Upload
sharon-gerald
View
1.270
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Essay Assignment Information
Citation preview
1
Aroominthehouseyougrewupin
Aroominyourgrandparentshouse
Afavoritehangout A6ishingspot Ahuntingspot Acampingspot Aplayground Acasino Anightclub Achildsclubhouse Apark Atraindepot Anairport
A6leamarket Afair Astadium Afarmersmarket Afamilygarden Anaturepreserve Anaturetrail Alibraryorbookstore Aworkshop Achurch Aclassroom ALittleLeaguepark Aneighborhoodstreet Atownsquareormain
strip
Ananimalshelter Astormshelter Adisasterzone Abeautyshop Acoffeeshop Alaundromat Afoodcourt Arestaurant Abeach Thelobbyofadorm Anartgallery Amuseum Afarm Anantiquestoreor
secondhandshop
Photos by Sharon Gerald
DESCRIPTIVEESSAY
DescriptiveEssayAssignment
Writeadescriptiveessayaboutaplacethatismeaningfultoyou.Theessayshouldbeatleast5paragraphsandatleast600words.
SampleTopics
Dr.SharonGerald,EnglishCompositionI
2
Appealtothesenses.Whatarethesights,smells,sounds,tastes,textures,shapes,andcolorsinthesettingyouaredescribing?Peopleexperiencelifethroughthesenses,andtheywillgetamuchclearerandmuchmorememorablepicturefromyourwritingifitispackedfullofsensoryinformation.Dontjustsay,MymotheralwaysservedchocolatecakeonSundays.Instead,say,MymothersstandardSundaycakesweresorichlychocolateandsomoistthatIfeltlikeIwasdrinkingpureHersheyssyrupwitheverybite.
Payattentiontodetail.Themorespeci6icyoumakeyourdescriptions,thebetter.Dontjustsay,Thechurchchoirsang.Instead,say,ThechurchchoirswayedbackandforthintheirdarkgreenrobesandraisedtheirhandsabovetheirheadsastheynearlyblewtheroofoffthesanctuarywiththeirthunderousrenditionofISingBecauseImHappy.Dontjustsay,IateanM&Mcookie.Instead,say,ThecookieIateforanafternoonsnackwasthesizeofthepalmofmyhandandthecolorofmyskininmidsummer.Icounted6iveM&Msinit,twobrown,onegreen,onered,andoneyellow.
Emphasizetheunique.Whatsdifferentaboutthesceneyouaredescribing?Whatmakesthisplacedifferentfromanyother?Aretherestillmarksonthebricksaroundthe6ireplacewhere
youwroteonthemwithaSharpieasachild?Doesyourgrandmotherstillgettheplacematsoutthatyoumadeforherwhenyouwereinkindergarten?HowabouttheSantaClausthatyoumadeoutofatoiletpaperrollandredconstructionpaper?Doesanyofthisembarrassyou?Ifso,itisexactlywhatyouneedtodescribeinyouressay.Uniqueismemorable,andyouwantpeopletorememberwhatyouhavetosay.
Usesimileandmetaphor.Simileandmetaphoraretypesof6igurativelanguageinwhichonethingiscomparedtoanotherand/oronethingisusedtorepresentanother.Thiscanbecrucialtodescribingthingsthatmightnotbefamiliartoyouraudience.Forexample,ifyouwanttodescribeacampusbelltowertosomeonewhohasntseenit,youmightsay,Thebelltowershootsintotheskylikethetallesttreeinaforestofonlytheonelonelytree.Thebelltowermightnotliterallylooklikeatree,butthesimilehelpsthereadertoimaginetheheightofthetower.Thisisntanexactmeasurement,ofcourse,anddifferentreadersmightimaginedifferentheights,butitstillcreatesapictureandmakesanimpression.Being6igurativeratherthanliteralisoftencalledforindescriptivewriting.
TipsforDescriptiveWriting
3
Usehyperbole.Hyperboleisanothertypeof6igurativelanguageinwhichthesizeorsigni6icanceofsomethingisblownoutofproportion.Forexample,IjustateahamburgerthesizeofTexasishyperbole.Weallknownooneliterallyateahamburgerthesizeofanystate,butthehyperboleprovidesamoreimagisticandthereforemorememorablewayofsayingitwasbig.NeversimplysayitwasbigwhenitcouldbethesizeoftheEmpireStateBuildingordeepenoughtomaketheGrandCanyonlookshallow.
[email protected]?Isthekitchenlonely?Isthecarhopeful?Istheroadrestless?Theseareallexamplesofpersoni6ication,orgivinghumancharacteristics,motivations,orfeelingstoinanimateobjects.Personi6icationisanother6igurativewaytohelpthereaderpicturethesceneyouaredescribing.
