Slide 1

Description Ins: Demet GL, PhDDemet GL, PhD DB 106 Composition II 1 Slide 2 Descriptive Paragraph Example The subway is an assault on your senses. You walk down the steep, smelly steps on the subway platform. On the far right wall, a broken clock show that the time is four-thirty. You wonder how long it has been broken. A mother and her crying child are standing to your left. She is trying to clean dried chocolate syrup off the young childs face. Farther to the left, two old men are arguing about the most recent tax increase. You hear a little noise and see some paper trash roll by like a soccer ball. The most interesting thing you see while you are waiting for your subway train is a poster. It reads Come to Jamaica. Deep blue skies, a lone palm tree, and sapphire waters call you to this exotic faraway place DB 106 Composition II 2 Slide 3 What is a Descriptive Essay? describe an object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. Encourages ability to create a written account of a particular experience. allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader). If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again! DB 106 Composition II 3 Slide 4 Sample Description Paragraph II Topic Sentence DB 106 Composition II 4 Unit 7: Page 90, 91 What will be described? What overall impression of the tomb does the writer provide? Slide 5 Why are you writing your descriptive essay? Find your particularly reason for writing descriptive essay. Getting in touch with this reason can help you focus your description and enhance your language with a particular perspective or emotion. Ex: If you want to describe your grandfather, You've chosen to write about your grandfather's physical appearance or the way that he interacts with people. DB 106 Composition II 5 Slide 6 Describing with the Five Senses Use words that appeal or all of the five senses- Sight Taste Touch Hearing Smell DB 106 Composition II 6 Slide 7 How should you write your description? DB 106 Composition II7 Unit 7, Page 90 Slide 8 DB 106 Composition II 8 It's the famous saying: show don't tell. Ex1: I grew tired after dinner. Ex2: As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth. The first sentence tells readers that you grew tired after dinner. The second sentence shows readers that you grew tired. The most effective descriptive essays are loaded with such showing because they enable readers to imagine or experience something for themselves. Slide 9 1- Describe particular smells and tastes in the paragraph. Use the most descriptive words possible to allow the reader to smell or taste what you are describing. DB 106 Composition II 9 Slide 10 2- Add the senses of touch and hearing to your paragraph wherever possible. Describe certain textures and sounds. DB 106 Composition II 10 Slide 11 3- Use like and as when you write your descriptive paragraph. These devices strengthen your paragraph if used properly. E.g: My best friend is like the sun in my life DB 106 Composition II 11 Slide 12 2- You can make use of the following language use in descriptive paragraph WHILE DESCRIBING THINGS: It is made of ( The table in my room is made of wood.) It consists of ( This city consists of many mysterious people.) WHILE DESCRIBING PEOPLE or PLACES As & like She sings like an angel My friend looks like Antony Hopkins. I cannot cook as my mother I want to join army as a pilot DB 106 Composition II 12 Slide 13 4- Insert descriptive adjectives to modify your nouns. Don't just say "ocean." Describe the actual colors you see in the ocean. Use more descriptive words such as deep dark blue ocean. DB 106 Composition II 13 Slide 14 Unit 7, Page 91 List the specific details that shows tomb is amazing to the writer. Richness Unusual decoration DB 106 Composition II 14 Slide 15 DB 106 Composition II 15 Slide 16 Unit 7, Page 93 1. Beautiful 2. Face, Hair, Clothing 3. Top to bottom DB 106 Composition II 16 Slide 17 WE DIVIDE DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH INTO 3 PARTS: Description of a person Description of a place Description of a thing or experience DB 106 Composition II 17 Slide 18 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHILE WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH 1- SPATIAL ORDER Spatial order shows how people and objects are arranged in a space or scene. A description can be organized spatially in several ways: - from top to bottom, - outside to inside, - left to right, - near to far, - or the reverse of any of these DB 106 Composition II 18 Slide 19 EXAMPLE OF SPATIAL ORDER : (CLASSROOM) In Ms. Cakars classroom we see a lot of things. To the left of the class, we see 10 posters in the colors of the rainbow. In front of us is a white, square projector shade. In back of it is a green, rectangular chalkboard. To the right of the room is a black radio on top of the silver file cabinets DB 106 Composition II 19 Slide 20 Here are three sample paragraphs: about a person, a place and a thing. DB 106 Composition II 20 Slide 21 My Son Burak My eight year old son, Burak, is different from other children because of his distinctive appearance. The first thing I notice when I look at him is his size. He stands at shoulder height next to me; indeed, he is taller than other children of his age, and is definitely stronger. Also his red hair is remarkable; it is thick, and stylish. Also, Burak has freckles on his face. His eyes are bright blue, and his eyebrows are blond. His lips are thick and somewhat feminine, and he has gaps in his teeth. His shoulders are broad and his belly is plump. When we hold hands, you can see that his hands are as large as my hands. His legs are strong, and his knees are covered with purple bruises, because he always falls down while he is skateboarding and biking. To sum up, although he is only eight years old, he is big and strong. 