Sultan Moulay Slimane University
Department of English
Beni Mellal
Composition 1
2nd Semester
Groups 5 and 6
Prepared by
Chakour Khaoula
Academic Year: 2020-2021
CHAPTER 4: Narrative Paragraphs
I. Introduction: Types of Paragraphs:
There are different types of paragraphs which vary according to the writer’s intention and
purpose. Beside the descriptive and narrative paragraphs which are foregrounded in this
course, there exists other patterns of paragraphs:
1. Definition Paragraphs:
A definition paragraph defines something. The word definition comes from the verb to define,
which means “to state the meaning of a word or to describe the basic qualities of something.”
In a definition paragraph, the writer’s main purpose is to tell the readers what something is. For
example, a definition paragraph may define the concept of true friendship and give relevant
examples.
Therefore, in a definition paragraph, you should make clear in a more complete and formal way
your own understanding of a term. Such a definition typically starts with one meaning of a term
or concept. The meaning is then illustrated with a series of examples.
Example:
According to The American Heritage Dictionary, gossip is a “trivial rumor of a personal nature,”
but this definition makes gossip sound harmless when it is not. At first, gossip might not seem so bad.
One person tells a second person something about someone, and that second person tells a third, and so
on. The information passes from person to person. However, gossip is much more than just information
and rumors. As a rumor continues, it grows and changes. People do not know all the facts. Thus, they
add information. As the gossip goes from one person to the next, the damage continues, and the person
who is the subject of the gossip cannot do anything to answer or protect himself or herself. Because the
potential damage may range from hurt feelings to a lost career, gossip is much worse than simply “trivial
rumor.”
2. Process Analysis Paragraphs:
In a process analysis paragraph, you divide a process into separate steps. Then you list or
explain the steps in a chronological order – the order of events as they happen over time. Special
time words or phrases allow you tell the reader when a particular step occurs. The process
analysis paragraph ends with a specific result – something that happens at the end of the process.
As such, in a process analysis paragraph, you should explain a sequence or a process, present
facts and details in a chronological order, use time words or phrases, and end with a specific
result.
Example:
Turkish coffee is not easy to make, but the result is worth all the work. First, you need a special
coffeepot called a jezve. The latter is a long—handled, open brass or copper pot. Next, pour three small
cups of water into the pot. Heat the water until it boils. Then remove the pot from the heat. Add three
teaspoons of coffee and three teaspoons of sugar to the water. Gently stir the mixture, and return it to
the heat until you can see the foam on the top. When the foam appears, take the jezve from the heat and
hit it lightly with a spoon to make the foam go down. After that, reheat the coffee and tap the pot two
more times, making sure to remove it from the heat each time the foam forms. Before you serve the
coffee, give everyone a small glass of cold water to drink the hot, thick coffee.
3. Opinion Paragraphs:
An opinion paragraph expresses the writer’s opinion. A good writer will include not only
opinions but also facts to support his or her opinions. For example, if a writer says, “Smoking
should not be allowed anywhere,” the writer must give reasons for this opinion. One reason
could be a fact, such as, “Thirty thousand people died in the United States and Canada last year
because of lung cancer, a known result of smoking.” This fact supports the writer’s opinion.
To write a good opinion paragraph, you should give your opinion or opinions about a topic,
interpret or explain facts, broach a controversial issue, cause your readers to think about an
issue seriously or to reconsider their own opinion about the issue, and lay emphasis on your
arguments.
Example:
Because cell phones and driving are a deadly mix, there should be a ban on cell phone use by
drivers. The most obvious reason for this ban is to save lives. As a matter of fact, each year, thousands
of drivers are killed because they are talking on cell phones while they are driving. This first reason
should be enough to support a ban on cell phones when driving, but there are two other reasons. More
particularly, these drivers cause accidents that kill other people. On the one hand, these drivers kill other
drivers. On the other hand, they kill passengers or even pedestrians. Finally, even in cases where there
are no injuries or deaths, damage to cars from these accidents costs millions of dollars as well as
countless hours of lost work. In this regard, banning cell phones while driving is common sense. In fact,
a wide range of countries has already put this ban into effect, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, Russia,
and Turkey. In conclusion, driving a car necessitates a great carefulness, and using cell phones while
driving does not only disrupt this carefulness but also endangers one’s safety.
