DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY

- STRUCTURE
- STRATEGIES
- USEFUL LANGUAGE
DESCRIPTIVE ESAY:

•A descriptive essay is where you describe a topic in detail.

It could be an event, a person, or an idea. Your task is to bring in all the senses to describe
it, in order to paint as vivid a picture as possible.

•Descriptive essays can vary, depending on what you're describing.

•The main aim of a descriptive essay is not simply

to describe a particular object, place, person or
situation, but to make your reader see and feel the
same you do.
In other words, you should try to reproduce your
thoughts on the paper.
 General structure
INTRODUCTION (Paragraph 1 )
TAS 
K •Introduce the topic you're describing, and give a quick overview of what it is.

BODY (Paragraph 2 & 3)


• Thesis statement: This is where you'll outline your description of the topic.
You'll go into more detail in the main body.(paragraph 2)

• Main body: This can be taken by three separate paragraphs. The first

paragraph can focus on a detailed description of the topic itself. (paragraphs 3,
…)

CONCLUSION (Paragraph 4)

• Conclusion: this will draw all your points together, without introducing
anything new.
 EXAM STRATEGY
Brainstorm for different ideas and interesting topics.
Compile information.
Make an outline.
Look for ways to enliven your language.
Provide a complete description and sensory details of the subject.
Organize your ideas properly and connect them logically with the
help of connectors
 Proofread and edit your essay to make it perfect
Think of a catchy title.
DESCRIBING A PLACE

- STRUCTURE
- STRATEGIES
- USEFUL LANGUAGE
 STRUCTURE
OPENING (INTRODUCTION)
 Paragraph 1
Set the scene (name & location of the place/ building. Reason(s) for choosing the place/ building); why it is special.
- Write the name, location and the reason for choosing the place (holiday, business).

MAIN BODY
In the main body you describe the main aspects of the place or building in detail. Overall look and particular details (Place: sights, facilities. free-
time activities, Buildings: first look and specific details). Give examples of things to do and see.

 Write different paragraphs for different topics.

- Write about surroundings, sights to see, things to do – from general features to details. You can suggest senses (sight, hearing, smell,
touch, taste), mood and atmosphere.
- Write about entertainment (cinemas, theatres, museums, funfairs, parks), nightlife (cafés, pubs, bistros, discos), eating out (clubs,
restaurants, etc.)

CLOSING (CONCLUSION)

In the conclusion you mention your feelings and your final thoughts / opinion about the place or give a recommendation.
Make general comments, feelings and/or recommend the place to visitors (highly recommended, expensive, boring etc.)

 Final Paragraph
Comments / recommendation
MODEL ESSAY: Describe a place
Fascinating Lisbon 
OPENING Lisbon, one of the oldest capitals in Europe, is situated on the west coast of
Portugal. Its rich history, colourful traditions and more modern attractions
make it a fascinating city.

Anyone lucky enough to visit Lisbon will find plenty to see and do. For a
BODY start, the magnificent Castle of Saint George is a must. The castle, which is
built on a hill, offers a fantastic view over the city. Directly below is Alfama,
the oldest part of Lisbon. Visitors can walk along its narrow streets where
they can see fish sellers carrying baskets on their heads. In Belém, the city’s
port, tourists can visit the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a beautiful monastery
built in the 16th century. Baixa, the busy shopping area of the city, offers a
great variety of handmade souvenirs and elegant designer clothes.

Lisbon’s nightlife is exciting and varied. Visitors can have a coffee in Bairro
Alto, the ancient port of the city, where fado – traditional Portuguese music –
fills the air with its sad, romantic sounds. They can also enjoy delicious
seafood at first-class restaurants. For those who like to dance the night
away, there are many trendy clubs in the area.

Lisbon is a wonderful city. If you want to experience the beauty and

CLOSING fascination of a great European capital, it would be the perfect holiday
destination for you.
 POINTS TO CONSIDER

 A wide variety of adjectives (enormous, delightful, etc.) and adverbs (horribly, beautifully, etc.) will
make your description more interesting.

 Use of the senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch) as well as narrative techniques to start and finish
your composition will make your description more vivid. e.g. On entering the hospital I was struck by
the strong smell of antiseptic.

- Present tenses should be used when describing a place/building for a tourist brochure.
- Past tenses should be used when you describe a visit to a place or building which took place in the past.
- First and second conditionals (will/would) can be used when you describe your ideal house/city, etc.

