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Descriptive Paragraphs

This document provides information about writing descriptive paragraphs. It explains that a descriptive paragraph creates a vivid picture of a person, object, or scene using sensory details. A descriptive paragraph follows the standard paragraph structure of a topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence. Supporting sentences should use specific details that appeal to the senses to help readers visualize what is being described. Spatial order and transitional words can be used to organize details from one location to another within a descriptive paragraph. Examples of descriptive paragraphs are also provided.

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650 views9 pages

Descriptive Paragraphs

This document provides information about writing descriptive paragraphs. It explains that a descriptive paragraph creates a vivid picture of a person, object, or scene using sensory details. A descriptive paragraph follows the standard paragraph structure of a topic sentence, supporting details, and concluding sentence. Supporting sentences should use specific details that appeal to the senses to help readers visualize what is being described. Spatial order and transitional words can be used to organize details from one location to another within a descriptive paragraph. Examples of descriptive paragraphs are also provided.

Uploaded by

DashmirShatra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Descriptive paragraphs

Sometimes your purpose for writing will be to


describe. You might want or be asked to
describe an object/item, a person, an action, a
piece of art, the scenery etc.
In short, whenever your purpose is to help
your reader see what you have seen, you will
be writing a description.

A DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH creates a


vivid picture in words of a person, an
object, or scene.
Like other paragraphs that stand alone, a
descriptive paragraph has a topic sentence, a
body of supporting sentences, and a
concluding sentence.
Structure of a descriptive paragraph
1.

The topic sentence introduces the


subject, often suggesting an overall
impression of it.
2.
The supporting sentences supply
specific details and words that appeal
to the senses to bring your subject to
life.
3.
The concluding sentence

A sample of a descriptive paragraph:


The Jack Gore Baygall
Topic
Sentence

The Jack Gore Baygall is a jungle


like region about three miles wide
and four miles long.
Sunlight filters through onehundred-foot-tall tupelos and
cypresses, reaching the thick
undergrowth in eerie green shafts.
Supporting By night the sounds of animals
Sentences moving, calling, warning others of
(specific
their kind, fill the recesses of the
details/
bay gall. It is the home of
sensory
alligators, otters, beavers, hawks,
details)
owls, roadrunners, snakes, fox
squirrels, and whitetail deer. Oaks
growing out of the muck to
heights of 135 feet sprouted from
acorns in the days when America
was only a British colony.
Concluding The Jack Gore Baygall is a wild
Sentence
piece of the Big Thicket National

Preserve
In a descriptive paragraph, your topic
sentence tells your readers your overall
impression of the subject. Your supporting
sentences should then help them see what
you see.

Use specific details and sensory


words to bring your description
to life.
Spatial order and transitions
One way to organize the details in a
description is spatial order, or location.
Transitions used with spatial order tell
how the details are related in space.
They are like pointers that lead a
readers
eye from spot Transitions
to spot.
Spatial order
Near to far
(or reverse)

close by, beyond, around, farther


across, behind, in the distance

Side to side

at the left (right), in the middle,


Next to, at one end, to the next

Spatial order arranges details according


to
location.
toptheir
to bottom
at the top, in the middle, lower
(or reverse)
below,the
at the
bottom, above, of
Transitions
show
relationship
higher
the details.

Inside to
outside

within, in the center, on the


inside, the next layer, on the

Example: New York City


New York City is in the United States.
New York City is located in New York State.
It borders on the Atlantic Ocean.
It was founded in 1625 as "New Amsterdam".
It was first settled by the Dutch.
It is important for commerce.
Wall Street is located in New York City.
It has many national and international banks.
It has many important skyscrapers.
The World Trade Center is located in New York
City.
The Empire State Building is in New York City.
New York City is an important city for
immigration.

Ellis Island used to be the entry point for


many immigrants at the turn of the century.
There is an interesting immigration museum
on Ellis Island.
New York, New York is located on the Atlantic
Coast of the United States of America. It was
first settled as "New Amsterdam" in 1625 by the
Dutch. Today, New York City is an important
commercial and banking center which includes
Wall Street. Among its many important
skyscrapers are the World Trade Center and
The Empire State Building. One of the most
interesting museums is on Ellis Island which
served as the entry point for many immigrants
who passed through New York City at the turn
of the century.
Exercise 1: Elvis Presley

Arrange the sentences about Elvis Presley


into idea groups.
Write a paragraph about Elvis Presley
using the idea groups to create concise
sentences.

Elvis Presley was an American.


He was a singer and actor
He was famous for rock-and-roll.
He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.

He was born on January 8, 1935


He started singing in church.
He taught himself to play the guitar.
He first became popular on the local touring
circuit for country-and-western music.
He sang romantic songs.
He danced erotically.
Teens loved him for his new style.
He had many hits.
He sang "Love Me Tender", "All Shook Up", and
"Don't Be Cruel".
He died on August 16, 1977.
He died in Memphis, Tennessee.
He might have died of drug and alcohol abuse.
Exercise 2: Creative Writing

Choose a famous place or person.


Write down a number of important facts
about that place or person.
Arrange the sentences into idea groups.
Write a paragraph using the idea groups
to create concise sentences.

These adjectives could be used to


describe people or animals:

adventurous, aggressive, beautiful, bold,


boring, calm, caring, clever, cunning, cute,
dainty, funny, good-looking, grumpy,
handsome, happy, hard-working, helpful,
honest, merry, moody, neat, plain, plump,
practical, pretty, rich, rough, scruffy, short,
shy, silly, slim, smart, stupid, sweet, tall,
ugly, wrinkled
The ORDER of adjectives is quite important in
English. There is an order of adjectives that
native speakers of English normally follow. The
list below shows how the order of adjectives is
usually presented; however, there are exceptions
and different combinations depending on the
situation.
THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADJECTIVES

eterminer Observation

ur

Physical Description
Size

old

expensive

antique

gorgeous

Italian

red

short

black
old

veral
delicious

touring

mirror

silk

roses

sheepd
wooden

young

car

silver

English

little
enormous

Noun

hair

square
dilapidated

Material Qualifier

Color

longstemmed

big

ose

me

Age

beautiful

at

Shape

Origin

American
Thai

hat

boxes

hunting

cabin

basketball players
food

OPINION APPEARANCE
good

AGE

usually
follows this
bad
beautiful order:

new

ugly
smart
dumb

COLOR ORIGIN MATERIAL


red

Korean

iron

antique purple Chinese

brass

old

pink

French

cotton

young

dark
green

Italian

gold

size/measure twobig
yearsmall
old*

navy
blue

American wooden
vegetable

high
low
shape
round
circular
square
condition
broken
cracked
ripped
fresh
rotten

*Adjectives are never plural. Therefore, when the adjective


contains a number and noun, the noun associated with the
number is singular.
This is a three-year-old car.

CORRECT

This is a three-years-old car.

INCORRECT

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