1. CHAPTER NINE Description
College Writing Skills with Readings
5th Canadian Edition
John Langan and Sharon Winstanley
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Description
Description is a verbal picture of a person, place, or thing
Description explains our observations of the world
Successful descriptive essays have a dominant impression
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3. Purpose and Audience in Descriptive Essays
Use words that create vivid images
Engage all the senses
Choose an effective dominant impression (the impression you wish to convey)
Place the dominant impression in your thesis
Consider your audience’s knowledge of the topic
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4. Point of View in Description
Description focuses on vivid word images
Therefore, writer’s presence is secondary
Use 3rd person to present a vivid word- picture of your subject
Use 1st person to connect emotionally with your subject
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5. Process of Descriptive Writing
Point of View—1st or 3rd person
If you have a strong emotional connection to topic, 1st person may be appropriate (remember, your presence is secondary to details)
If you wish to be an observer, 3rd person is appropriate
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Process Continued. . .
Dominant Impression—a short single sentence outlining the place, person or object you wish to discuss
The dominant impression is your organizing principle
It tells your reader the impression you wish to leave with him or her
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Process Continued. . .
Details—the ideas you will use to support your dominant impression
Make a list of ideas that will help paint the verbal picture you wish to create
Use as many details as possible to describe a scene
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Process Continued. . .
Organization and Outline—choose an organizational style most appropriate for your subject
Physical order—left to right, far to near, up to down
Size—large features to small or vice versa
Importance—least to most dominant or vice versa
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9. Descriptive Checklist
thesis and dominant impression
appropriate point of view
specific details that appeal to several senses
elimination of irrelevant material
organized in some logical manner
transition words
concluding paragraph summarizing your ideas and a final thought
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