DESCRIPTIONCarla M. Jefferson

ED 095

Sandhills Community College

WHAT IS DESCRIPTION?

Description shows a reader what a person, place, thing, or situation is like.

Show – not tell!

HINTS FOR WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH

Using Specific Words and PhrasesHelps to reader “see” what you are

describing

Specific = exact and precise

LET’S PRACTICE!(EXERCISE 1)

What’s the term that is more general in each list? List 1

Science List 2

Medical Worker List 3

Relative List 4

Fruit

LET’S PLAY!!

Family Feud

WRITING THE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH IN STEPS

GATHERING IDEAS: DESCRIPTION

Think on paper Look for specific details and sense

descriptions Brainstorming Freewriting Journaling

THE DOMINANT IMPRESSION

Focusing your details Main Idea = Dominant Impression In a descriptive paragraph, the dominant

impression is the topic sentence.

DEVISING A PLAN: DESCRIPTION

After you create your dominant impression and a rough list of details, ask yourself these questions: Do all the details relate to the topic sentence? Are the details in logical order?

LET’S PRACTICE - EXERCISE 10

1. Jacy’s is the perfect place to take young children.

Parents always caution their children not to take more food than the children can finish.

2. My sister Briana has been a screamer since the day she was born.

On the other hand, I have a soft voice

3. Elite Furniture is the perfect store for people on a budget.

Elite Furniture is in a strip mall full of run down or closed stores.

DRAFTING AND REVISING: DESCRIPTION

Create your first rough draft

Look at creating more complex sentences

Review check list on pg. 70

LET’S PRACTICE!

Paragraph 1 (2 irrelevant sentences)1. Everybody needs friends.2. I am so sick of those talk shows where couples

fight on television and an expert comes out and advises them.

Paragraph 2 (2 irrelevant sentences)1. There is a patio outside, but nobody ever uses

it.2. I think all those sales belong in high school

TRANSITIONS

Using transitions can make your writing smoother and the content clearer.

Look at the info box on pg. 72

LET’S PRACTICE – EXERCISE 15

Underline the transitions: Under In front of Beyond By Toward Far ahead of On the other side

POLISHING AND PROOFREADING: DESCRIPTION

Add the finishing touches Make changes in words Change of adding transitions Sharpen details