1- DB 106 Composition II 21 Slide 22 2- The Beach in Hawaii A beach in Hawaii is like a paradise. To start with, the beach smells fresh like a new ocean air freshener. The sand is so hot that when you walk on it after the sea, you feel like you walk on a burning grill. Not far from the shore, you can see the palm trees. They sway in the air from the strong wind. In a distance, there is a beautiful house by the water, so you can see the navy blue ocean every day. People are laughing and playing on the burning sand, and others are relaxing on the beach sunbathing. They seem to enjoy the bright rays of the sun. From a far distance the ocean is a deep navy blue; waves come in like a bulldozer from all the wind. But at nights everything is still and quiet. You can only hear the waves of the ocean and the light wind which comes from the huge palm trees. To sum up, this beach is an amazing place for a perfect summer holiday. DB 106 Composition II 22 2- Slide 23 3- DB 106 Composition II 23 Slide 24 Sensory Language Language that uses the 5 senses: Sight Sound Taste Smell Touch Example: The acid smell penetrated my nostrils as a breathed deeply. The humidity after the rain clung to my skin as I walked to my crippled car. DB 106 Composition II 24 Slide 25 Vivid Verbs Replace general verbs with vivid verbs. Make writing more interesting and enjoyable for the reader. Vivid verbs have more specific meanings than general verbs. DB 106 Composition II 25 GeneralMore Vivid Verbs Dislike Eat Like/Love Run Walk Despise, Hate, loathe, Scorn, Shun Consume, Devour, Gobble Admire, Adore, Cherish, Fond of Dart, Dash, Scurry, Sprint, Jog Hike, March, Plod, Saunter, Stroll Slide 26 Descriptive Adjectives They describe the noun in detail so the reader can visualize what is being read. Examples: Adorable, Helpful, Gifted, Aggressive, Bored, Wild, Evil, Fearless, Cowardly, Helpful, Lovely, Knowledgeable, Vivacious, Wise, Troubled, Pleasing. DB 106 Composition II 26 Slide 27 Example of Using Vivid Verbs and Descriptive Adjectives Boring: The nice woman walked into the restaurant. Descriptive: The vivacious woman sauntered into the restaurant. DB 106 Composition II 27 Slide 28 Describing People Facial hair: beard, moustache, sideburns, stubble, unsaven, clean-shaven DB 106 Composition II28 Adjectives to describe yourself, your family, another student, your teacher. HeightBuildAge tall, short, medium height frail, stocky, slim, thin, overweight, chubby, fat, skinny, well-built young, elderly, middle-aged, teenager, in 20s, 30s FaceEyesHair Type/Color round, oval, square, with scars, wrinkles, sun-tanned, pale big round blue eyes, large, small, bright, narrow bald, straight, curly, spiky, wavy, short, long dyed, blonde hair, red hair, black hair John is a tall, slim man in his mid forties. He has a thin face, blue eyes and a large nose. His short hair is turning white. He is usually casually dressed. Clothes: casual, scruffy, shabby, smart, tidy, messy Slide 29 Describing Character - What is he like? Is he nice??? careful, hard-working, worried, cheerful, active, curious, generous, aggressive, careless, sensible, independent, strong-minded, creative boring, imaginative sensitive, gentle, loyal, trusting, friendly stubborn, patient moody, optimistic, energetic, confident, selfish, shy, reliable, clumsy Examples: Our new teacher is so patient. If we don't understand something, she goes over it again and again until we do. Our English teacher at school is so creative. He is always coming up with new games that help make learning fun. Tim is so generous. He always helps out the poor people in our community. Jack is a smart man, but he is very messy. He doesnt keep his office tidy. DB 106 Composition II 29 Slide 30 Good description: 1. Creates a main impression-an overall effect, feeling, or image-about the topic. 2. Uses concrete, specific details to support the main impression. 3. Uses details that appeal to the five senses. DB 106 Composition II 30 Slide 31 Quick tips for writing your descriptive essay-I Planning your descriptive essay: What or who do you want to describe? What is your reason for writing your description? What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on? DB 106 Composition II 31 Slide 32 DB 106 Composition II 32 Quick tips for writing your descriptive essay-II Drafting your descriptive essay: What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures are important for developing your description? Which details can you include to ensure that your readers gain a vivid impression imbued with your emotion or perspective? Slide 33 DB 106 Composition II 33 Revising your descriptive essay: Have you provided enough details and descriptions to enable your readers to gain a complete and vivid perception? Have you left out any minor but important details? Have you used words that convey your emotion or perspective? Are there any unnecessary details in your description? Does each paragraph of your essay focus on one aspect of your description? Are you paragraphs ordered in the most affective way? Quick tips for writing your descriptive essay-II Slide 34 Take time to brainstorm If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one. DB 106 Composition II 34 Slide 35 Use clear and concise language. This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe. Choose vivid language. Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use tempestuous instead of violent? Or why not miserly in place of cheap? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better ones purpose. DB 106 Composition II 35 Slide 36 Use your senses! Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses. What were you thinking?! If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential. DB 106 Composition II 36 Slide 37 Leave the reader with a clear impression. One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays. Be organized! It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe. DB 106 Composition II 37 Slide 38 Unit 7, Page 94 Practice 2 1. D 2. D 3. E 4. C 5. E DB 106 Composition II 38 Slide 39 Unit 7, Page 95 This was clearly a music lovers room. My brother Michaels bedroom shows his big interest in fantasy and science fiction. DB 106 Composition II 39 Slide 40 Sample Descriptive Paragraph My brother Michaels bedroom shows his big interest in fantasy and science fiction. Glow-in-the- dark stars are pasted on the ceiling where, at night, they glow in the dark. Other stars can be seen covering the ceiling during the day, giving the appearance of a starry sky. Movie posters line the walls. There is a poster of The Matrix in a shiny chrome frame. Below the posters are two black steel bookcases crammed with old books. Old videos like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Alien are also stacked on the bookshelves. Anyone entering my brothers room knows at once that Michael likes to escape to fantastic places. DB 106 Composition II 40 Slide 41 Structure of Sample Descriptive Paragraph TS: My brother Michaels bedroom shows his big interest in fantasy and science fiction. 1. Glow-in-the-dark stars 1.1 at night, they glow in the dark. 1.2 during the day 2. a poster of The Matrix 3. bookcases 3.1 old books. 3.2 Old videos,e.g. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien. CS: Anyone entering my brothers room knows at once that Michael likes to escape to fantastic places. DB 106 Composition II41