 When you describe places, you may use prepositional phrases and verbs.
- Prepositional phrases such as all around, to the left of, at the top of, as far as the eye can see, etc are
used to describe static features.
- Verbs such as flow, run, stretch, wind, curve, rise, etc are used to describe features, which suggest
movement.
 POINTS TO CONSIDER
 Adjectives and Adverbs

- Adjectives describe nouns: The atmosphere on the island is tranquil.

- Adverbs of frequency and manner modify verbs: Tourists always clap and cheer as the sun sets slowly over the
sea.
- Adverbs of degree can modify adjectives or other adverbs: The views are totally amazing. We drove very far to
get to the beach.
- Adverbs of comment express a comment on an event: Unfortunately, we couldn't find a cheap hotel room.

 Adjectives that make the writing more interesting:

wonderful, amusing, magnificent, horrible, huge, tiny, fantastic, enormous, entertaining, splendid, awful, charming,
delicious, beautiful, fascinating, exciting, delightful, great, interesting, excellent, boring, impressive, neglected,
peaceful, quiet, noisy, elegant, dirty, busy
Famous, vibrant, peaceful, breathtaking, historical, ancient, modern, lively, huge, charming

City: active, bustling, noisy, busy, clean, dirty, windy

Buildings: old, shabby, rundown, crumbling,  modern, futuristic, sleek, towering, squat
People: hurried, bundled, smiling, frowning, eager, rushed
Monuments, statues: stone, copper, carved, ancient, moss-covered, faded, green, bronze
 GENERAL TIPS

- We normally use present tenses in this type of writing.

- Use the narrative style
- Don’t use short forms

USEFUL PHRASES

- Presentation, explanation: It's situated / located in ..., ...used to be.., ...is a city of..., ...is situated on/next to...,
You can see/visit/enjoy/wander around...,
...is surrounded by..., The landscape in which it stands is..., ...stands..., ...which attracts...tourists every year, ...can be
clearly seen from..., What you notice is..., ...you can see (the variety of architectural styles)...
A visit to... is unforgettable, It's the capital of..., It's famous for..., It offers ..., It's popular with ..., The centre of...

- Addding information: Further up/down the street..., You will find...examples of...and a number of..., ...built in..., ...is
the oldest part of the city.The reason that...is that..., So, ...is a ... place with... people and scenery.
You can end your day by...
There is/are also..., ... in addition to this..., In contrast..., The reason that...is that..., Also, anyone would like...

- Conclusion: It's (definitely) worth the visit, Don't miss..., All in all, it’s a ... city, ......is an ideal place for those who...,
One thing that makes... unique among... is...
DESCRIBING PEOPLE

- STRUCTURE
- STRATEGIES
- USEFUL LANGUAGE
 STRUCTURE
INTRODUCTION
•Paragraph 1
You give some brief information about the person his/her name, time or place you met/saw him/her, how you heard about him/her. How you met
him/her. (Example: Rihanna, popular singer, actress, successful songs)

MAIN BODY
A main body where you describe physical appearance, personality characteristics and hobbies/interests/everyday activities in separate
paragraphs.

•Paragraph 2:
Physical appearance: physical description (gorgeous black hair, kind brown eyes, beautiful smile, elegant clothes, perfect figure)

• Paragraph 3:
Personality characteristics and justification: (warm, generous, determined, strong- willed)

• Paragraph 4:
Hobbies, interests or any activities he/she takes part in: (glamorous Hollywood parties, family-minded, relationship with son)
CONCLUSION

The conclusion includes your comments and/or feelings about the person.

• Final Paragraph
Comments & feelings about the person. (incredible woman, exhausting life but still looks fresh and beautiful for the cameras)
MODEL ESSAY: Describe a famous person
Rihanna aka BadGalRiRi 

Rihanna is a person one cannot fail to admire. Over the past twenty years she has
PARAGRAPH 1 become both a popular singer and a famous actress, appearing in successful films
such as “Ocean’s 8”.

PARAGRAPH 2, 3,… Looking at Rihanna, it is not difficult to see why she is so popular. She has
gorgeous black hair, kind brown eyes and a beautiful smile, which lights up her
whole face. The elegant clothes she wears always complement her perfect figure.

Rinanna has a reputation for being a very warm and generous person. At the same
time, she is obviously very determined and can sometimes be rather strong-willed,
but this comes from her desire to do things well.

In her free time Rihanna, a sociable person, can often be seen at glamorous
Hollywood parties. However, she is a very family-minded person who would never
let her social life get in the way of her relationship with her son.

