9 Descriptive Paragraph
Kristin D Shelby
What is Descriptive Writing
In a descriptive paragraph, the writer uses sensory details such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, and textures to create vivid images in the reader’s mind. An experienced writer relies on the senses of specific experiences to call to mind these details. In addition, the writer often uses spatial order to create a clear visual image of a person, place, object, or scene: the location or arrangement in space from top to bottom, bottom to top, right to left, left to right, near to far, far to near, inside to outside, or outside to inside.
Checklist: Descriptive Paragraph Writing
- Does your paragraph begin with a topic sentence–one that identifies the item you are about to describe and suggests its significance?
- Are your descriptions consistently clear and specific?
- Have you put your descriptions into complete sentences?
- Is your paragraph unified–that is, do all of the supporting sentences relate directly to the topic introduced in the first sentence?
- Have you followed a logical pattern in organizing the sentences in your paragraph?
- Have you concluded the paragraph with a sentence reminding the reader of the item’s special significance?
- Have you proofread your paper carefully?