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Narrative vs Descriptive Writing: Understanding the Key Differences

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on May 13, 2023

Categories Storytelling , Writing

Narrative and descriptive writing are two of the most common writing styles used in literature. Both styles are used to convey a story, but they differ in their purpose and approach. Narrative writing is designed to tell a complete story, while descriptive writing conveys an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative writing involves telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It is often used in novels, short stories, and memoirs. Narrative writing can entertain, inform, or persuade the reader. It is a powerful tool for writers to convey their message and connect with their audience.

On the other hand, descriptive writing creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind. It is often used in poetry, descriptive essays, and travel writing. Descriptive writing allows the writer to use sensory details to create a picture in the reader’s mind. It is a powerful tool for writers to create a mood or atmosphere. Descriptive writing can entertain, inform, or persuade the reader.

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is a style of writing that tells a story or describes an event. It can be fiction or non-fiction and is often written in the first-person point of view. The purpose of narrative writing is to entertain, inform or persuade the reader.

Narrative writing aims to engage the reader by telling a story that captures their attention. Narrative writing is often used in fiction writing, but it can also be used in non-fiction writing, such as memoirs or personal essays. The purpose of narrative writing is to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind and make them feel like they are part of the story.

Narrative writing has several key elements that help to create a compelling story. These elements include characters, plot, point of view, narration, chronological order, action, setting, and theme. Characters are the people or animals that are involved in the story. The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. Point of view is the perspective from which the story is told. Narration is how the story is told, such as first-person or third-person narration. Chronological order is the order in which events occur in the story. Action is the events that take place in the story. The setting is the time and place in which the story takes place. The theme is the underlying message or meaning of the story.

Examples of narrative writing include novels, short stories, and narrative essays. In fiction writing, the protagonist is the main character who drives the story forward. In a narrative essay, the writer tells a personal story that has a point or lesson to be learned. Narrative writing often uses first-person narration to create a more personal connection between the reader and the story.

In summary, narrative writing is a style of writing that tells a story or describes an event. It has several key elements that help to create a compelling story, including characters, plot, point of view, narration, chronological order, action, setting, and theme. Narrative writing can be used in fiction and non-fiction and is often used to entertain, inform, or persuade the reader.

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is a type of writing that aims to provide a detailed description of a person, place, object, or event. It uses sensory details to create an image in the reader’s mind. The writer tries to make the reader feel like they are experiencing the scene.

Descriptive writing aims to create a vivid and detailed picture in the reader’s mind. It is often used to set the scene in a story or to provide a detailed description of a character or place. Descriptive writing can also create an emotional response in the reader.

Descriptive writing uses sensory details to create an image in the reader’s mind. It should be written in a logical order, so the reader can easily follow along. The following elements are commonly used in descriptive writing:

  • Sensory detail (smell, taste, sight, sound, touch)
  • Appearance and characteristics of the subject
  • Description of the place or object
  • Exposition of the subject
  • Figurative language (metaphors, similes, onomatopoeia)

Here are a few examples of descriptive writing:

  • The sun was setting over the mountains, casting a warm glow across the valley. The air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers and birds singing in the trees.
  • The old house sat at the end of the street, its peeling paint and broken shutters a testament to its age. The front porch creaked as I stepped onto it, and the door groaned as I pushed it open.
  • The chocolate cake was rich and decadent, with a moist crumb and a smooth, velvety frosting. Each bite was like a little slice of heaven, the flavors blending perfectly.

In conclusion, descriptive writing is a powerful tool for creating vivid and detailed images in the reader’s mind. The writer can transport the reader to another time and place using sensory details and logical order.

Narrative vs. Descriptive Writing

Differences.

Narrative writing and descriptive writing are two distinct forms of writing that have different purposes. Narrative writing is used to tell a story, while descriptive writing is used to describe something in detail. The following table summarizes some of the key differences between the two:

In narrative writing, the writer is trying to convey a specific message or theme through the story they are telling. In contrast, descriptive writing is more concerned with creating a sensory experience for the reader. Descriptive writing often uses figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to create vivid images in the reader’s mind.

