4. What is a
Descriptive Essay?
It is an essay that describes people,
places, things, experiences, and so
on in such a vivid detail that the reader
can actually visualise what is being
described.
5. A descriptive essay tells what
something looks like, feels like,
smells like, sounds like and
tastes like; it describes using the
five senses.
6. A good description allows the reader to
be a part of your world, to clearly
imagine the scene, to feel the
sensations, the smell and tastes of
the subject you are writing about.
7. Read the description below.
My grandmother makes a
great cup of coffee. Every
morning she makes me a cup of
coffee from freshly roasted
coffee beans. The coffee smells
fantastic and wakes me up.
8. Now, read this.
Nobody makes coffee quite like my grandmother.
Every morning, as I walk into the kitchen the aromatic
scent of roasted coffee beans tickles my nose, bringing
life to all my deadened senses after a long night’s sleep.
When I sip the coffee, the thick rich taste attacks my
taste buds as it slides smoothly and effortlessly, with a
loud gurgle down my throat. The froth-covered coffee
may look just like any other coffee at out local “kopitiam”
but it is no ordinary coffee; it is liquid gold! The smooth
exotic flavour of grandmother’s coffee is manna from
heaven.
9.
10. Let‘s analyse the examples.
The first description just tells you
that the writer‘sgrandmother
makes fantastic coffee. It is an
objective description.
11. The second example describes what
makes the coffee fantastic; it describes
the sensory experience of what it is like
just drinking the coffee – the taste,
smell, soundand lookof it. It is
a subjectiveor sensory
description.
