In this lesson you learn how to write descriptive paragraphs.
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In our next lesson, we will cover:
Types of Paragraph Writing in English
Lesson Eleven- Learn Descriptive Writing
A descriptive paragraph is a paragraph that takes something and makes it real for the reader. It describes a noun or an event in a few sentences. When you read this type of paragraph, you should be able to picture what it looks like, sounds like, even what it smells and tastes like! Consider, for a moment, that you want to describe a banana to someone who had never seen one before. What words come to mind? How could you make your reader understand what you are describing?
In English, writing is considered a very important skill to have. You must be able to explain things in the proper written format. It is critical for you to learn all of these smaller, foundational pieces now because they will build up your writing for the rest of your English career. Starting with the small stuff, and learning it right, will make your future self’s job much easier!
Descriptive Writing for Beginners
Writing a descriptive paragraph is something you will do for as long as you study English. If you plan to enroll in an English-speaking university, you will certainly need this skill there. The lesson below will help you understand the building blocks of a descriptive paragraph and provides a strong example for you to take a look at.
When we teach our students how to write a descriptive paragraph, we usually have them consider the five senses of touch, smell, sound, taste, and sight. Before writing the paragraph, make five columns and list words or ideas for the subject of the paragraph based on these five senses. Like this:
| touch | smell | sound | taste | sight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The sense of sight is the one that most writers consider first, but try to work on that one last. Let’s take, for example, a description of a place. What do you feel when you go there? What do you feel on your skin. Is it hot or cold? Is it wet or dry? What do you smell? Is there food? Are the smells good or bad? What do the smells remind you of? What do you hear? Is it quiet or noisy? Are there cars moving about? Are people talking? What about the sounds of nature? Are they present? Even a soft wind makes a sound. Taste is a difficult sense to describe, and the degree to which you pay this any attention depends on the subject matter. Sight comes last. Here you can describe color, size, depth, height, width, etc.
Here’s an example. we want to write a paragraph that describes a lake:
| touch | smell | sound | taste | sight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
water sand heat |
air fish hot dogs food trucks sun block |
laughing splashing music volleyball |
sand lotion |
the sun sand children lifeguard toys boats canoes |
Lake Harriet is a great place to swim and relax. In the summer, the water is warm and clean, and the beaches attract people seeking relief from a midsummer scorcher. In addition to swimming, visitors to the lake can go canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, or fishing. The blue water is a refreshing, tempting sight. The sweet scent of sunblock wafts through the air from sunbathers lying on the beach. Children laugh and splash in the water, and nearby volleyball games stir passionate shouts in the heat of competition. Meanwhile, lifeguards sit atop their towers and make sure everyone is safe. In the distance, sailboats catch the soft breezes that ripple Lake Harriet’s surface and canoeists glide quietly past. This is what summer is all about!
In this simple description, the reader should get a good sense of what it’s like to be in this place. The prewriting exercise of listing different aspects of the experience as it relates to the five senses is helpful when coming up with something to write.
In the next lesson, you’ll learn about narrative paragraphs.
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Writing Narrative Paragraph in English
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