Unlike a traditional research essay, which relies heavily upon statistics and data, a descriptive essay is often personal in nature. This type of essay can be enjoyable to write because there may be no library-based research involved. Instead, you rely on your power of observation and senses to vividly describe something you have seen, such as a busy market.
Take a notepad or a laptop computer to an area where you can observe a busy market. This area could be on a nearby bench or in a vehicle parked with a clear view of the scene.
- Unlike a traditional research essay, which relies heavily upon statistics and data, a descriptive essay is often personal in nature.
- Take a notepad or a laptop computer to an area where you can observe a busy market.
Make notes on what you observe through your sense of sight. Sight is a powerful sense that helps you learn a great deal about any given subject. Write down what you see, from the largest details to the smallest ones.
Make notes on what you hear. If you're in a vehicle, roll down the window to allow your sense of sound to pick up the sounds of the busy market. Because descriptive writing relies heavily on each of the senses, listen for sounds you can add to your writing.
Make notes on what you smell from the busy market. If necessary, take a slow walk through the market to observe the smells. Do you smell fresh fruit? Fragrant flowers for sale? Perhaps a vendor grilling savoury snacks? Details about a scene's smells can make it come to life.
- Make notes on what you hear.
- Make notes on what you smell from the busy market.
Make notes on what you taste and touch, if applicable. If you're simply observing the busy market from afar, you may not need to involve these two senses. But if your descriptive essay assignment requires use of all five senses, walk through the market and pick up something to observe how it feels. Buy something to eat and note its taste.
- Make notes on what you taste and touch, if applicable.
- But if your descriptive essay assignment requires use of all five senses, walk through the market and pick up something to observe how it feels.
Write a beginning that introduces the busy market. Use wording that draws in the reader. If the assignment requires use of a thesis statement, work it into the introduction. If the assignment allows you to write in the first person, consider using this technique if you wish to include yourself in the essay.
Use vivid imagery and adverbs to successfully turn your notes into a descriptive piece of work. Vivid imagery can describe everything in the scene, while adverbs are used to describe verbs. With an adverb, you could note how a vendor happily invites customers to sample his wares, for example. The goal of a descriptive essay is to give the reader the impression that she is personally observing the scene about which you're writing.
Summarise the scene in the essay's conclusion paragraph. Repeat the thesis statement to show the teacher you have stayed on topic and fulfilled the requirements of the assignment.