Description Essay Topics



►  Gives the physical characteristics of a person, place or object

►  Uses the five senses

►  Typically follows a pattern top to bottom, side to side, clockwise, etc.

There are two types of desciptive essays: objective and subjective.

►  Objective Description focuses on the description without your personal reactions to the description

►  Precise, literal picture of your subject; may use numbers inches, feet, pounds, etc.

Example:





Subjective Example:

►  Subjective Description non-literal; puts the reader at the kitchen table; to a certain degree involves the reader

►  Conveys your personal response about your description



►  Think of your descriptive paper as a guided tour

First, pick a topic. It doesn't have to be from the topics list. Just about anything will fit as long as it is two pages.

Think of a topic that grabs your attention.

An idea: describe the ugliest / prettiest / strangest / whatever-est house / garage door / building / whatever you have ever seen -- feel free to use your imagination!

Notes:
Some of your paragraphs may be rather short -- remember, if you are describing a house, your paragraph about, say, the guest bedroom might be short because it is one part of the house.

The whole paper will probably serve as the main idea.

Transitions:

To the right, to the left, around the corner, above this, beneath that, etc. ........