Note_4, 9 Aug 2019

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Descriptive writing is all about creating powerful pictures
in the Reader's mind.
Visual images and role- play are good ways to get your
imagination working to come up with words ,details and
ideas for your writing.
In short ,descriptive writing is drawing with words instead
of drawing with pencils, colours or geometric shapes.

Developing the skills

Once you have an idea for a scene for a descriptive writing,
you need to develop your thoughts.
Imagine you are part of the scene in the poster, gazing at
the landscape in front of you and sensing the atmosphere
that the image has created.

THINK about the atmosphere you want to create :

 a. Is it frightening, peaceful,or something else?

b. Is the atmosphere going to be the same or will change

depending on which direction you look?

LEFT RIGHT

ABOVE BEHIND

EXAMPLE 1

Behind me, I can see people running. Pushing and tripping

over each other in their desperation to escape. Now and
again, they quickly glance with terrified looks on their faces
.Some are screaming, appealing for family and friends.

Example 2

To my right,I see a monkey, cuddly and furry swinging

through the trees. An elegant giraffe is just about to take a
bite from a tasty looking fruit when the cheeky monkey
swings fast and grabs it. He leaps on a higher branch and
laughs as he gobbles up the stolen food.

Checklist for you:

1. Choose and develop a clear atmosphere .
2. Include lots of descriptive words .
3. Make use of the different senses.

Descriptive writing task can cover a wide range of topics,

places,buildings,object , person or animal, occasions such
as a family celebration.
The important thing to keep in mind is to focus on
describing the subject and not writing a story about it.

For example, a description of a family celebration should

focus on describing the appearance and behaviour of the
guests, the room in which the celebration was held, and so
on.
You should not make an account of what happened at the
celebration.

How to begin:
1.Always, try to write what you are describing based on
your personal knowledge; you cannot give a clear picture
of your subject to The Reader unless you have a clear
picture in your own mind. However, you can change and
distort details deliberately to create a particular
impression.

2. Decide:
Are you going to write from a first person point of view or
Are you going to adopt a more general impersonal
approach. Once decided, be consistent throughout this
piece of writing.

3. How are you going to structure?

For example,
 You could take a geographical approach and describe
the same from left to right or from distant to close at
hand.
 You could describe the subject at different times of the
day
or
 work through different senses of sight ,hearing, touch,
smell,taste.
see that the links are natural and not too mechanical.

4. Don't try to include every detail which comes into your

mind; be selective. Don't overload your description with too
much details, your reader will be confused .

5.Try to include feelings and emotions by your use of

language and words.

TIPS
1.ADJECTIVES -
you can convert different shades of meaning depending on
the adjectives you use:
my grandfather is an energetic, man.
My grandfather is a thoughtful,carefree man.

VERBS
The most important word in a sentence and well chosen
words can increase the force and focus of the description
example
The teacher STRODE into the room .
The teacher crept into the room
the teacher stormed into the room
ADVERBS
Words which modify or act the meaning of verbs valuable
tools in giving a precise description example
The Teacher strode purposefully into the room
the teacher crept cautiously into the room
The teacher stormed furiously into the room

SIMILE
Remember, if you use similes, there must be a clear point of
comparison between the two parts of description and it is
important that the comparison does not undermine the
effect you want to create.
example
The garden was as peaceful as a graveyard.
It implies the garden was rather cold and deserted place
which judging from the pleasant word peaceful is probably
not the impression the writer wanted to give. the
atmosphere has become confused .
choose similes that are original and alive
example
He ran like the wind .
fit as a fiddle
She grinned like a crocodile. (imagery)

EXCLAMATIONS
Words that convey their meaning through sound
might be dramatic
example
thud!
crash!
or well-chosen words that convey the exacy sound you
have in your mind
example
tinkling
howling
rustling
screeching

Note:-while you are writing ,always try to think in complete

sentences;never start to write a sentence until you know
how it is going to finish.
10 pairs of words frequently confused by students
accept/except
altogether/all together
conscience/ conscious
allude/ellude
clothes/cloths
elicit/illicit
lightning/lightening
quiet/quite

topics
1.
you find yourself in a crowd of strangers.Describe your
thoughts and feelings.
2.a child lost in a shopping mall(the girl looked
around,suddenly aware that she was on her own).