What Are The Types Of A Descriptive Essay: A Brief Manual For College Students

The studying process in college is organized so as to help develop the writing skills of the student. Why do instructors pay attention to this? Writing essays teaches students how to research a subject, and prepares them for more serious academic works, like dissertations. Thus, all year-round, instructors have college students write different kinds of essays: descriptive, narrative, argumentative, definition, and many others.

Descriptive essays are among the most popular ones. While writing it, a student should provide a great number of details to draw a vivid and bright picture in the reader’s mind. There are four types of descriptive essays, each distinguished by the subject they portray. A student can describe:

  • - objects
  • - people
  • - places
  • - events

For an object descriptive essay, choose any solid thing you can hold, touch, or see. Don’t take a very simple one, like a comb, because it will be difficult to write an impressive paper about it. Instead, pick an intimate or valuable possession that evokes pleasant emotions and strong memories.

If you would like to describe a person, think of someone with an uncommon appearance, interesting life story, or unusual occupation. Consider, as well, people from different ethnic groups and social backgrounds. You can depict someone who has done something prominent in their life, or, conversely, gained notoriety.

There are a lot of fascinating places that you have either been to many times, or would like to visit. It can be a sightseeing attraction with an interesting history or that is simply loved by tourists, or it can be a quiet café where you often meet with friends to have a chat. Either way, try to remember a place that is special or unusual in order to write the most impressive descriptive essay.

If you have decided to describe an event, perhaps think of a meeting that has recently been in your town and changed the lives of its citizens, a public celebration of a holiday, or a visit from a famous person. It can be any event that changed your life, be it for better or worse.

Remember that no matter what you are going to write about, your task is to appeal to all the senses of your reader: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Aim for creating a bright and detailed picture using descriptive devices, sensory words, and metaphoric language. Don’t forget to communicate your emotions and feelings, whether they are positive or negative, as long as they are connected with the object, person, place, or event you portray.

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