4. Comparison or Contrast Paragraphs:
Comparison and contrast are two everyday thought processes. When we compare two things,
we show how they are similar; when we contrast two things, we show how they are different.
We may compare or contrast two brand-name products, two television shows, two instructors,
two jobs, two friends, or two courses of action we could take in a given situation. The purpose
of comparing and contrasting is to understand each of the two things more clearly and, at times,
to make judgments about them.
Because a comparison or contrast paragraph contain two subjects, you should clearly organize
it to prevent confusion. There are two common methods or formats of organizing in comparison
or contrast paragraphs: subject by subject and point by point.


Subject by subject divides the paragraph into two parts. The first sentences
generally introduce the two topics and state the controlling idea. The paragraph
describes the first subject then the second. Most of the actual comparison occurs
in the second part of the paragraph.
Point by point develops a series of comparisons, showing specific similarities
and differences. This method compares or contrasts one point about the two
topics, then a second point, and finally a third point.
Example:
Reading a story in a book is often very different from seeing it as a film. First, when you read a
story, you need to use your imagination. A book usually gives a lot of description about the people,
places, and things in the story, so you can create pictures in your mind. In addition, the conversations
between people are always written with details that describe how the people look or feel while they are
talking. When you read, you use a lot of imagination to help “see” the characters in the story. However,
when you see a film, it is a different experience. When you watch a film, you don’t need to use your
imagination, for the pictures on the screen give all the details about the people, places, and things in the
story. In addition, the conversations are spoken out loud, so you just listen and watch. Also, the feelings
of the people come through their faces, body movements, and voices. To sum up, although a book and
a film might tell the same story, reading a book and watching a film are very different experiences.
II. Narrative Paragraphs:
In a narrative paragraph, the writer tells a story that sets the background for an event, describes
the event, and often comments on the event.
Narratives can be categorized into fiction and nonfiction. Besides, they always have a
beginning, a middle, and an end to their stories.
Narration can be objective or subjective:
1. Objective narration presents facts to create an accurate time line of events.
2. Subjective narration expresses a writer’s impressions, feelings, insights, points of
view, or comments with regard to the narrated events.
1. Narrative Organization:
Topic Sentence:
 In a narrative, the topic is the incident or story, and the controlling idea is the writer’s
attitude or feeling about the narrated event. A strong controlling idea helps to focus the
paragraph, capture the readers’ attention and interest, and clarify the writer’s attitude.
Example:
A weak topic sentence: I spent a lot of money during my seven-day vacation at Disney World.
A strong topic sentence: My trip to Disney World showed me that spending a lot of money does
not guarantee a good time.
 The topic sentence in a narrative paragraph provides background information about the story.
 It tells the reader what the story is about. It may also tell when and where the story takes
place.
 The topic sentence is the beginning of the paragraph, but it is not usually the beginning of
the story. The main action begins after the topic sentence.
Supporting Sentences:
 The supporting sentences in a narrative paragraph should delineate the details of the story
by exposing a sequence of events that are linked in time. All of these events and details
should support the controlling idea.
 The supporting sentences may also indicate the writer’s feelings and impressions during the
events of the story.
Concluding Sentence:
The concluding sentence “wraps up” the story. It may include a comment about why the
experiences was important or how the writer felt after it.
 Example of a narrative paragraph: The topic sentence and the concluding sentence are
written in italics.
I will never forget the first time I got lost in New York City. I was travelling with my parents
during a summer vacation. We were in an incredibly large department store, and I was so excited to see
such a huge place. Suddenly, I turned around to ask my mom something, but she was gone! I began
crying and screaming at the top of my lungs. Immediately, a salesclerk came to me and asked if I was
fine. Afterwards, she got on the public address system and notified the customers that a little boy with
blue jeans and a red cap was lost. Two minutes later, my mom and dad came running towards me. We
all cried and hugged each other. This story took place over twenty years ago, but every time that I see a
department store, I am reminded of that terrified little boy.
2. Narrative Techniques:
Choosing a Point of View:
 A writer must choose a point of view in narration. The point of view is the eye through which
the writer experiences or approaches the events of the story. Narratives can generally be
written in first-person, second-person, or third-person point of view, but first-person
narration and third-person narration are the most common in narrative writing:
1. First-person narration:
In first-person narration, you tell a personal experience from your own point of view.
