Descriptive Essay



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Descriptive Essay

This type of essay is represented by a written task describing the case to the reader so that it becomes clear to them. The case of the essay can be a place, a person, a famous building or any generic object.

Description of People

Essay containing description of a person or people has to be structure as follows:

1. The introduction must include general facts about a person being described and provide the details circumstances of your encounter.

2. The main body consists of the description of your subject’s physical appearance and personality qualities as well as interests and other unique features. Each topic should be summarized in a separate paragraph.

3. The concluding phase is a paragraph in which you describe your personal standing in regards to a specific person.

One should use present tenses while describing people well known or often seen by the writer. If you are writing about someone who has passed away, or a person you have known in the past you have to narrate in the past tense.

When describing a person’s physical appearance one needs to start with the general features and continue with more specific details such as nose, hair color and eyes etc. Adding the description of person’s apparel and general style will also result in a fuller picture of the character.

The description of someone’s personal qualities requires explanation based on certain examples taken from real life in order to provide a vivid picture to the reader. You may also illustrate someone’s character through the description of the way they speak, their gestures, and unique habits they might have.

Description of Places/Buildings

When writing a descriptive essay about a building or a facility you should refer to the following tips:

1. The introduction should explain your reason for choosing a certain place/building for the description as well as mention its name and location.

2. The main body is used for description of the major features of a building or a place in details. For instance while narrating about a building you need to mention what other places you can see from it and what you can do there, also its exterior and interior. If known the history of the building/place you should include it in your description as well.

3. In the concluding paragraph you can include your feelings, attitudes and other comments on the building/place being described.

Descriptions of various places and/or buildings can be located in tourist magazines, travel brochures, and other literature. The style used in the essay will depend on the reader audience and the intention of the description. In a magazine article you can use a semi-formal style with a courteous tone. Most likely you will use present tenses when writing about buildings/places still existing. Past tenses should be used when you mention some historical facts.

Description of Objects

Great examples of description of objects can be found in great quantities in catalogues, advertisements, and special magazines.

When describing an object(s) you should give a precise picture of it, thus including information about size, weight, pattern, shape or any decorative specifications such as color, origin and material used to make it.

A lot of adjectives should be used in description of an object. It is better to name opinion adjectives first and then include fact adjectives. They are listed in such order: weight, size, age, shape or pattern, color, material used and its origin. Naming all of those one after another will sound unnatural, thus try to diversify your writing.

Description of Events

There are a few components in the essay describing event(s).

1. The introduction presents the name, place, time, and reasons of a particular event being celebrated.

2. The main body consists of the description the arrangements leading to the event and the actual event in individual paragraphs. The writer has to use present tense depicting annual events and festivals and past tense for illustration of an attended outing in the past.

3. The conclusion as usual will consist of feelings, thoughts and views on the attended event.

Using as many colorful adjectives as your essay allows will make it more life-like and appealing to the reader’s imagination. In case the activity of the event is more significant than the agent you can use the passive.

Newspapers, travel brochures, and popular magazines are loaded with the description of different festivals, contests, celebrations, etc. Depending on your reader and intended effect of your writing choose the best suited style for your essay.

Describing People

1. If you explore all avenues, you try out every possibility in order to

  obtain a result or find a solution.

2. If you go all out to achieve or obtain something, you make a great

effort, using all possible strength and resources.

3. Someone who hitches their wagon to a star has great ambitions

and is very determined to reach their goal.

4. If you stand your ground, you maintain your position and refuse to yield

or give way.

5. A person who calls a spade a spade speaks openly and truthfully

about something, especially difficult matters.

6. To say that someone does not have a hair out of place means that

their appearance is perfect.

7.A social butterfly refers to a person who has a lot of friends and acquaintances and likes to flit from one social event to another.

8. If someone catches your eye, you find them attractive.

9. To say that someone has eyes in the back of their head means

that they are very observant and notice everything happening around them.

10. A person who thinks on their feet is capable of making good decisions

without previous thinking or planning.

Describing Events

1. The life and soul of the party is the most lively and amusing person presented at an event.

2. If you have the time of your life, you enjoy yourself immensely.

3. If something causes a stir, it creates an atmosphere of excitement

or great interest.

4. If you look/feel like a million dollars, you look/feel extremely good.

5. A person who is on cloud nine is very happy because something

wonderful has happened.

Describing Jobs/Activities

1. A project or action which involves blood, sweat and tears requires

a lot of effort and hard work.

2. When trying to achieve something, if you go to great lengths,

you do everything that is possible in order to succeed.

3. A person who keeps their nose to the grindstone is someone who

concentrates on working hard at his job.

4. Someone who has their heart set on something wants it very much.

5. If you sink your teeth into something, you do it with a lot of energy and

enthusiasm.

6. If you are full of the joys of spring, you are happy, enthusiastic

and full of energy.

7. When you come into your own, you receive the credit or recognition

you deserve.

8. To say that someone has come up trumps means that they have achieved

unexpectedly good results.

9. If somebody has to sink or swim, they have to do something alone,

and their success or failure depends entirely on their own efforts.

10. A person who steals the show gets more attention or praise than

the other participants.

