1. Unit 2. Descriptive Essays
Part 1.

2. What is Descriptive Essay?
Describe (v.) to give an account or representation of in words
Descriptive (adj.) serving to describe or inform or characterized by description
In a descriptive essay, a writer uses details to tell how a subject looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or feels.
A descriptive essay should make the reader feel as if he/she is present in the scene.

3. Writing example
(p.29) Anthony Bourdain, a famous NY chef, describes a childhood experience with an oyster during a family vacation in France.
(p.30)
How did he describe Monsieur Saint-Jour? On which line(s)?
How did he feel about the trip first in the beginning? How did his feelings change?
How do you think Bourdain would describe the oyster trip when he returned home?
Use of adjective.

4. Writing Task for Today
Choose one of the following topics. Write a three-to-four-paragraph descriptive essay ( words).
Topic 1. Please describe a kind of food that you like/dislike. Describe its characteristics, and explain reasons why you like/dislike it.
Topic 2. Please describe a "good person". From your viewpoints, provide the detailed qualities and examples of being a good person. 1 2

5. Prewriting: Stimulate Ideas
Descriptive writing uses words to build images for the readers.
These images may come from your “sensory perceptions”, such as sights, smells, sounds, touches, tastes, or feelings.
HOW??

6. Tools for Brainstorming
Graphic organizer
Star/Web
Chart/Matrix
Tree/Map
Chain
Sketch
Synectics
Brainstorming
When you brainstorm, just write down any idea that comes into your head. Do not worry about whether the idea is completely related to your topic or not, and do not try to judge whether the idea is a good one or a bad one. Sometimes a dull idea can lead you to think of an idea that is much more ingenious. While you are writing down your ideas, look at the words or phrases that are appearing on your page. See if any of those words can generate even more new ideas.

7. Web Analyzing Attributes / Brainstorming
Use to list facts, definitions, attributes, or examples related to a single topic, concept, or theme.
Analyzing Attributes/Brainstorming Use to list facts, definitions, attributes, or examples related to a single topic, concept, or theme. May also be used to compare and contrast information generated on left and right sides of web.

8. Chart
Generate ideas
Use to quickly amass information or elements, stimulate creative thinking, develop new ideas, in an unrestrained and spontaneous manner.
Brainstorming Cerebralcharts use hierarchies, yet tend to be more free form in the beginning. Use to quickly amass information or elements, stimulate creative thinking, develop new ideas, in an unrestrained and spontaneous manner, generated either individually or by a group.
Cerebral(adj.) 大腦的. involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct

9. Tree (Network)
Use to show a system of ideas/things ranked one above another, left to right
Use to visually arrange interrelated and sequentially ordered sections within the whole
It is similar to an outline
Hierarchy/Brainstorming Use to show a system of persons or things ranked one above another, left to right; use in the beginning of a project to visually arrange interrelated and sequentially ordered sections within the whole, similar to an outline; subjects that lend themselves to this organizer are: projects (web sites), term papers, organizations (government or company), systems (body or machine), etc.

10. Sketch Visualize events and scenes
Use to recall or form mental images or pictures.
To make perceptible to the mind or imagination
1. to recall or form mental images or pictures. 2. to make visual or visible. 3. to form a mental image of. 4. to make perceptible to the mind or imagination (Webster's. p 2127).
vision, envision, envisage, picture, image, objectify; picture in one's mind, picture to oneself, view with the mind's eye, contemplate in the imagination, form a mental picture of, represent, see, just see, have a picture of; call up, summon up, conjure up, call to mind, realize (Chapman, p 406).

11. Brainstorming example
(p.32) Word web
Think of a food you really like or dislike: Fried chicken.
Choose a topic you are going to write about. In 10 minutes, Draw a graphic organizer to develop your ideas. 

12. Prewriting: Outlining
What do you want to describe?
What is your reason for writing your description?
What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on?
sight
sound
smell
touch
taste

13. Rhetorical focus
(p.33)
Introduction: the thesis statement tells why the object or event of description is important to the writer.
Body paragraphs: most of the description is in the body paragraph. Use adjectives and adverbs to make the experience more vivid.
Conclusion: it gives the writer’s final opinion about the description.

14. Outline example (p.33) The Best Pizza in Town and Maybe the World
Based on the topic you choose and the brainstorming results, create an outline for your essay in 10 minutes. 

15. Writing: First Draft
Writing topic: Descriptive writing can portray people, places, objects, memories and experiences with enough vivid detail to help the reader create a mental picture of what is being written about.
Remember that you are “showing”, not “telling”.

16. I grew tired after dinner.
Telling
As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.
Showing
The most effective descriptive essays are loaded with such showing because they enable readers to imagine or experience something for themselves.

17. Writing Task for Today
Write a three-to-four-paragraph descriptive essay ( words).
Topic 1. Please describe a kind of food that you like/dislike. Describe its characteristics, and explain reasons why you like/dislike it.
Topic 2. Please describe a "good person". From your viewpoints, provide the detailed qualities and examples of being a good person.