Descriptive Essay – JSS1 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

A descriptive essay is a piece of writing that creates a vivid, deeply involved experience for the reader. It does this through detailed observations and descriptions rather than facts and statistics. A descriptive essay often portrays a person, a place, a memory, an experience or an object: anything the writer can perceive.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• state what a descriptive essay is;
• list the things a descriptive essay can describe;
• identify detailed observations and descriptions in a sample descriptive essay;
• write a short descriptive essay of their own.

How do you write a descriptive essay?

More than many other types of essays, descriptive essays strive to create a deeply involved and vivid experience for the reader. Great descriptive essays achieve this effect through detailed observations and descriptions, rather than through facts and statistics.

What do you want to describe?

As you get started on your descriptive essay, you need to identify exactly what you want to describe. Often, a descriptive essay will focus on portraying one of the following:

1. a person
2. a place
3. a memory
4. an experience
5. an object

Ultimately, you can describe whatever you can perceive.

Sample descriptive essay

My Favourite Horse Show

As the first rays of the sun peek over the horizon, penetrating the dark, soft light illuminates the mist rising from the ground, forming an eerie, almost surreal landscape. The ground sparkles, wet with dew, and while walking from the truck to the barn, my riding boots soak it in. The crickets still chirp, only slower now. They know that daytime is fast approaching. Sounds, the soft rustling of hooves, a snort, and from far down the aisle a sharp whinny that begs for breakfast, inform me that the crickets are not the only ones preparing for the day.

Sliding the barn doors open, I step into a warm, comforting environment. Musty straw mingles with the sharp aroma of pine shavings, complementing each other. A warm glow from sporadically placed incandescent lightbulbs richens the leather tack, all cleaned and hanging ready for the day’s use. From it wafts the smell of a new pair of shoes. The fruity essence of “Show Sheen”, applied after yesterday’s baths, still lingers in the air. Even the harsh stinging scent of urine and manure is welcome at this early morning hour. Breaking open a bale of hay, I sense the sweetness of the dried timothy as it engulfs my olfactory system, making me wish my queasy stomach had not made me skip breakfast. I am nervous, as are many others. I know that the day ahead will bring excitement, dread, triumph, and defeat. The unpredictable nature of horse shows causes frenzied questions, like salmon spawning, to run constantly through my mind. Will the judge like my own particular style? What if the red flowers bordering the first jump spook my horse? What if a piece of paper on the ground blows into the ring? Will this horse show be a success? The outcome depends not just on me; but a…

Evaluation

Study the descriptive essay above and write your own.