PARAGRAPH 4 All in all, Rihanna is an incredible woman. Few people manage to fit as much into
their lives as she does. It must be exhausting, but she always manages to look
fresh and beautiful for the cameras.
 LINKING WORDS AND PHRASES

 To make your piece of writing more interesting, you can use a variety of linking words and phrases to join
sentences or ideas together.
Examples:
- Joyce has got red hair. She's got freckles: Joyce has got red hair and freckles.
- David is a tall man. He is in his late forties: David is a tall man who is in his late forties.
- Bridget is an attractive woman. She's got shoulder-length hair: Bridget is an attractive woman with shoulder-
length hair.
- She is tall. She is thin: She is both tall and thin.

 You can join descriptions of similar personal qualities by using in addition, also, and, moreover, etc.
Examples:
- She is cheerful. She is always smiling. She always behaves politely: She is cheerful and is always smiling.
Moreover, she always behaves politely

 You can join descriptions of contrasting qualities by using but, on the other hand, however, nevertheless , etc
Examples:
- He is clever and always does well at school. He can be bossy a times: He is clever and does well at school.
However, can be bossy at times
 LINKING WORDS AND PHRASES

Sentences can be linked together in a variety of ways:

- Similar qualities (both positive or both negative)

She is kind-hearted. She is cooperative

She is kind-hearted and also cooperative.
She is kind-hearted, as well as (being) cooperative.
In addition to being kind-hearted, she is also cooperative.
She is both kind-hearted and cooperative.
She is kind-hearted and cooperative as well.

- Opposing qualities (one positive and one negative)

He is usually well-behaved. He can be naughty at times.

He is usually well-behaved but can be naughty at times.
He is usually well-behaved; in spite of this/nevertheless/ however, he can be naughty at times. Although In spite
of the fact that he is usually well-behaved, he can be naughty at times.
 POINTS TO CONSIDER

 Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces the subject of the paragraph. A variety of linking words
should be used to connect ideas.
 To describe physical appearance, details should be given as follows: height/bulld, age, facial features, hair, clothes,
moving from the most general aspects to the more specific details. e.g. John is a tall, slim man in his mid forties. He
has a thin face, blue eyes and a large nose. His short hair is greying at the temples. He is usually casually dressed
 To describe character and behaviour you can support your description with examples. E.G. Sally is very sociable. She
loves going to parties and dances.

If you want to mention any negative qualities, use mild language (tends to, seems to, is rather, can occasionally be,
etc.).
e.g. Instead of saying Sally is arrogant, it is better to say Sally tends to be rather arrogant.
 Variety in the use of adjectives will make your description more interesting. e.g. good-natured, well-behaved,
gorgeous, etc.
 Present tenses can be used to describe someone connected to the present. e.g. someone you see every day. Past
tenses can be used to describe someone related to the past, e.g. someone who is no longer alive, someone whom you
won't meet again … etc.
 POINTS TO CONSIDER

Avoid beginning all sentences in the same way as this will make your composition
boring. Use a variety of structures, trying to link the sentences together.

• Instead of writing: She is a pretty girl. She has an oval face., you can write: She is a
pretty girl with an oval face.

- Look at the examples suggested below:

• He has wrinkles. They make him look older: He has wrinkles which make him look
older.
• She is a beautiful woman. She wears designer clothes: She is a beautiful woman who
wears designer clothes.
• She has long hair. She wears her hair in a pony-tail: She wears her long hair in a
pony-tail.
• He has a big garden. He grows vegetables in the garden: He has a big garden where
he grows vegetables.
 USEFUL VOCABULARY

• HEIGHT: of medium height, tall, just over six foot, short

• BUILD: slim, thin, muscular, well-built, overweight, skinny, long-legged, round-shouldered
• AGE: middle-aged, teenaged, elderly, in his teens, in his mid-forties, in his late forties
• COMPLEXION: wrinkled, tanned, pale, freckled
• FACE: round, oval, wrinkled, tanned, thin, pale, freckled
• HAIR: ginger, curly, blond, thick, balding, thin, wavy, straight, shoulder-length, short
• EYES: slanted, almond-shaped NOSE: thin, curved, crooked, freckled, straight
• LIPS: thin, full
• SPECIAL FEATURES: mole, scar, dimples, beard, moustache, long-legged, round-shouldered

• bushy/thick/fair/thin/dark eyebrows
Positive Qualities: patient, ambitious, generous, mature, interesting, • deep-set/puffy/dark eyes
friendly, tactful, good-natured, thick- skinned, easy-going, hard-working, • rosy/clear/fair/pale/spotty/dark complexion
• broad/upturned/hooked/crooked/thin nose
fair, shy, helpful, reserved, out-going, polite, cheerful.
• double/spotty chin 6. thin/puffy/clean-shaven/pale/oval/spotty
  face
• rosy/full/thin/pale lips
Negative Qualities: pessimistic, mean, ambitious, hostile, immature, • rosy/hollow/puffy/spotty cheeks
impatient, short-tempered, thick- skinned, deceitful, shy, aggressive, • bushy/thick/fair/thin/curly/dark hair
• broad shoulders
reserved
MODEL ESSAY: Describe a person who once helped you

A FRIEND IN NEED…
I first met Ruth when I was in hospital in Badalona about twenty years ago. I was
PARAGRAPH 1 there on holiday, but I had an accident. Ruth was the patient in the next bed. She
not only kept me company the whole time I was in hospital, but also visited me for
many weeks after she recovered from her own injure.

