Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing provides an illustration of people, places, events, situations, thoughts, and
feelings. Description presents sensory information that makes writing come alive. It expresses an
experience that the reader can actively participate in by using imagination.

Descriptive writing provides literary texture to a story. Texture shows rather than tells. A writer shows
the reader through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, as well as through emotional
feelings. Descriptive details enable the reader to visualize elements in the story. Vivid adjectives and
active verbs help the writer to develop specific sensory descriptions.

For example:

• The woman on the beach watched the sun set over the ocean. TELLS

• Shades of neon illuminated the edges of clouds, backlit by the sizzling sun that slipped
beneath a cerulean sea. SHOWS

- Notice that sentences that TELL tend to be direct. They are objective.

- Sentences that TELL record verifiable facts as a scientist or journalist might.

- Sentences that SHOW are subjective; they may be influenced in part by the

writer’s personal experiences.

- Sentences that SHOW create mental images, and elicit emotional response.

NOTE: To develop description think about what observations could be made, for example, when
walking down a city street. How could the writer describe the smells of food coming from
vendor’s carts? How would the food taste? Being specific paint a literary picture with your words.

• Is the food spicy? Does it drip with grease?

• Does steam rise up from the cart?

• Does shade spill across the street?

• Does sunlight sparkle on a skyscraper’s windows?

Guidance for Descriptive Writing
Descriptive Writing is used to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is
formed in the reader's mind. This is also creating an image or imagery. Capturing an event
through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your
five senses. This is called sensory language. Using the various skills needed for descriptive
writing will make it more interesting and engaging to read.

Descriptive writing shares the following characteristics:

1. Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a picture and
appeals to all of the reader's senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste when
appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint pictures of the feelings the person,
place or thing invokes in the writer.

2. Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language such as

personification, similes and metaphors to help paint the picture in the reader's mind.
HAMOPS (an acronym to memorise the different figures of speech) will help you to
remember all the components of figurative language to use in descriptive writing: H
yperboles, Alliteration, Metaphors, Onomatopoeia and Similes.

3. Good descriptive writing uses precise language. General adjectives, nouns, and
common verbs do not have a place in good descriptive writing. Use specific adjectives
and nouns and strong action verbs to give life to the picture you are painting in the
reader's mind.

4. Good descriptive writing is organised. Some ways to organise descriptive writing

include: chronological (time), spatial (location), and order of importance. When
describing a person, you might begin with a physical description, followed by how
that person thinks, feels and acts.
How to write a descriptive essay:

1. Take time to think about who or what you want to describe. The common topics are
person, animal, place, object or experience. Try to make choices from your own life,
this makes your writing unique.

2. Once you have chosen who or what you are describing, spend time thinking about the
qualities you want to describe. Think about all the details associated with the topic.
Even when not writing about a place, reflect on the surroundings. Where is the object
located? Where does the person live? Consider not just physical characteristics, but
also what memories, feelings, and ideas the subject evokes. Memory and emotion
play an important role in conveying the subject’s significance.

3. When writing the descriptive essay remember the goal is to give the reader a rich
experience of the subject. You are not to write a story or recount. Keep in mind, the
most important part of writing a descriptive essay is show, don’t tell. One of the best
ways to show is to involve all of the senses—not just sight, but also hearing, touch,
smell, and taste. Write so the reader will see the sunset, hear the song, smell the
flowers, taste the pie, or feel the touch of a hand.

4. Once you’ve finished, review and modify your work with the goal of making it the
best it can be. Always keep the reader in mind from opening to concluding paragraph.
A descriptive essay must be precise in its detail, yet not get ahead of itself. It’s better
to go from the general to the specific. Otherwise, the reader will have trouble building
the image in their mind’s eye. For example, don’t describe a glossy coat of fur before
telling the reader the essay is about a dog! Watch out for clichés and loading up on
adjectives and adverbs.

Show not Tell!

Use descriptive and figurative language, as well as concrete images to describe the subject.
Personification, Similes and metaphors work well. Here are some examples:

Telling
The man was old.
The clock had been in our family for years.
Showing

The man frowned with a wrinkled brow, and with every step he took, you could almost hear
his creaking joints.

The clock stood by our family, faithfully marking the minutes and hours of our lives.