You are directly involved in the story. You use the pronouns I (first-person singular)
and we (first-person plural).
Example: When I was a child, I mistakenly thought that the world began and ended with
me. I did not know or care how other children felt. Thus, when my schoolmates ridiculed a
shy boy, I gleefully joined in.
2. Third-person narration:
In third-person narration, you do not refer to your own experiences. Instead, you
narrate what happened to somebody else. The story is told in the third person using he,
she, it, or they. In this type of narration, you are simply an observer or storyteller; you
are not a participant in the action.
Example: The workers gathered to protest against the low salaries. One employee threw a
chair through the window of the manager’s office. Suddenly, the others started pushing and
shoving.
 Avoid shifting from one point of view to another.
Example:
Awkward shift: Whether I drive or take the bus, it takes you almost an hour to get to school.
Improved: Whether I drive or take the bus, it takes me almost an hour to get to school.
Making a Point:
 Effective narrative paragraphs have a clear purpose. The goal of a narrative paragraph is not
to record “everything that happened” but to select details that explain the significance of the
narrated event.
 A topic sentence makes a point when it has an accurate controlling idea. In order to find the
right controlling idea, you can ask yourself the following questions:
What did I learn from the story/event/incident?
How did I change?
How did it make me feel?
What is important about it?
 Some of the essential guidelines you should take into consideration in order to make a clear
point in your narrative paragraph are the following:
 Guide your narrative by focusing on the most important thing you want your readers
to know.
 Delete minor details that do not support your main point.
 Focus on conflict or contrast to create tension, drama, and suspense.
 Organize your details to create strong impressions.
 Use specific words rather than abstract terms to provide dramatic but accurate
depictions of events.
Example:
Abstract: The new student service lounge areas have become popular places for
commuter students to spend time on campus between classes.
Specific: The new restaurant and Internet café have become popular places for
commuter students to meet, relax, and study between classes.
 Avoid shifting in tenses, and use tense shifts only when you want to show logical
changes between past and ongoing or current events.
Examples:
Incorrect shift: We bought some fruit and drinks for breakfast. After we ate our fruits,
we climb the mountain.
Acceptable shift: Sandy is singing the songs she wrote when she was a teenager.
Using Transitions:
When writing a narrative paragraph, writers usually relate the events in the order in which they
occurred. In other words, writers tend to resort to the chronological order in their narrative
writing.
 In order to clarify the chronological order of events in a story, writers use transitional
expressions which express time and sequence in their narrative paragraphs. These include
the following:
After that
Afterwards
After a while
Suddenly
Immediately
A little while
later
Later
Then
Soon
At (17:00)
That morning/
afternoon…
Hours/ days/
weeks later
In the morning /
evening…
In the
following day
Eventually
Finally
At last
Before
 From then on
Examples: We unpacked the car and set up our tent. After that, we built a fire and cooked
our food.
Our entire family squeezed into the car. A little while later, we were on our
way.
After a moment of silence, she asked who broke the vase.
 Writers resort to the following words and expressions to show that two events occurred at
the same time:
Meanwhile
While
In the meantime
At the same time that
Examples: I made coffee. Meanwhile, my brother tried to distract our mother.
I was planning a surprise party at the same time that I was getting ready to
move.
 This narrative paragraph illustrates the use of transitional devices to relate events in
a chronological order:
An unforgettable experience in my life was a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. I was at home with my
older sister and younger brother. Suddenly, our apartment started shaking. At first, none of us realized
what was happening. Then my sister yelled, "Earthquake! Get under something!" I half rolled and half
crawled across the room to get under the dining table. My sister also yelled at my little brother to get
under his desk. Meanwhile, she was on the kitchen floor holding her arms over her head to protect it
from falling dishes. The earthquake lasted less than a minute, but it seemed like a year to us. At last, the
shaking stopped. For a minute or two, we were too scared to move. Then we tried to call our parents
at work, but even our cell phones did not work. Next, we checked the apartment for damage. We felt
very lucky, for nothing was broken except a few dishes. All in all, our first earthquake was an experience
that none of us will ever forget.
