The purpose of descriptive writing is to engage our readers’ senses and create a vivid experience of what we have observed and felt. Our objective is to convey the essence of a subject through the use of carefully chosen details. The following five paragraphs, written by both students and professional authors, exemplify various approaches to descriptive writing as outlined in the guidelines of How to Write a Descriptive Paragraph. Each writer has chosen either a personal possession or a particular location that holds significance for them and has clearly stated their topic sentence before providing a detailed description of their chosen subject along with its personal importance.
A toy clown, a gift from a close friend last Christmas, sits on my dresser. The clown’s head is detailed with short yellow yarn hair that covers its ears but is parted above the eyes. The clown’s body and the unicycle it sits on are also present on the dresser. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the personal value of this gift.
The clown possesses blue eyes that are bordered in black and have thin, dark lashes extending from the brows. Furthermore, it exhibits cherry-red cheeks, nose, and lips. Its broad smile fades into the wide, white ruffle encircling its neck. Additionally, the clown sports a fluffy, dual-colored nylon costume. The left side of the outfit is light blue while the right side is red. These two shades blend together along a dark line that traverses the center of the small attire. At its ankles, large pink bows adorn and conceal its lengthy black shoes. Moreover, the spokes on the white unicycle wheel congregate in the middle and expand towards the black tire, resulting in a resemblance to the inner portion of a grapefruit.
The clown and unicycle are around one foot tall when placed together. Given to me by my dear friend Tran, this vibrant figure warmly welcomes me with a grin whenever I step into my room. Here is the revised edition of the descriptive paragraph featured in the Practice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific Details exercise. Compare this rendition with the previous one to identify retained descriptions, omitted information, and observe how sentences have been rephrased and reordered. 2) The Blond Guitar by Jeremy Burden
The most valuable possession that I own is a slightly warped blond guitar. It holds special significance to me as it is the first instrument that I taught myself how to play. Despite its humble appearance, being a Madeira folk guitar with scuffs, scratches, and fingerprints, it holds sentimental value. Its top is adorned with a tangle of copper-wound strings, each one attached to a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched along a slender neck, adorned with tarnished frets and worn wood from years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira guitar resembles a large yellow pear, which unfortunately suffered some damage during the shipping process.
The blond wood has been damaged and worn down to a gray color, especially in the area where the pick guard came off many years ago. Despite not being visually stunning, this instrument still allows me to create music, something I will always cherish. In the following paragraph, the student writer shifts her focus from describing the physical appearance of her pet to its behaviors and actions. 3) Barbara Carter’s pet cat, Gregory, is a graceful gray Persian. He moves with elegance and confidence, captivating observers as he carefully raises and lowers each paw with the grace of a ballet dancer.
Despite his pride, he neglects his appearance, choosing to spend his time indoors watching TV and becoming overweight. He particularly enjoys commercials for Meow Mix and 9 Lives cat food, which has influenced him to only eat the priciest brands. Gregory is just as choosy with visitors, making friends with some while repelling others. He might cuddle up to your leg, seeking affection, or he might mimic a skunk and ruin your beloved pants.
The third chapter of Maxine Hong Kingston’s book, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts (Knopf, 1976), starts with a reflection on Gregory’s behavior. Contrary to the belief of cat experts, Gregory’s actions are not meant to establish his territory but to humiliate the narrator out of jealousy towards their friends. Despite his irritating yet charming habits, such as snoozing and smiling in front of the television, the narrator forgives Gregory after their guests leave. This chapter serves as a lyrical portrayal of a Chinese-American girl’s upbringing in California.
Kingston adeptly incorporates both informative and descriptive elements when discussing her mother’s medical diploma, which is stored in a metal tube. Maxine Hong Kingston refers to this tube as “the magic metal tube” and reveals that her mother only brings it out occasionally. The tube itself is adorned with gold circles intersected by seven red lines, which represent “joy” in abstract symbolic form. Additionally, the tube features small flower designs resembling gears for a golden machine.
In 1950, the family airmailed a can from Hong Kong. Sadly, during transit, the can got crushed in the middle. In an attempt to remove the labels, someone noticed that the red and gold paint also came off, leaving behind silver scratches that rust. Further attempts to open the can were unsuccessful as it fell apart when pried at the end. However, upon opening it, a distinct scent of China wafted out. This smell resembled that of a thousand-year-old bat emerging from the Chinese caves where bats are as white as dust. It evoked a nostalgic sensation from deep within the mind.