Enjoy the process of describing the subject—it can be a rewarding experience. A descriptive
essay doesn’t rely on facts and examples, but on the writer’s ability to create a mental picture
for the reader.

NOTE: Allow the reader to see, hear, feel, taste – even smell. Create a vivid description in
the reader’s mind. A good description can evoke a particular mood or atmosphere that will
put a reader into the right frame of mind to picture the object and setting better. Recognising
what to include and what to leave out of a piece of description is vital to making it effective
and worthy of a high grade. Avoid unnecessary details! Describing how you felt at the time
(even if it is an imaginary time), will allow your reader to feel the same way. Using sensory
description achieves this.

Describe what you saw, heard, tasted, smelled, felt... at the time. You need adjectives to do
this, of course, but avoid strings of these. Don’t use words such as happy or sad. Choose
instead more precise words (from a Thesaurus) as these can be far more interesting; also use
vivid or original similes and metaphors – if particularly vivid and original, it is these that can
etch their images onto a reader’s imagination. Show and not tell the reader what a thing is
like. If you are ‘told’ an experience was exciting, you might think, ‘Hey! Let me decide that...
show me why it was exciting, then I’ll believe you.’

Upon reviewing your descriptive work ask yourself:

- Is your description vivid and original?
- Do your paragraphs follow a logical sequence? Does it create ‘pictures’ and ‘feelings’ in -
the mind? Does it ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’?
- Does it use good figurative and sensory language? Have you used advanced punctuation?
-Do all your sentences start the same way?
-Have you used more precise vocabulary?
Ex 1

Name five things that you can:

See

Hear

Smell

Touch

Taste
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
What is Direct & Indirect Speech?

- Direct speech - reporting the message of the speaker in exact words as spoken by him.

- Direct speech example: Rama said ‘I am busy now’.

- Indirect speech: reporting the message of the speaker in our own words

- Indirect speech example: Rama said that he was very busy then.

Direct and Indirect Speech Rules

- To change a sentence of direct speech into indirect speech there are various factors that
are considered such as reporting verbs, modals, time, place, pronoun, tense, etc. we will
take up all the factors one by one.

Rule #1 - Direct to Indirect Speech Conversion - Reporting Verb

1. When the reporting verb of direct speech is in past tense then all the present
tenses are changed to corresponding past tense in indirect speech.
Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: she said, “I am happy.”

● Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

2. In indirect speech tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes (“ ”)
talk of a habitual action or universal truth.
Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “we cannot live without air.”

● Indirect: He said that we cannot live without air.

3. The tenses of direct speech do not change if the reporting verb is in future tense
or present tense. Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She says/will say, “she is going.”

● Indirect: She says/will say she is going.

Rule #2 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion - Present Tense

1. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I have been to Boston”, She told me.

● Indirect: She told me that she had been to Boston.

2. Present Continuous Changes to Past Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I am playing the guitar”, she explained.

● Indirect: She explained that she was playing the guitar.

3. Present Perfect Changes to Past Perfect

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “she has finished her homework”.

● Indirect: He said that she had finished her homework.

4. Simple Present Changes to Simple Past

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “I am unwell”, she said.

● Indirect: She said that she was unwell.

Rule #3 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech conversion - Past Tense & Future Tense

1. Simple Past Changes to Past Perfect Direct to indirect speech example:

o ● Direct: She said, “Irvin arrived on Sunday.”
o ● Indirect: She said that Irvin had arrived on Sunday.

2. Past Continuous Changes to Past Perfect Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “We were playing basketball”, they told me.

● Indirect: They told me that they had been playing basketball.

3. Future Changes to Present Conditional

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She said, “I will be in Scotland tomorrow.”

● Indirect: She said that she would be in Scotland the next day.

4. Future Continuous Changes to Conditional Continuous

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said, “I'll be disposing the old computer next Tuesday.”

● Indirect: He said that he would be disposing the old computer next

Tuesday.

Rule #4 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Interrogative Sentences

1. No conjunction is used, if a sentence in direct speech begins with a question

(what/where/when) as the "question-word" itself acts as a joining clause.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: “Where do you live?” asked the boy.

● Indirect: The boy enquired where I lived.

 2. If a direct speech sentence begins with auxiliary verb/helping verb, the joining
clause should be if or whether.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: She said, “will you come for the party?”