 A narrative paragraph relates events in the order in which they occurred. However, narratives
can alter the timeline to include flashbacks or flash-forwards. To prevent readers from
becoming confused and help them follow the actions, it is crucial to signal shifts in time with
transitional words and phrases as illustrated in the following paragraph:
Two nights ago, I was annoyed by a false fire alarm that went off in my building. This is the
third time such an incident has happened this year. Last month, the alarm went off at two in the
morning. I had a midterm exam the following day and ended up standing in the parking lot until
almost 5 a.m. while the fire department searched for the cause of the alarm. Yesterday, I ran into
the manager and asked her if something could be done to fix the problem. She agreed that false
alarms were a common complaint. She added that false alarms were a headache but reminded me of
the peril of fire. After hearing that, I agreed that the occasional false alarm is a small price to pay
for safety.
EXERCISE 1:
Read the narrative paragraph below. Fill in each blank with the transition that you think
best fits the meaning of the sentence.
I knew I would never catch the 8:00 train, but I tried anyway. Several things happened
to delay me ……………… I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. ……………… I dropped my
suitcase. ……………… I ran into a man with an armload of packages ……………… had to
stop to help him pick them up. ……………… I was ready to board, but the train had already
left.
EXERCISE 2:
Read the following sentences. Then number them in the order you think they occurred.
Use the sequence words and phrases as clues.
__ a. A few years ago, my two older brothers and I went trekking in the mountains.
__ b. Finally, I found the muddy trail, and we made it back to our base camp.
__ c. Soon, we were hiking through thick pine forests.
__ d. We set out from our base camp on a bright winter morning.
__ e. After the experience, I realized it is very important to be careful when hiking in the
mountains
__ f. A little while later, we stopped to eat, and my oldest brother said we should turn around
because we were losing the trail in the snow.
__ g. Eventually, it began to snow, and visibility became poor.
__ h. Going back down the mountain was harder because it was icy and slippery, and we could
not find the way. We became tired, cold and thirsty.
Using Sensory and Emotional Details:
In order to make a narrative paragraph interesting, you should include sensory details and
emotional details that help readers share the experience of the story.
 Sensory details give information about how something looks, smells, tastes, feels, or what
it sounds like.
Examples: My teeth were chattering, and my legs felt like jelly.
The morning sun warmed my back.
 Emotional details help the reader understand the writer’s feelings.
Examples: Suddenly, my fear vanished, and I felt confident as I looked out at the crowd.
The sight filled me with excitement.
Using the Past Tense:
In narration, writers usually use the simple past and at times resort to the past continuous.
 Use the simple past to narrate actions and events that started and finished in the past.
Examples: Dalia walked home quickly that night.
Ronald studied all night for that exam.
 Use the past continuous to describe an event that was already in progress when another event
occurred or interrupted the first event.
Examples: My brother and I were watching TV when we heard a crash.
The car was moving slowly, so I crossed the street with great ease.
 Use the past continuous to tell about two or more actions that were in progress at the same
time.
Examples: She was running while he was talking on the cell phone.
Some teenagers were splashing and shouting at each other.
 Use used to or would for habitual actions in the past that are no longer true.
Examples: I used to exercise every day, but now I do not.
When I was a child, I would often spend time alone.
Using Dialogue:
 If you are narrating an event that involves people talking, using dialogue can advance the
narrative better than an indirect summary of a conversation.
 Dialogue brings people to life by having them speak directly. Their tone, attitude, and
lifestyle can be demonstrated by the words they choose.
Example:
I was taking a nap on the patio when I heard Mrs. Gomez next door scream, “Help me! Help!”
I jumped over the small hedge between our yards. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Timmy fell in the pool.
I found him floating in the pool,” she said, sitting next to Timmy, who was lying on the ground. His
face was puffy and bluish white. I firmly ordered her to call the emergencies and get a blanket. I then
rubbed his wrists and ankles, trying to remember what I had learned in first-aid class. After that, I
turned him over, and water came out of his mouth. I laid him out straight and started doing mouth to
mouth as we learned in first-aid class. “Is he breathing? Is Timmy breathing? Can he breathe?” Mrs.
Gomez kept asking. As Timmy coughed up more water and moved, Mrs. Gomez began crying. Few
moments later, the paramedics arrived; Timmy coughed up more water. A paramedic addressed me,
“He’s breathing now. You did a good job! We’ll take him now to the hospital to be checked out.”
Mrs Gomez sank to her knees, moaning, “Thank God, thank God, thank God.”
Summary: Steps of Writing a Narrative Paragraph:
1. Study your topic and choose a clear point for narration by asking key questions:
Why do I want to write about this event?
