Hawalli Educational Zone Al-Jabriy High School

DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING
WORKSHOP
By Zahraa Abdullah E.L.T Supervisior :
Ms. Lamia AlGhareeb
Hawalli Educational Zone Al-Jabriy High School

Descriptive Writing Workshop

Workshop overview
• Types of writing
• Descriptive writing definition
• Writing Skills
• Descriptive Essay outline
• Discussion

Types of writing
• Expository: to inform or explain the subject.
• Persuasive: state the opinion and to influence.
• Narrative: to tell a story (fact or fiction)
• Descriptive: a type of expository incorporates imagery and specific detail to paint picture
for the reader.

What is Descriptive Writing?

An attempt to give a clear or creative description of people, places, objects, or events using
appropriate language and informative details.
• Requires:
– a broad knowledge of vocabulary, particularly adjectives.
– the ability to use words imaginatively.
• It helps to feel as if the reader is part of the scene being described.
• Creates emotional response.
• Evokes images through rich description.
• Helps visualize the character, place or thing.

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Exercise 1: Types of writing

Write above each paragraph the type of the writing:

(Expository – narrative – persuasive – descriptive)

……………………………………..
Many people associate the taste of pumpkins with fall. In October, companies from Starbucks to
McDonalds roll out their pumpkin-flavored lattes and desserts. Here is how to make an easy
pumpkin pie using only five ingredients. First, make sure you have all of the ingredients.

……………………………………..
IPhone 6 is unexpectedly light. While size of its screen is bigger than those of the iPhones that
came before, it is thinner, and its smooth, rounded body is made of aluminum, stainless steel, and
glass. The casing comes in a whitish silver, gold, or a color the company calls “space gray,” the
color of the lead of a pencil, with darker gray accents.

…………………………………….
Following the 2012 Olympic Games hosted in London, the UK Trade and Investment department
reported a £9.9 billion boost to the economy. Although it is expensive to host the Olympics, if
done right, they can provide real jobs and economic growth. This city should consider placing a
bid to host the Olympics.

………………………………………
I remember when I first arrived in the United States. Even before the plane landed, the little
windows in the airplane revealed snow and ice-covered houses and buildings. As I walked off
the plane, cold air crept though the corrugated ramp that led to the airport terminal.

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WHY teach descriptive writing?

• It will help your students' writing be more interesting and full of details
• It encourages students to use new vocabulary words
• It can help students clarify their understanding of new subject matter material

Writing Skills: HOOK

• A good writer grabs or hooks the reader’s attention with an interesting beginning by a
sentence which is called grabber or hook.
A hook can be:
o A provoking question
Did you ever wonder why do Kuwaiti people celebrate Hala February festival?
(Topic: Festival)
o Quotation
“Happiness is homemade” (Topic: My holiday)
o Anecdote
It is a short story about something that happened which illustrates the point you
want to make in your essay. It can start with:
I recall the time when….
I’ll never forget the time when….
This reminds me of…..
I’ll always remember….
This makes me think of….
o Statistical data
Did you know that…
Statistics show that…
Research show that…
Ex: Can you believe that the temperature can reach above 55C in Kuwait during summer.
(Topic: summer)

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Examples Grabber / hook

Where is the hook sentence?

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Writing Skills: WORD POWER

Descriptive writing means using words to paint a picture for the reader, but doing so in way to
surprise and make the reader interested.
Good writing is about well-chosen nouns and strong verbs, not adjectives and adverbs

Word power can be:

o Sensory words
o Simile
o Metaphor
o Adjectives
o Adverbs
o Strong Verbs

Sensory words:
Words that describe how we experience the world.
It is how we smell, see hear, feel or taste something.

Sensory description (Examples)

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Exaples for sensory words;

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Exercise 3: For each subject list below, fill in details for each of the five senses. Be sure to use
details that really appeal to the senses. Your goal is to help the reader actually feel, see, smell
taste, or hear what you are describing. When you have finished, pick your favourite subject and
include your details in a descriptive paragraph.

Subject Touch Sight Smell Taste Sound

Baking
cookies

Haunted
house

Swimming in
the ocean

A circus

The mall

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Simile
Definition: Comparison using the words “like” or “as”
Simile (Examples)
o I felt as nervous as a fish out of water
o He was as mad as a hatter
o As clear as crystal

Metaphor
Definition: stating something is something else
o My tears were a river
o I died with embarrassment
o Her heart was on fire
o He hit the wall of exhaustion

Adjectives
Words which describe or modify nouns
Adjectives (Examples)
o The tall, thin man entered the spooky room with measured steps. Inside the room deep
shadows crouched in wait for him.