Avoidclichs.Douse6igurativelanguage,buttrytomakeityourown.Avoidusingthestandard6iguresofspeech,likeoldasthehillsorlikea6ishtowateroradiamondintherough.Playwiththelanguageandcomeupwithyourowncomparisons.
Paintapicturewithyourwords.Regardlessofwhattechniquesyouuseindescription,theultimategoalistohelppeoplepicturewhatyouwantthemtopictureusingonlywords.Usethewordsthatputothersrightthereatthescene,
seeingwhatyouareseeing,smellingwhatyouaresmelling,andfeelingwhatyouarefeeling.
Followalogicalorder.Narrativeessaysoftenfollowachronologicalorder,butunlessdescriptiveessaysareaboutevents,theywillmostlikelybeorganizedspatially.Theymightmovefromlefttorightacrossthescene.Theymightmovefrombigtolittleorviceversa.Theymightmovefromobvioustosubtle.Anothertechniquemightbetodescribesomethingsensebysensethesightsandthenthesoundsandthenthesmells,andsoon.Regardlessofwhichoptionyouchoose,pickaplanfororderingyourdescriptions.Understandwhyyouhavepickedthatplan.Thensticktoit.Dontjumparoundorjustramble.Helpthereaderunderstandwhyyouaredrawingattentionto6irstonedetailandthenanother.
Attachemotionalsigni@icancetothedescriptions.Yourdescriptionsneedtobemeaningful,andonegoodwaytomakethemmeaningfulistousethemtoevokeemotions.Thatcoffeecanthatwasalwaysfullofbacongreaseonyourgrandmotherskitchencounterisjustacoffeecanuntilweunderstandthatitremindsyouofsimplerandhappiertimesandpeopleyouwishyouhadappreciatedmorewhileyouhadtheminyourlife.Dontjusttellustherewasacoffeecan.Telluswhythecoffeecanmatters.
Makeyourpurposeclear.Ifyouwantpeopleto6indyourdescriptionsuseful,youneedtoknowwhyyouarewritingthem.Whatsthepointoftellingothersaboutthesandbaratthecreekwhereyourdogcaughtasnake,andyougotsunburnsobaditwasonthetopofyourfeetandthetopofyourscalptoo?Maybeitisaprecautionarytaleaboutsunblock,ormaybeitismakingapointthatwearentaspreparedasweshouldbeforforaysintotheforestbecauseourdaytodaylivesaretoodisconnectedfromnature.Whateverthepointis,makeitclear.Whoareyourdescriptionsfor?Whydoesthisaudienceneedtoreadthem?
Havefun!Yourreaderisalotmorelikelytoenjoyyourwritingifyouenjoyittoo.Playaround.Amuseyourself.Impressyourself.Writewhatyouwanttoread.
TipsforDescriptiveWriting(continuedfrompreviouspage)
4
Whenisdescriptivewritingusedinreallife?
Descriptivewritingisusedinmanyreallifeandonthejobcontextsaswellasmanyacademiccontexts.Herearejustafewexamples:
Aspartofnarrativewritingandstorytelling
Forreportingonevents Forreportingonand
promotingproducts Forpreserving
memories Forpreservinghistory Forrecordingscienti6ic
observations
OrganizingtheEssay
Adescriptiveessayshouldbeorganizedjustlikeanyessay,withanintroduction,abody,andaconclusion.Forthisassignment,youwillberequiredtohaveatleastthreebodyparagraphs.
Followtheseguidelinesforeachparagraph:
Introduction(Paragraph1):Theintroductionshouldstartwithahookoranattentiongrabber.Itshouldestablishasenseofaudienceandpurpose,anditshouldhaveathesisstatementthatsetsupamainpoint.
Startbytellingalittlebitofbackstoryordescribingaveryparticularitemthatdrawsusintothescene.Letusknowwhyweshouldbeinterested.Tellusthemainideathatyouwanttogetacross.
Body(Paragraphs24):Thebodyparagraphswillcontainthebulkofyourdescriptions.Makesureeachbodyparagraph
isfocusedongettingacrossaparticularideainadditiontoparticulardescriptions,butgoeasyontheexplanationsandsavemostofyourwordsforthedescriptions.Giveussensorydetail.Makeusfeellikewearethere.
Youcanmoveinaspatialorderinthebodyparagraphs,oryoucandividethemupsensebysenseorideabyidea.Justmake
surethatyoudohaveaplanforgroupinglikedescriptionstogetherinyourbodyparagraphs.
Conclusion(Paragraph5):Theconclusionshouldreiteratethethesisinnewwords.Itshouldremindusofthepurposeoftheessay.Itshouldalsoleaveuswithsomethingtothinkaboutandwithonelastimagetoremember.