What did it mean to me?
Why do I remember it?
What is the most significant thing I want other people to know about it?
2. Use your main point to guide your writing.
3. List supporting details that establish your point. To come up with these, ask yourself
the following questions:
Who is the paragraph about?
What happened?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
How did it happen?
4. Review your list, deleting minor details and highlighting significant ones.
5. If people speak in your narrative, consider using dialogue.
6. Write a first draft of your paragraph.
7. Revise your paragraph, considering the following questions:
Does my paragraph make a clear point?
Do I provide sufficient details?
Are there unimportant details that could be deleted?
Do I use specific words, especially verbs to create action and to express sensory and emotional
experiences?
Do I avoid illogical shifts in point of view or tense?
Do I provide clear transitions to advance the narrative and explain the passage of time?
EXERCISE:
Write a narrative paragraph on one of the following topics:
Topic 1: a special memory from your childhood
Topic 2: the best or worst party you have attended
Topic 3: a story your parents or grandparents told you about their childhood
Topic 4: a news story that affected you deeply
Topic 5: an event that changed your life or the life of a close friend
CHAPTER 5: Descriptive Paragraphs
A descriptive paragraph describes a person, a place, or an object, enabling the reader to picture
and imagine this subject of description. A descriptive paragraph describes, gives impressions
– not definitions – “shows”, and creates a sensory image in the reader’s mind.
Descriptive writing appeals to the senses. This signifies that it tells how something looks, feels,
smells, tastes, and/or sounds.
1. Descriptive Organization:
Topic Sentence:
 The topic sentence in a descriptive paragraph introduces the item that the writer will
describe.
 The controlling idea may include the writer’s general feeling, opinion, or impression about
the object of description. Each of the following sentences states a topic for description and
a controlling idea:
Examples: Her bedroom at home is her refuge from the outside world.
The campus of our school is like a small city.
The cafeteria at lunchtime is the company’s social center.
Supporting Sentences:
 In a descriptive paragraph, the supporting sentences provide some background information
and descriptive details about the item.
 The details in the supporting sentences should appeal to the five senses. That is to say, they
should picture how the described object looks, smells, sounds, feels, or tastes. As such, they
incorporate information about colors, sizes, shapes, odors, noises, and textures.
 The supporting sentences may also describe in more details how the writer feels about the
described item.
Concluding Sentence:
A descriptive paragraph generally ends with a concluding sentence that restates the idea in the
topic sentence using different words.
Example of a descriptive paragraph: The topic sentence and the concluding sentence are
written in italics.
Despite its small surface, my living room is tidy and well organized. On the right, there is a
wooden bookcase with four shelves. On top of the bookcase is a small lamp with a blue base and a
matching lampshade. The first and third shelves are filled with carefully arranged books. On the second
shelf, there is an antique clock with faded numbers on its face. The bottom shelf has a few newspapers.
On the opposite side of the room is a television set with nothing on top of it. Between the television and
the bookcase is a large sofa. Directly in front of the sofa, there is a long coffee table with short legs. On
the right side of this table lie two magazines. They are stacked one on top of the other. Perhaps the most
striking item in the room is the beautiful beach painting above the sofa. This extraordinary painting
shows a peaceful beach scene with a sailboat on the right, far from the beach. Although it is a small
room, everything in my living room is in its place.
2. Descriptive Techniques:
Using Prepositions:
In descriptive paragraphs, ideas are usually organized according to a spatial order. Spatial
order is the arrangement of objects in space.
The spatial organization can be from left to right, right to left, near to far, far to near, outside to
inside, inside to outside, top to bottom, bottom to top, front to back, back to front, or side to
side.
 Just as there are words and phrases that foreground the chronological order, prepositions of
location or position are used to emphasize the spatial order. The following are the most
common and useful prepositions:










Above
Across
After
Against
Ahead of
Along
Among
Around
At
Before










Behind
Below
Beneath
Beside
Between
Beyond
By
Close to
Far from
From









In
In back of
In front of
Inside
Near
Next to
On
On top of
Opposite
Outside






Over
Past
Throughout
Under
Underneath
 It is important to use the correct preposition of location followed by a noun. The noun after
a preposition is called the object of the preposition, and this preposition and noun
combination is called a prepositional phrase.