Adjectives (Wow Words)

The goal here is to replace these common/week/ tired adjectives with these wow words. Wow
words are advanced adj., verbs and nouns which are used to improve a piece of writing by
making it vivid and interesting.

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Here are some examples of powerful adjectives. What to use instead of …… !

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Adverbs
Definition: Words which describe or modify verbs

Adverbs (Examples)
o The jets dived steeply out of the sky, tumbling rapidly as they maneuvered
gracefully past each other.

Strong Verbs
What is a strong verb?
It replaces the verbs to be by changing the noun or adjective in the same sentence.
For example; be, is, was, been, being, were, has, have, having, had.

Weaker: The philanthropist is careful to give only to organizations that have

low administrative costs.
Stronger: The philanthropist gives only to organizations with low
administrative costs.

Do the sentences mean exactly the same thing? No. There is a subtle difference. The first
sentence underscores the care with which the philanthropist gives. However, unless you mean to
emphasize this care, the second sentence conveys the message more strongly than the first. The
second sentence is also shorter by four words. Shorter is usually better. Length matters
sometimes, but sometimes it doesn’t.

Weaker: William was late to the meeting.

Stronger: William arrived late to the meeting.

These two sentences use the same number of words, six. However, note how the verb in the
second sentence, arrived, sounds more vigorous, describes the act of attending the meeting more
clearly, than the verb in the first, was, which merely describes a state of being.

The main culprits include the verbs “to be” and “to have.” These verbs may hide in the forms
listed below. Any time you use one of these verbs (Be, Is, Are, Was, Been, Being, Were, Has,
Have, Having, Had) ask yourself if the sentence should be rewritten.

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To rewrite sentences using strong verbs:

1. Underline any use of Be, Is, Are, Was, Been, Being, Were, Has,
Have, Having, Had.
2. Look for a noun or adjective that you can convert to a strong verb.
3. Rewrite the sentence using that strong verb.

Rewrite to make the main verb stronger:

1. John is the manager of the produce department.
2. John is the manager of the produce department
3. John manages the produce department.

There are other strong verbs which replace tired/weak verbs as Walked for example: We teach
the students (What can we use instead of walk.)

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What to use instead of said?

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What to use instead of saw?

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Exercise 4: Grammar Worksheet: Using Strong Verbs

Rewrite each sentence to make the main verb stronger:

1. Janet Smith is the supervisor of the customer service department

2. Walt Disney was the initiator of a mass movement in family entertainment

3. The whole house was stressed and angry with one another over my parents’
fighting over the bills.

4. In the distance there is a giant eruption from the water, as a 100 pound
sailfish jumps out

5. Jenny Millhouse is the owner of two gas stations in Florida City.

6. The sugar cane refinery is the employer that is the driving force for
employment in south central Florida.

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Exercise 4: Grammar Worksheet: Using Strong Verbs

7. The student who is responsible for conducting the survey and reporting the
results to the school administration is James Archer.

8. If a manager is thinking about changing a policy statement, she has the

responsibility of informing both her immediate supervisor and her
employees.

9. The shipped product was different from the one that was advertised in the
catalog.

10. The Foster family has a fruit stand near Krome Avenue.

11. After a questionable call at home plate, the manager had an argument with
the umpire.

12. Last week, the class had a discussion about Kate Chopin’s novel The
Awakening.

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Here is good method to help students revise their new vocabulary words
Which will encourage them in their writing assays. Any new wow words can be added to the list
at every English lesson.

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Class activity (Examples)

Practice writing descriptive sentences of given pictures. Students look at the pictures and try to
write between two and five sentences.

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Class activity
(Examples)

This is my favourite stall at the local market. A farmer’s wife and her daughter are
standing behind a colourful counter displaying produce from their farm. The apples are big and
red, the pumpkins are orange and the bread looks delicious. Everything is so fresh!

Class activity (What do they look like?)

Another way is to teach the students how describe a person by asking them (what do they look
like?)

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Students will need to know the list of words that can help them describe a person’s appearance.
In addition, they will need to use other wow words given to them as we discussed such as
adjectives and strong verbs, similes and metaphors.