● Indirect: She asked whether we would come for the party.

3. Reporting verbs such as ‘said/ said to’ changes to enquired, asked, or demanded.

Direct to indirect speech example:

● Direct: He said to me, “what are you wearing?”

● Indirect: He asked me what I was wearing.

Rule #5 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Changes in Modals

1. While changing direct speech to indirect speech the modals used in the sentences
changes like:

● Can becomes Could

● May becomes Might

● Must becomes had to /Would have to

Examples:

● Direct: She said, “She can dance.”

● Indirect: She said that she could dance.

● Direct: She said, “I may buy a dress.”

● Indirect: She said that she might buy a dress.

● Direct: Rama said, “I must complete the assignment.”

● Indirect: Rama said that he had to complete the assignment.

 2. There are Modals that do not change like - Could, Would, Should, Might, Ought
to.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She said, “I should clean the house.”

● Indirect: She said that she should clean the house.

Rule #6 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Pronoun

1. The first person in the direct speech changes as per the subject of the speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He said, “I am in class Twelfth.”

● Indirect: He says that he was in class Twelfth.

2. The second person of direct speech changes as per the object of reporting speech.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She says to them, “You have done your work.”

● Indirect: She tells them that they have done their work.

3. The third person of direct speech doesn't change.

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He says, “She dances well.”

● Indirect: He says that she dances well.

Rule #7 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Request, Command, Wish,

Exclamation

1. Indirect Speech is supported by some verbs like requested, ordered, suggested

and advised. Forbid-forbade is used for the negative sentences. Therefore, the
imperative mood in direct speech changes into the Infinitive in indirect speech.
Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: She said to her, “Please complete it.”

 ● Indirect: She requested her to complete it.

● Direct: Hamid said to Ramid, “Sit down.”

● Indirect: Hamid ordered Ramid to sit down.

2. In Exclamatory sentences that express (grief, sorrow, happiness, applaud)

Interjections are removed and the sentence is changed to an assertive sentence.
Direct speech to indirect speech examples

● Direct: She said, “Alas! I am undone.”

● Indirect: She exclaimed sadly that she was broke.

Rule #8 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Punctuations

1. In direct speech the words actually spoken should be in (“ ”) quotes and always
begin with a capital letter.

Example: She said, “I am the Best.”

2. Full stop, Comma, exclamation or question mark, are placed inside the closing
inverted commas.

Example: They asked, “Can we sing with you?”

3. If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, comma is
used to introduce the speech, placed before the first inverted comma.
Direct speech example: He shouted, “Shut up!”
Direct speech example: “Thinking back,” he said, “she didn't expect to win.”
(Comma is used to separate the two direct speeches and no capital letter to begin
the second sentence).

Rule #9 - Direct Speech to Indirect Speech Conversion - Change of Time

1. In direct speeches, the words that express nearness in time or place are changed to
words that express distance in indirect speech. Such as:

● Now becomes then

● Here becomes there

● Ago becomes before

● Thus becomes so

● Today becomes that day

 ● Tomorrow becomes the next day

● This becomes that

● Yesterday becomes the day before

● These becomes those

● Hither becomes thither

● Come becomes go

● Hence becomes thence

● Next week Or month becomes following week/month

Direct speech to indirect speech examples:

● Direct: He said, “His girlfriend came yesterday.”

● Indirect: He said that his girlfriend had come the day before.

2. The time expression does not change if the reporting verb is in present tense or future
tense.

Rules for converting Indirect Speech into Direct Speech

The following rules should be followed while converting an indirect speech to direct speech:

1. Use the reporting verb such as (say, said to) in its correct tense.

2. Put a comma before the statement and the first letter of the statement should be in capital

letter.

3. Insert question mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark and full stop, based on the mood

of the sentence.

4. Remove the conjunctions like (that, to, if or whether) wherever necessary.

5. Where the reporting verb is in past tense in indirect, change it to present tense in the direct

speech.

6. Change the past perfect tense either into present perfect tense or past tense as necessary.
Examples:

● Indirect: She asked whether she was coming to the prom night.

● Direct: She said to her, “Are you coming to the prom night?”

● Indirect: The girl said that she was happy with her result.

● Direct: The girl said. “I am happy with my result.”