Examples: The new bank is on Wilson Road near the park.
On the left, there is an old sofa. On the right, there are two wooden chairs.
The room was a mess. There were many papers on the floor. A fat, fluffy cat was
sleeping on top of the television. An empty pizza box was under the sofa.
Behind my childhood home, there is a large piece of land that is surrounded by
banana trees growing in wild disorder.
Far from the noisy rooms of my brothers, I used to sit near my window and listen
to the wonderful singing of birds mixed with the sound of rain.
You arrive at Havasupai Village at the end of the trail.
Using Specific Language:
 Using specific language in descriptive writing helps give the reader a clear mental image of
what something smells, tastes, feels, sounds, or looks like.
Examples:
General sentences
Sentences with specific language
He bought a vehicle.
He bought a 1965 Cadillac.
We heard a noise.
We heard the sound of breaking glass.
Suddenly, I smelled food.
Suddenly, I smelled steak and onions.
The food was unappetizing.
The pale turkey slices floated limply in
a pool of murky fat.
In the first column, the words are general and could be used to describe a variety of vehicles,
noises, or food. In the second column, the writer has replaced the general terms with more
specific words for the topics being described. By doing this, the writer has made the topic
specific and clearer for the reader.
 Good writers also use words that appeal to some or all of the five senses – sight, taste,
touch, hearing, and smell – to help describe a topic.
Examples of sensory words:
These are some of the sensory words which you can use in your descritpive writing to render
your descritpion more vivid:
Sight Words (visual)
colorless
ivory
striped
shiny
hollow
worn
round
curved
lean
sparkling
small
silver
dotted
wrinkled
gold
fragile
wide
long
white
tall
ruffled
rectangular
dark
cluttered
flat
yellow
bright
pale
lumpy
showy
freckled
wavy
muscular
fiery
old
lopsided
thunder
yell
bark
sing
murmur
bang
crackle
gurgle
rumble
clap
buttery
fruity
crisp
tasteless
hot
vinegary
Hearing Words (auditory)
crash
roar
chime
hiss
growl
snap
thud
scream
whine
giggle
hum
whisper
bump
screech
buzz
bray
mutter
sigh
boom
shout
laugh
snort
slam
rustle
Taste Words (gustatory)
oily
salty
sugary
creamy
mellow
spicy
rich
sour
sweet
raw
bitter
ripe
Smell Words (olfactory)
sweet
burnt
perfumed
sharp
piney
fragrant
fishy
rancid
acrid
spicy
earthy
dry
sickly
musty
damp
scented
aromatic
fresh
pungent
musky
spoiled
cold
rough
wooly
hot
leathery
slippery
lukewarm
thick
feathery
tender
Touch Words (tactile)
cool
velvety
mushy
warm
rubbery
wet
icy
soft
waxy
thin
silky
spongy
sharp
furry
sticky
sandy
smooth
oily
dry
fragile
EXERCISE 1 :
Rewrite the following pairs of sentences to render them more specific by replacing the
underlined words and phrases with words that are more specific.
1. I bought a pair of shoes.
I bought a pair of white running shoes.
2. Maria likes to wear her grandmother’s jewelry.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Ralph’s best friend gave him a book for his birthday.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. She inherited some furniture.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. My uncle enjoyed making things.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. We always have vegetables with dinner.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Jordan bought a toy for someone.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
EXERCISE 2:
Use sensory details to support the following sentences:
1. Our guide had an interesting fashion sense.
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2. We ate a wonderful meal.
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3. The flower garden was delightful.
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4. The alley had not been taken care of for many years and it was in a bad shape.
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5. My grandmother’s kitchen was everyone’s favorite room.
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6. Their father taught them to swim in a river behind their house.
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Using Adjectives:
 Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Writers use adjectives to give the reader a more
complete picture of the people, places, and things they want to describe. Notice in the
following examples how the adjectives help you visualize the object:
a bicycle  a red, racing bicycle
a desk
 a large, metal desk
 An adjective can come before a noun, or it can follow the verb to be and other linking
verbs.
I own an antique violin.
My mother gave me a big hug.
These shoes are comfortable.
My father’s expression is wise and serious.