The following word lists will help students improve their descriptive paragraphs as they think of
more concrete ways to describe a person’s appearance.

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How to describe a person | Using descriptive words

In The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain paints a word picture of King Henry VIII using
descriptive language:
Before him, at a little distance, reclined a very large and very fat man, with a wide, pulpy
face, and a stern expression. His large head was very grey; and his whiskers, which he
wore only around his face, like a frame, were grey also. His clothing was of rich stuff, but
old, and slightly frayed in places. One of his swollen legs had a pillow under it, and was
wrapped in bandages. This stern-countenanced invalid was the dread Henry VIII.

And in The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare describes a young Roman soldier:

When he straightened again, the Roman was pulling off his helmet, revealing crisp fair
hair. He wiped the back of his hand across his wet forehead where the metal had left an
uncomfortable-looking crease. With a shock, Daniel saw that he was very young… The
beardless cheeks and chin scarcely needed a razor. His skin was white, mottled and
peeling from exposure to the sun, so that he could not have seen service long under the
Galilean skies. The eyes that stared back at Daniel were a clear bright blue. He looked as
though he might be about to speak.

Use the following tips as teaching tools in one of two ways:

1. Discuss the many ways to describe a person before letting students loose to
brainstorm; OR
2. Once the rough draft has been written and edited, give this list of ideas to stimulate
creativity and to help them write a meatier revision.

Either way, whether you work on better brainstorming or focus on more polished
revisions, improved description will result.

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How to Describe a Person

It’s good to let your kids struggle with the initial writing process. As they wrestle with ideas and
words, it will remind them of the importance of thorough and effective brainstorming. The
following word lists will help them improve their descriptive paragraphs as they think of
more concrete ways to describe a person’s appearance.
TIP: Students shouldn’t be expected include every descriptive element listed below. Rather,
a few well-chosen details will go a long way toward bringing their subject to life.

Face Shape

• Square
• Oval
• Round
• Triangular
• Heart-shaped
• Thin
• Wide
• Chiseled

Skin and Complexion

Complexion is the natural appearance and color of the skin, especially of the face. For example,
“Mary has a soft, creamy complexion.”
Skin and Complexion

• Wrinkled: covered with lines or loose folds of skin; often associated with age
• Freckled: sprinkled or covered with light brown spots
• Ruddy: skin that has a reddish tint; may have the appearance of sunburn
• Sallow: skin that has a yellowish tint; may be associated with illness
• Tanned: skin with a warm, golden-brown tint
• Rosy or fresh-faced: pink-cheeked, fair complexion that glows with a hint of pink

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• Other skin-related adjectives: pale, fair, spotless, silky, smooth, creamy, dewy, baby-
soft, peaches-and-cream, glowing, paper-thin or translucent (as with a very old person),
sunburned, peeling, rough, callused, weathered, weather, beaten, craggy, leathery,
mottled, dry, brown, dark

Eyes
TIP: Pay attention to the eyes, as they often reveal much about a person.

• Shape, size, and appearance: large, small, almond-shaped, round, squinty, crinkly,
bulging, heavy-lidded, hooded, deep-set, close-set, hollow, tear-filled
• Eye color: black, brown, hazel, green, blue, violet, gray, amber
• Eye expressions: piercing, mesmerizing, sad, sorrowful, haunted, gentle, sympathetic,
warm, compassionate, expressive, bright, twinkling, lively, dancing, laughing, shifty, sly,
distrusting, sleepy
• Other: brown-eyed boy, bright-eyed sister, wide-eyed child, gold-flecked eyes

Mouth and Lips

• Lip shape and size: thin, full, pouting, rosebud (baby’s lips, often), pursed (puckered up,
as when concentrating)
• Mouth expressions: laugh, smile, beam, grin, frown, grimace, scowl, sneer, curl, pout
• Adjectives describing the mouth or mouth expressions: toothy, toothless, gap-toothed,
kind, sweet, dimpled, relaxed, firm, serious, cruel, snarling

Hair

• Hair color: black, brunette, brown, chestnut-brown, blond, honey-blond, golden-blond,

ash-blond, fair, corn, silk, auburn, red, strawberry-blond, gray, silver, white, salt-and-
pepper
• Texture or appearance: wispy, fuzzy, wavy, curly, kinky, frizzy, wild, untamed,
unmanageable, straight, spiky, stiff, buzzed, shaved, trimmed, parted, neatly-combed,
tamed, cascading, long, short, cropped, dull, shiny