PARAGRAPH 2, 3,… Ruth was pretty. She was tall, fairly slim and in her mid-teens then. She had a small
pretty face, with smiling eyes and long wavy light hair She liked to dress casually in
bright, colourful clothes which matched her sunny personality.

Ruth had a quiet but very friendly nature. She was generous as well as kind-
hearted. Whenever she visited me she always brought flowers and chocolates.
She talked in a low voice because she was rather shy. She also blushed very
easily, although she had a great sense of humour.

In her spare time, Ruth liked to read. She loved detective stories and crime novels,
and she used to bring me many of her favourite books to read. I remember she
also spoke about the karate lessons she went to twice a week.

PARAGRAPH 4 When we returned to Valencia, we kept in touch by letter. Then, about a year ago,
Ruth got a new job and moved to Tarragona. Sadly, we have lost touch with each
other, but I will never forget her kindness and help.
DESCRIBING AN OBJECT

- STRUCTURE
- STRATEGIES
- USEFUL LANGUAGE
 STRUCTURE
INTRODUCTION

•Paragraph 1
Reason for writing, greeting, time/place object lost (Ex. An auction, to tell friend about a recently-bought item,
lost object, )

MAIN BODY

•Paragraph 2:
Detailed description of the item.

CONCLUSION

• Final Paragraph
Closing remarks (e.g. friend should come over soon to see the item); information about where and when you
can be contacted (In the event of the luggage being found I can be contacted on ... from 6.00 to 9.00 every day.)
 POINTS TO CONSIDER
Descriptions of objects can be found in leaflets, catalogues, advertisements or parts of letters, stories, reports or
articles.

 When you describe an object, you should give an accurate picture of it.
 Your description should include information about:

- size, weight (e.g. tiny, big, tall, small, light, heavy, long, etc)
- shape (e.g. circular, oval, rectangular, etc)
- pattern or decoration (e.g. plain, checked, striped, floral etc)
- colour (e.g. brown, multi-coloured, etc)
- origin (e.g. African, Japanese, etc)
- material (e.g. leather, cotton, wooden, plastic, nylon, woollen, polyester, silk etc)
- as well as any information concerning special features (e.g. zip, strap, initials, label, lock, stickers, etc).

 To describe objects you should use a variety of adjectives.

 Avoid using all of them one after the other, as this will make your description sound unnatural
-e.g. Instead of writing: It's a lovely, heavy, old, oval mirror with a carved wooden frame ...
you could write: It's a lovely, heavy, old mirror. It's oval, with a carved frame made of wood .

 When you need to use a variety of adjectives to describe an object, always list opinion adjectives (e.g. beautiful, inexpensive,
unusual, etc) first, followed by fact adjectives. These are normally listed in the following order:

Opinion, Size/Weight, Age, Shape, Colour, Pattern, Origin, Material (e.g. large, rectangular, silver, etc).
 USEFUL VOCABULARY

OPINION: elegant, extraordinary, remarkable, breathtaking

SIZE/WEIGHT: long, heavy, light, tiny, enormous, compact

AGE: 20th century, ancient, modern, brand-new, medieval, antique

SHAPE: round, rectangular, square, spherical, oval

PATTERN/DECORATION: striped, carved, polka-dot, floral, plain

COLOUR: green, purple, red, navy blue, off-white, pinkish

ORIGIN: Chinese, Irish, Indian, Oriental
MATERIAL: plastic, glass, paper, platinum, wooden, steel, woollen

SPECIAL FEATURES: handmade, straps, stickers, carvings, initials

 MODEL ESSAY: Describe an object.

Letter to the Lost Property Office

Time/place I am writing to inquire about an item which was left on one of your buses.
object lost On Friday 15th March I was on the 408 bus at about 5.10 pm. When I got
off, I realised that one of my shopping bags was missing.