 When an adjective occurs after a linking verb, it is called a predicate adjective. The
predicate adjective’s job is to modify the subject and complete the meaning of the linking
verb. Some of the common linking verbs are the following:


be
sound


become
appear


seem
remain
Examples: Our neighbor is intelligent and kind.
The soup tastes good.


feel
keep


taste
look
Mr. Cioffi feels ill.
The decorations at the party looked horrid!
 Nouns can also function as adjectives. In the following examples, the first noun describes
the second noun:
A rose garden
A pocket knife
Two kitchen tables
 Here are few common adjectives which you can use in your writing:
Shape and size
Atmosphere
How you feel
Appearance
large / small
cozy
amazed
colorful
wide / narrow
comfortable
surprised
unforgettable
round
warm / cool
happy
beautiful
rectangular
cold / hot
nostalgic
unattractive
 Here are some common adjectives for describing people:
Personality/Psychological traits
Happy, satisfied
Intelligent, smart, clever, gifted
Excited, relaxed, introverted, extroverted
Optimistic, pessimistic, sensitive, tense
Angry, sad, depressed
Serious, compassionate, considerate,
Generous, exuberant, sociable, quarrelsome,
easy-going
Rational, honest, trustworthy, reliable,
sincere
Physical characteristics
Big, heavy, large, tall, small, tiny, short
(clothes) Casual, shabby, smart, messy
Thin, skinny, plump, fat, well-built, fit
(face) round, oval, wrinkled
Strong, weak, frail
(eyes) big, round, blue, hazel, narrow
Brown-, black-, blond-, red-haired, bald,
curly, wavy, straight
Light-skinned, dark-skinned, sun-tanned
N.B: The use of adjectives is crucial in descriptive writing. However, avoid too many
adjectives—retain only the most powerful words in your writing, deleting any unnecessary
words.
Using Figures of Speech:
Figures of speech describe objects or people in quite an interesting and vivid way, for they
contribute in painting a clear picture in the mind of the reader. Hence, the following figures of
speech can be used to enrich your descriptive writing:
Figure of Speech
Examples
Simile - a descriptive technique that The trees stood as tall as towers.
compares one thing with another, usually
using 'as' or 'like'.
Metaphor - a descriptive technique that The circus was a magnet for the children.
names a person, thing or action as
something else.
Hyperbole - a use of obvious The sun scorched through the day.
exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
Personification - a metaphor attributing The sun smiled at the hills, ready to begin a
human feelings to an object.
new day.
Onomatopoeia - words that sound a little The autumn leaves and twigs cracked and
like they mean.
crunched underfoot.
Oxymoron - a phrase combining two or There was a deafening silence.
more contradictory terms.
Example:
My journey towards the mountain summit was an unforgettable experience. The ground
crumbled like sand under my feet as I heaved another step towards the summit. Looking below,
the trees were dots to my squinting eyes in the midday heat. Beating down upon my back, the
sun was relentless as I wiped the drips of salty sweat from my neckline. The silence of the
chasm below was deafening; suddenly, eagles broke the silence and screeched above me in
hunger. After some arduous efforts, I arrived to the summit, a point from which the landscape
looked at once breathtaking and reinvigorating.
Summary: Steps of Writing a Descriptive Paragraph:
1. Choose a topic, considering the following questions:
What are you going to describe?
What is your general feeling about the object of description?
2. Brainstorm some sensory adjectives (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch).
3. Write a topic sentence with a controlling idea.
4. Write supporting sentences that relate to the topic by asking the following key
questions:
What are some details you can use to describe the item?
What are some details you can use to portray your feelings about it?
5. Make sure the adjectives mean precisely what you want them to mean.
6. Use prepositional phrases of location in your paragraph. Put some at the beginning of
sentences and some at the end of sentences for sentence variety.
7. Make sure your concluding sentence restates the topic.
EXERCISE:
Choose two of the topics below, and write a descriptive paragraph on each.
Topic 1: Describe a Moroccan city that is important to you. What does it look like? What
feelings does it inspire in you?
Topic 2: Describe a family tradition. When do you follow the tradition? Why is the tradition
important to you and your family?
Topic 3: Describe your favorite or least favorite meal. Be sure to tell how the food tastes, smells,
and looks.
Topic 4: Describe something that makes you happy, sad, or nervous.
Topic 5: Describe a person you know well. What does this person look like? What are some of
his or her characteristics?