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• Hair styles: braids, ponytail, pigtails, bun, messy bun, twist, bob, ringlets, flip, cornrows,
extensions, bangs, buzz, layered, feathered, chopped, gelled, spiked, slicked down
• Lots of hair: thick, full, lustrous, bushy, coarse, wiry, stiff
• Little hair: thin, scraggly, fine, baby-fine, downy, wispy, limp, flat, balding, bald, bald
spot, receding (gradual loss of hair at the front of the head)
• Treated hair: permed, dyed, bleached, highlighted, weaved, streaked, colored

Facial Hair

• Hair: beard, goatee, mustache, soul patch, sideburns

• Beard growth: stubble, fuzz, peach fuzz, bristles, five o’clock shadow (describes new
beard growth that’s shadowy in appearance. It’s usually more noticeable late in the day
on the jaw, chin, or cheek area, but some men purposely grow five o’clock shadows.)
• Adjectives: bearded, bushy, stubbly, bristly, scratchy, unshaven, shaggy, whiskered,
beardless, clean-shaven, smooth, trimmed, neatly-trimmed, pencil-thin

Body
TIP: Choose strong verbs and adjectives.

• Build: small, slim, slight, thin, lean, willowy, skinny, angular, bony, fine-boned, chunky,
chubby, large, portly, plump, round, stout, pudgy, full-figured, ample, broad-shouldered,
burly, solid, muscular
• Posture: stand, sit, slouch, flop, lean, recline, rest, stretch, sprawl, curl up, roost, squirm,
arch, slump, stoop, bend, hunch, scoot, walk, run, race, jog

Clothing

• Fabric: denim, twill, wool, cashmere, cotton, linen, seersucker, gingham, lace, chiffon,
tulle, velvet, velveteen, fleece, flannel, tweed, polyester, jersey, corduroy, spandex,
leather
• Bottoms: jeans, skinny jeans, cargo pants, yoga pants, pleated pants, slacks, trousers,
overalls, sweatpants, crop pants, capris, skirt, shorts, board shorts, bermuda shorts

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• Tops: sport shirt, dress shirt, polo shirt, button-down shirt, chambray shirt, tank top,
blouse, tunic, long-sleeve, short-sleeve, sleeveless, collared, T-shirt, V-neck, scoop-neck,
boat-neck, turtleneck, sweatshirt, hoodie, pullover, sweater, cardigan, sweater set
• Other clothing: dress, gown, frock, pinafore, uniform, coveralls, costume, pajamas,
bathrobe, robe, vest, jacket, blazer, coat, apron
• Footwear: socks, stockings, shoes, slippers, sandals, flip-flops, mules, loafers, heels,
pumps, boots, ankle boots, riding boots, slouch boots, athletic shoes, sneakers, tennis
shoes, gym shoes, runners, trainers, Chucks
• Accessories: mittens, gloves, hat, cap, head wrap, bandana, scarf, muffler, necklace,
choker, bracelet, ring, earrings, cuffs, cufflinks, purse, clutch, bag, tote, sunglasses,
eyeglasses, glasses
• Adjectives (appearance): stylish, natty, smart, chic, classy, elegant, polished, draped,
flowing, sheer, casual, relaxed, carefree, starched, crisp, sharp, dressy, lacy, shiny,
shimmering, sparkling, glittery, sloppy, torn, ripped, tattered, disheveled, slovenly, tacky,
unkempt, faded, scratchy, worn, frayed, nubby, rough, smooth, pliable, warm, soft,
quilted, knit
• Adjectives (patterns): argyle, striped, solid, plaid, checked, gingham, paisley, dotted,
polka-dotted, floral, herringbone, chevron, geometric

Sentence Starters Describing Clothes (Encourage your students to write more maturely by
using strong sentence openings.)

• Smartly dressed in (name of garment), the attorney …

• Casually clothed in (name of garment), the young woman …
• Wrestling wildly, Tim and Ethan tore holes in their (name of garments) when they…
• Elderly but spry, my grandfather sported a (name of garment) and (name of garment) …
• Wearing a (name of garment), the detective …
• Quick as a flash, the acrobat whipped off his (name of garment) and began to …

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There are so many ways to describe people! What other

words would you include?

