes me feel better when I’m upset. Sometimes I get mad at her when she doesn’t listen.
• A simile compares things by using like or as.
• A metaphor makes a direct comparison.
You can help your description come to life by using figurative language.
Tiger’s teeth are like little knives slicing my hand.
Descriptive EssayGathering Ideas
• Personification gives human characteristics to things.
• A metaphor makes a direct comparison.
Tiger is a tornado tearing through the house.
She sang a sweet, welcoming song with her purr.
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best for describing
best for describing a place
Organize your essay in one of these three ways:
Spatial order
Order of
Descriptive EssayOrganizing
uses location, such as top to bottom, front to back, and left to right
puts the most important best for describing objects and people
Chronological order
Order of importance
arranges details in time order
puts the most important details at the beginning or at the end
best for describing events
I love Mrs. Gold’s sense of style. She wears crazy hats and enormous, colorful glasses to match her outfits.
Read the following excerpts from students’ descriptive essays. See if you can identify the method of organization used for each.
Descriptive EssayOrganizing
I love Mrs. Gold’s sense of style. She wears crazy hats and enormous, colorful glasses to match her outfits. and enormous, colorful glasses to match her outfits. Her wild, curly hair never looks combed but always smells like flowers. But the thing I like most about her is her constant smile! It spreads across her face and makes me feel happy and loved.
Order of importance
and enormous, colorful glasses to match her outfits. Her wild, curly hair never looks combed but always smells like flowers. But the thing I like most about her is her constant smile! It spreads across her face and makes me feel happy and loved.
Read the following excerpts from students’ descriptive essays. See if you can identify the method of organization used for each.
Descriptive EssayOrganizing
Grandpa brought a stool for me to stand on because the horse was a giant! I was shaking in my shoes, but Grandpa brought a stool for me to stand on because the horse was a giant! I was shaking in my shoes, but
Chronological order
the horse was a giant! I was shaking in my shoes, but I climbed onto the stool and faced the horse. She smelled like leather and hay. I carefully reached out to touch her, but I was moving in slow motion. I placed my left hand on the front of the saddle. Then I slowly lifted my right leg . . .
the horse was a giant! I was shaking in my shoes, but I climbed onto the stool and faced the horse. She smelled like leather and hay. I carefully reached out to touch her, but I was moving in slow motion. I placed my left hand on the front of the saddle. Then I slowly lifted my right leg . . .
Read the following excerpts from students’ descriptive essays. See if you can identify the method of organization used for each.
Descriptive EssayOrganizing
Beside the cabin was a huge oak tree alive with birds. Its branches and leaves hid a large, flat rock that Dad Beside the cabin was a huge oak tree alive with birds. Its branches and leaves hid a large, flat rock that Dad
Spatial order
Its branches and leaves hid a large, flat rock that Dad told me was great for nighttime sleeping. Behind the rock was a glassy lake that shimmered in the afternoon sun.
Its branches and leaves hid a large, flat rock that Dad told me was great for nighttime sleeping. Behind the rock was a glassy lake that shimmered in the afternoon sun.
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Think of the prewriting details you’ve gathered as the building blocks of your descriptive essay. Now, it’s time to “stack” the blocks and start writing!
Descriptive EssayGetting Started
figurative languagefigurative language
feelings actions
tastessmellssounds
thoughts
sights
Writing WorkshopDescriptive Writing: Descriptive Essay
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