Describing Places

|Size |Natural sights |Buildings |

|vast: |marvelous: |posh: |

|extremely large in area, size, amount, etc. |extremely good, wonderful |elegant and expensive |

|syn: huge |syn: fantastic |ex a posh hotel/ you look very posh in your new |

|ex a vast area of forest. |ex this will be a marvelous opportunity for her |suit |

|immeasurable: |picturesque: |luxurious: |

|(formal) to large, great etc. to be measured |(of a place, building, scene) pretty, especially |very comfortable; containing expensive and |

|ex to cause immeasurable harm |in a way that looks old-fashioned |enjoyable things |

|immense: |syn quaint |syn: sumptuous |

|extremely large or great |ex a picturesque cottage, village |ex a luxurious hotel |

|syn: enormous |this inn is picturesquely situated on the banks of|spartan: |

|ex there is still an immense amount of work to be |the river |(of conditions) simple or severe; lacking anything|

|done |exuberant: |that make life easier or more pleasant. |

|undersized: |1_full of energy, excitement and happiness |eclectic: |

|not as big as normal |ex she gave an exuberant performance |not following one style or set of ideas but |

|tiny: |2_(of plants) strong and healthy; growing quickly |choosing from or using a wide variety |

|very small in size or amount |and well. |ex she has a very eclectic taste in literature |

|ex only tiny minorities hold such extreme views. |immaculate: |derelict: |

|massive: |1_extremely clean and tidy |(especially of lands or buildings) not used or |

|1_very large, heavy and solid |syn: spotless |cared for and in bad condition |

|ex the massive walls of the castle |ex an immaculated uniform, room |ex derelict land/ buildings/ sites |

|2_extremely large or serious |2_containing no mistakes |dilapidated: |

|ex the explosion made a massive hole in the ground|syn: perfect |(of furniture and buildings) old and in very bad |

| |an immaculate performance |conditions |

| | |syn: ramshackle |

| |palatial: | |

| |(of a room or building) very large and impressive;| |

| |like a palace |shabby: |

| |crowded: |1_(of buildings, clothes, objects, etc.) in poor |

| |1_having a lot of people or too many people |conditions because they have been used a lot |

| |ex in spring the place is crowded with skiers |syn: scruffy |

| |2_full of something |ex she wore shabby old jeans and a t-shirt |

| |ex a room crowded with books |2_(of a person) badly dressed in clothes that have|

| |modern: |been worn a lot |

| |1_of the present time or recent times |ex the old man was shabby and unkempt |

| |syn: contemporary |3_(of behavior) unfair or unreasonable |

| |ex the modern industrial world |syn: shoddy |

| |magnificent: |ex she tried to make up for her shabby treatment |

| |extremely attractive and impressive; deserving |of him |

| |praise | |

| |syn: splendid | |

| |ex she looked magnificent in her wedding | |

| |dress/you`ve all done a magnificent job | |

| |stunning: | |

| |1_extremely attractive or impressive | |

| |syn: beautiful | |

| |ex a stunning view of the lake | |

| |2_extremely surprising or shocking | |

| |ex he suffered a stunning defeat in the election | |

| |sandy: | |

| |covered with or containing sand | |

| |ex a sandy beach /sandy soil | |

|Describing places and buildings |[pic] |

Read this model text, mark the topic sentences, and write the topics of each paragraph into the circles:

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WITH THE CORRECT ADJECTIVES.

|crowded |historic |cosmopolitan |touristy |industrial |deserted |

1. There are people from all over the world in London, it's a very ___________city.

2. In December, the streets were ____________ with hundreds of people doing their Christmas shopping.

3. That area's always ____________ at night. It's a bit scary to walk by yourself.

4. I live in a very ___________ part of town, with lots of factories.

5. Bath is a very ______________area. A lot of students come here to do summer courses.

6. Cambridge is a _____________ city. The university buildings are very old.

Vocabulary: Describing places

|Adjectives describing places |Nouns describing places |Types of houses/ rooms |Facilities |Prepositions of location |

|isolated |village |detached |places of entertainment |in the (north) of / -(north) |

|rural |housing estate |semi-detached |variety show |of |

|urban |port |terraced |museum |on the coast of / off the |

|agricultural |resort |bungalow |luxury hotels |coast of |

|commercial |metropolis |cottage |bed and breakfast |on the shore of |

|industrial |coast |apartment (block) |refreshments |at the junction / confluence |

|residential |shore |flat |deck chairs |of |

|sprawling |confluence |attic |cliff (path) |at the mouth of |

|secluded |junction |loft |scenery |on the edge of |

| |cove |basement | |on the way / road to |

| | |cellar | | |

| | |utility room | | |

| | |porch | | |

| | |landing | | |

| | |patio / terrace | | |

| | |balcony | | |

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Set in the heart of southern England, London is one of the biggest and busiest cities in Europe. A truly international city, London attracts millions of visitors every year from all over the world, yet never loses its own unique charm.

London has many impressive sights to see, ranging from the historical beauty of St. Paul´s Cathedral and Big Ben to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. In this city of contrasts, you can be walking along one of the busiest streets, yet still be less than a mile from one of the many huge, peaceful parks. London is a great cultural centre, too; the National Gallery contains one of the finest collections of classical paintings in the world.

London is also well known for other things apart from its monuments and art galleries. Shoppers will enjoy visiting the department stores on Oxford Street or they could try Harrods, the most exclusive shop in London. For evening entertainment, the choice of theatres is enormous. From the famous Southbank Theatre complex to the smaller theatre on Covent Garden, there is no end of plays to see. Soho and its pavement cafés are also worth visiting.

London is an exceptional place, a truly modern city that has managed to keep its traditional style and sense of history. You may get exhausted in London, but one thing is certain; you will never get bored, as Dr. Johnson once said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”

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