Class activity (Examples):

Here is an example of a descriptive paragraph describing a person’s appearance.

He is chubby. He is wearing an orange shirt. His hair is brown. In addition, his

white front teeth are cute.

Exercise 5:
Redo the previous description using: more details and wow words.

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It's all in the DETAILS

Details make anything more interesting.

For example: The man went for a walk.
We know the subject is a man and we know he went for a walk.
Let's add a few details without changing the idea of the sentence.
The old man put his heavy coat, lashed his black dog, grabbed a
flashlight and a poop bad, and went out into the cold for a walk.
The main idea remains the same, but now we know the age of the man, that his pet
is black dog, it's cold and dark outside and he thinks the dog has to go to the
bathroom. WOW! It’s all in the DETAILS!
Exercise 6: Rewrite the following sentences with more details and wow words:

1- The artist made a painting.

2- The clown made a face.

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Descriptive Essay outline

Introduction

Body

conclusion

Introduction
Beginning paragraph, introduces the topic in an exciting way by:
A. Grab attention / Hook
B. Background
C. Thesis statement
• Main idea controls content of the entire essay.

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Body
Clear, interesting, well organized picture of two scenes which announce points to
be made to support thesis statement:

Scene1 • Topic sentence 1

Scene2 • Topic sentence 2

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Body (Notes)
Choose the topic sentences and put in mind:
A. You are in the description/in the scene.
B. Where you were..!
C. What you were doing..!
D. How you felt..!

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Conclusion
Wrap things up!
State something to keep reader thinking about your topic.
Restate your impression!

Review Essay

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Descriptive Essay Example

My Favourite Place

When I was younger through my early teen years. My grandmother's house seemed
to have something special about it that set it apart from all the rest. It's just the little
things that make grandma's special house is my favourite place.
My grandma's house is a spacious, comfortable and cozy place of family
gathering. On holidays it is always full of laughter and cheers. Uncle Ahmad can
be heard from miles around with his deep, signature laugh. Aunt Fatma never
passes the opportunity to joke about his unique laughter.
My grandma can always be seen sitting in her living room, next to the old
front door gazing out of her window. This is where she reads her daily newspaper
and drinks her hot black coffee with no added sugar. The old fashion way she calls
it. However, in the cool summer she will sit out on the back porch for hours and
talks about anything and everything imaginable. She's known as the neighborhood
gossip queen.
To sum up, I'll never forget my memorable, touching and joyful moments in
my grandma's house. She's a person that I can talk to anytime and keep my
precious secrets in a safe place.

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Students can review their own work by using a checklist

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Grammar Worksheet: Using Strong Verbs - Suggested Answers

Rewrite each sentence to make the main verb stronger:

1. Janet Smith is the supervisor of the customer service department

Jane Smith supervised the customer service department.

2. Walt Disney was the initiator of a mass movement in family entertainment

Walt Disney initiated a mass movement in family entertainment.

3. The whole house was stressed and angry with one another over my parents’
fighting over the bills.

The whole house seethed with stress and anger over my parents’ fighting
over bills.

4. In the distance there is a giant eruption from the water, as a 100 pound
sailfish jumps out

In the distance a 100 pound sailfish erupts from the water

5. Jenny Millhouse is the owner of two gas stations in Florida City.

Jenny Millhouse owns two gas stations in Florida City.

6. The sugar cane refinery is the employer that is the driving force for
employment in south central Florida.

The sugar cane refinery drives employment in south central Florida.

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Grammar Worksheet: Using Strong Verbs

7. The student who is responsible for conducting the survey and reporting the
results to the school administration is James Archer.

James Archer will conduct the survey and report the results to the school
administration.

8. If a manager is thinking about changing a policy statement, she has the

responsibility of informing both her immediate supervisor and her
employees.

If a manager changes (thinks about changing) a policy statement, she must

inform both her immediate supervisor and her employees.

9. The shipped product was different from the one that was advertised in the
catalog.

The shipped product differed from the one advertised in the catalog.

10. The Foster family has a fruit stand near Krome Avenue.

The Foster family owns a fruit stand near Krome Avenue.

11. After a questionable call at home plate, the manager had an argument with
the umpire.

After a questionable call at home plate, the manager argued with the umpire.

12. Last week, the class had a discussion about Kate Chopin’s novel The
Awakening.

Last week, the class discussed Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening.

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