What is descriptive writing? The real question is this: How do student writers use descriptive writing effectively in real writing? When teachers can answer this question, they know how to use their time wisely to teach descriptive writing.
I mention this because the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) uses three text types: 1) Argument/Opinion, 2) Informational/Explanatory, and 3) Narrative. And another thing to consider is this: When is the last time you wrote or read an entire descriptive essay?
While the CCSS does not include description as a main text type, it does mention description throughout the standards using these terms:
! description, descriptive details, descriptions of actions, narrative descriptions, and write precise enough descriptions of the step-by-step procedures.
In short, the CCSS emphasizes two types of descriptive writing:
1. Descriptive writing as a tool in narrative, expository, and argument writing.
2. Expository Descriptive Writing: This kind of description is really expository writing. Sometimes it’s called General Description or Scientific Description.
The following list focuses on the first type of descriptive writing.
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Descriptive Writing Tips, Checklist, and Cheat Sheet
1. The writer creates vivid pictures of people, places, things, and events in the mind of the reader using description and sensory details.
2. The writer vividly describes experiences and events bringing them to life.
3. The writer effectively describes processes in detail.
4. The writer’s description follows a logical pattern of organization: e.g., general outline or impression to specific details.
5. The writer creates powerful descriptions using sensory details and imagery. The writer’s language appeals to the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.
6. The writer’s description contains an effective use of figurative language: simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, etc.
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7. The writer skillfully uses description with purpose. The writer describes things that help the reader visualize and understand. The writer describes things that the reader needs to visualize in order to understand.
8. The writer skillfully chooses things that need description:
a. The writer chooses nouns (people, places, things, ideas) that need description.
b. The writer chooses events (things that happen) that need description.
c. The writer chooses processes (actions and steps that outline how things happen) that need description.
9. The writer describes things that are noticeable, memorable, important, or interesting. The writer avoids describing things that are trivial or unimportant.
10. The writer avoids purple-prose descriptive writing. The writer avoids descriptive writing that distracts from and breaks the flow of the composition’s main purpose and main message. The descriptive writing is not too elaborate, too extravagant, or too flowery. Furthermore, the writer does not provide too much description.
11. Without the writer’s descriptions, the piece of writing would be bland and lacking. The word pictures that the writer paints are necessary and fascinating.
12. The writer skillfully and appropriately navigates between using descriptive details, descriptive passages, and descriptive paragraphs. If the piece of writing is a descriptive whole composition (i.e., a descriptive essay), the writer’s purpose is clear.
13. The writer skillfully uses adjectives, adverbs, and figurative language (similes, metaphors, etc.) to bring the description to life. The writer does not underuse them or overuse them.
14. The writer finds interesting and novel ways to include description:
a. The writer combines description with action.
b. The writer uses dialogue as a tool for description.
c. The writer uses quotes to describe.
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15. The writer uses description as an effective tool that is appropriate for the genre:
a. Main Genre: 1) argument, 2) expository, 3) narrative, 4) descriptive.
b. Narrative-Story Genre: mystery, personal narrative, action-adventure story, tale (folktale, fairy tale, tall tale, etc.), historical fiction, etc.
c. Format Genre: essay, story, report, article, letter, advertisement, daily school work, etc.
16. The writer uses description to “Show, Don’t Tell.” As Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) famously said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
