Unit 3. A Descriptive Composition

A descriptive composition about a person should consist of:

An introduction where you give some brief information about the person (his/ her name, time or place you met/saw him/her, how you heard about him/her):

A main body where you describe physical appearance, personality characteristics and hobbies/interests/everyday activities in separate paragraphs: and

A conclusion which includes your comments and/or feelings about the person.

Such descriptions can be found in articles, letters, witness statements, novels, etc.

Points to consider

Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces the subject of the paragraph. A variety of linking words should be used to connect ideas.

To describe physical appearance, details should be given as follows: height/build, age, facial features, hair, clothes, moving from the most general aspects to the more specific details, e.g. John is a tall, slim man in his mid-forties. He has a thin face, blue eyes and a large nose. His short hair is greying at the temples. He is usually casually dressed.

To describe character and behaviour you can support your description with examples, e.g. Sally is very sociable. She loves going to parties and dances. If you want to mention any negative qualities, use mild language (tends to, seems to, is rather, can occasionally be, etc.), e.g. Instead of saying Sally is arrogant., it is better to say Sally tends to be rather arrogant.

Variety in the use of adjectives will make your description more interesting, e.g. good-natured, well-behaved, gorgeous, etc.

Present tenses can be used to describe someone connected to the present, e.g. someone you see every day. Past tenses can be used to describe someone related to the past, e.g. someone who is no longer alive, someone whom you won’t meet again... etc.

Writing descriptive essays

An essay is a group of paragraphs on a particular topic. A descriptive essay describes a person, place, or thing in a way that gives the reader a clear mental picture of the subject of the essay.

Organization

• First, write an introduction. This is a paragraph that should make the reader interested in what you are describing. Within the introduction paragraph, include a thesis statement. The thesis statement should tell why the person, place, or thing is your focus.

• Include one or more body paragraphs. Each contains the details of your description.

• Finish with a conclusion. This is a paragraph that gives your final thoughts or opinion about what you are describing.