Detailed
descriptions of It was a brown paper shopping bag with two black straw handles. There
the items were three articles of clothing inside the bag. One was an expensive, silk
which have blouse with a gold collar. There was also a long light blue, French scarf to
been lost match. The third item was a pair of soft, grey, woollen trousers with thin
pinstripes.

Information about In the event of the bag being found, I can be contacted on 9850032 from
where and when the 6.00 to 9.00 pm every day.
owner of the missing
items can be
contacted
DESCRIBING FESTIVALS / EVENTS / CELEBRATIONS

- STRUCTURE
- STRATEGIES
- USEFUL LANGUAGE
 STRUCTURE
- Descriptions of festivals, events or celebrations can be found in magazines, news- papers or travel brochures, or as parts of letters, stories, etc.
The style you use depends on the situation and the intended reader.

INTRODUCTION
•Paragraph 1
Set the scene and give basic facts: name, time/place of event, reason(s) for celebrating.

MAIN BODY

Describe what happened, atmosphere and other details.

•Paragraph 2:
Preparations, ex. food, decorations, rehearsals, etc
You describe the preparations and the actual event in separate paragraphs, using present tenses to describe annual festivals, or past tenses to
describe a festival you attended at some time in the past.

Paragraph 3:
Description of the actual event e.g. costumes, food, music, dancing, other activities, etc.
What the writer sees, hears, smells, tastes, ..

CONCLUSION

• Final Paragraph
Includes people's feelings, comments or final thoughts about the event.
Summarize and state your opinion
 POINTS TO CONSIDER

- You can use a variety of adjectives and adverbs to make your description more vivid.
e.g. Cheerful fans shouted enthusiastically as the rock star arrived.
- You can use the passive to describe events when the activity is more important than the agent (i.e.
the person who did it)
e.g. After the parade, speeches are made and hymns are sung.
- When you describe annual events (e.g. a carnival/festival which takes place every year) you should
use present tenses.
- However, if the event is related to the past (e.g. the carnival/festival you attended last year), you
should use past tenses.
- The passive is frequently used to describe the preparations or activities which take place. e.g.
Presents were wrapped in colourful paper and put under the Christmas tree.
- To make your description more vivid, narrative techniques and a variety of descriptive adjectives can
be used to set the scene and describe the atmosphere.
e.g. During the carnival, onlookers line the crowded streets, clapping and cheering as they watch the
brightly coloured floats and exotically dressed dancers go by as the sound of traditional Caribbean
music fills the air.
 USEFUL LANGUAGE
- Useful sentences:

- Useful verbs: The audience sat spellbound.

People stand and watch the parades.
to amaze/astound
The fireworks spread like huge, colourful flowers.
to inspire/astonish/overwhelm
People throw confetti at the bride and groom.
to be impressed/ fascinated by
My parents decorated the hall with colourful balloons and streamers.
to wonder/marvel at the sight
Happy, noisy crowds were dressed in jeans.
I squeezed my way through the crowd.
People were cheering and applauding as they watched the brightly-coloured floats and the talented
USEFUL VOCABULARY dancers go by as the sound of music filled the air.

Last week / Saturday The atmosphere was ...

night,... The crowd / people were ...
When... It turned out to be...
Suddenly,... In the end,...
I felt.... All in all,
I heard...  
It seemed...
 MODEL ESSAY: Describe an event

Paragraph 1: event, A Wedding I'll Never Forget

place, time (wedding,
local church, last July) Susana's wedding day in the local church last July was one not to be forgotten.

Paragraph 2: Preparations for

The last weeks had been a whirl of bookings, dress fittings, invitations to be sent,
the wedding (bookings, dress
flowers and food to be organised, finding a suitable place for the reception the list
fittings, invitations, flowers and
seemed endless. But somehow everything had been done in time
food organised, reception
place found)
We all gasped when the gleaming, flower-decorated cars turned into the square
and pulled up smoothly outside the door of the church. Susana’s father, smiling
Paragraphs 3, 4: Description proudly, helped Susana out of the car. She emerged, graceful as a swan, in her
of the event (bride came in a romantic white dress. The two little bridesmaids in pink grabbed at the floating veil
car, bride's father led her to as the breeze tried to pull it away from them. Ángel smiled warmly as Susana came
church, bridesmaids, mother to stand beside him. How happy they looked! The service was simple, beautiful and
crying, reception) moving. Susana’s mother couldn't keep back her tears when the couple exchanged
their vows.

After the photographs had been taken we all drove off to the reception, which was
Paragraph 5: Feelings about held at a local hotel. A delicious dinner was served, toasts were proposed and we
the wedding (happy day) all danced far into the night, even after the newlyweds had driven away to start
their honeymoon.

What an exciting day it had been!