Writing to describe
ONE of the types of writing learners might have to do in their English Language lessons or examinations is writing to describe as well as inform. They should bear the following things in their mind under the circumstances: they are painting a picture in words. They should remember that the readers will not have the same picture in their heads as the writers have, they need to draw them, for them in words. This means being as expressive as they can be, and coming up with inventive ways to describe whatever it is they are thinking about.
Learners should think about their purpose of writing and in this case their purpose is to describe. They should think about their audience. They might be asked to “describe an object or place of interest to them. They need to think about what makes the object or place meaningful or how they can describe those things in detail. Learners should also know that they might not be given a specific audience to write for, so they should imagine they are writing for the person marking their work which could be their teacher.
Another point to remember is for learners to write on their own experiences — that way they will be more convincing. Writing remote stories is unconvincing as learners cannot relate with what is taking place in their descriptions. There is more on writing to describe than just giving the reader a picture of something in words. The best writers use who or what they are describing to actually reflect thoughts and feelings.
Do not just state the obvious in your descriptions. For example, let us use this given example: If a learner wants to tell the reader how they feel about the thing they are writing about, they should not just write, “I am frightened” or “I am excited” or whatever, instead, they can paint a picture for the reader to help them understand their emotions. They need to be as inventive as possible. Let us borrow this example from one expert to make clear the meaning of this:
“Imagine you are asked to describe the room you are in”. Rather than just giving the colours of the walls and describing the furniture, try to express emotions through your description, like this, “Even the walls appear to be bulging with the pressure of the panic within them”. The panic the writer feels has been emphasised by talking about it as if it is physical — something that is solid enough to put pressure on a wall.
A good writer is able to put herself or himself in someone’s shoes and imagine exactly what they are thinking, feeling and experiencing. Learners are encouraged to use the senses of sound, sight and smell to improve their description. For an even better description, they could also have a go at using touch and taste. We are advised to think about all the senses when describing something.
Picture yourself in the situation you are describing — what can you see, hear, and smell. If you can do this, then you need to learn some clever ways to describe what you are imagining. Learners might also use imagery to develop their descriptions. Imagery is writing that creates a picture in the reader’s mind. Good writers often use imagery to develop their writing. Similes and metaphors are two types of imagery learners could use. Similes and metaphors are comparisons — they compare one thing to another.
Indeed they are very useful for spicing up descriptions. Similes describe something by saying that it is like something else. They usually use the words “as” or “like”. For example: The car sped past as fast as lightning. It was a big surprise to find that her finger nails were as sharp as razors. Metaphors describe something by saying that it is something else. He is a lion when angry, for no one can restrain him from fighting. Like similes and metaphors, personification paints a picture in the reader’s mind by comparing one thing to another. It can be an effective way of creating atmosphere. Personification is another way of comparing, where a non-living object is given human or animal features. For example, “The greyeyed morn smiles on the frowning night . . .’’ — William Shakespeare; from Romeo and Juliet.
To keep writing interesting stories and to bag high marks, it is a good idea to vary the length and structure of sentences. To make part of the description sound fast moving and exciting, shorten sentences. On the other hand, to make your description sound thoughtful and sophisticated, lengthen sentences. Questions on descriptions usually read as follows: “Describe a place or describe a person”. Questions asking you to describe are often quite open-ended so they can be approached in different ways.
Additional tips for better descriptive compositions are: Be imaginative — do not just write the obvious. Use your opening to grab the reader’s attention. First sentence has to let the reader know what you are writing about and make them want to read on. In the middle of your essay try using an interesting structure. After captivating your readers with your introduction, develop your ideas. At the end, you can go back to the way you started or reveal some withheld information. In other words you have a surprise ending.
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