Similarities

Despite their differences, narrative writing and descriptive writing also share some similarities. Both forms of writing require the writer to use descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Both can also be used in both fiction and non-fiction writing.

Another similarity is that both forms of writing can create emotional connections with the reader. In narrative writing, this is achieved by creating relatable characters and situations. Descriptive writing is achieved by using sensory details to create a visceral experience for the reader.

In conclusion, while narrative writing and descriptive writing have different purposes, they require the writer to use descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. Understanding the differences and similarities between these two forms of writing can help writers choose the appropriate style for their writing project.

Narrative Writing Techniques

Narrative writing is a form of storytelling that conveys a series of events or experiences through a particular perspective. This section will explore some of the key techniques used in narrative writing.

The narrator is the voice that tells the story. They can be a character within the story or an outside observer. The narrator’s perspective can greatly affect the reader’s interpretation of events. For example, a first-person narrator may provide a more personal and subjective account of events, while a third-person narrator may offer a more objective perspective.

Dialogue is the spoken or written words of characters within the story. It can reveal character traits, advance the plot, and provide insight into relationships between characters. Effective dialogue should sound natural and reflect the character’s personality and background.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the perspective from which the story is told. It can be first-person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient. The choice of point of view can affect the reader’s understanding of the story and its characters.

The plot is the sequence of events that make up the story. It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with each event building upon the previous one. A well-crafted plot should be engaging and keep the reader interested.

Characterization

Characterization is the process of creating and developing characters within the story. This can be achieved through various techniques, including dialogue, actions, and inner thoughts. Effective characterization should create characters that are believable and relatable to the reader.

In conclusion, narrative writing techniques are essential for creating a compelling and engaging story. Using techniques such as a well-developed narrator, natural-sounding dialogue, and effective characterization, writers can create stories that captivate and entertain their readers.

Descriptive Writing Techniques

Sensory details.

One of the most critical aspects of descriptive writing is the use of sensory details. This means including information that appeals to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Sensory details help the reader experience the scene or object being described, making the writing more vivid and engaging.

For example, instead of simply stating that a flower is beautiful, a writer might describe the vibrant colors of its petals, the sweet fragrance it emits, and the soft texture of its petals. This level of detail allows the reader to fully imagine the flower and feel like they are experiencing it themselves.

Logical Order

Descriptive writing should also be organized in a logical order. This can mean starting with a general description and moving on to more specific details. For example, describing a room starts with an overview, then moves on to describe individual items.

It’s also important to consider the perspective of the reader. For example, if describing a landscape, the writer should consider the reader’s viewpoint and describe the scene from left to right, top to bottom, or in another logical order that makes sense for the reader.

Descriptive writing should create a clear mental image in the reader’s mind. This can be achieved through the use of vivid imagery and figurative language. For example, a writer might describe a sunset as a “golden blanket draped over the sky” or a forest as a “lush, green cathedral.”

It’s important to balance detailed descriptions and allow readers to use their imagination. The goal is to provide enough detail to create a mental image but not so much that the reader feels overwhelmed or bored.

Finally, descriptive writing should aim to evoke emotions in the reader. This can be achieved through descriptive language conveying a mood or feeling. For example, a writer might describe a storm as “fierce and unrelenting,” creating a sense of danger and foreboding.

It’s important to consider the emotions that the reader should feel based on the subject being described. For example, if describing a peaceful meadow, the writer should use language that conveys a sense of calm and relaxation.

By using these techniques, writers can create engaging and vivid descriptions that allow the reader to experience the scene or object being described fully.

Narrative vs. Descriptive Essays

When it comes to writing essays, there are two main types: narrative and descriptive. While they may seem similar, they have distinct differences in purpose, structure, and examples.

The purpose of a narrative essay is to tell a story. It typically includes characters, a plot, and a setting. It is meant to engage the reader and create an emotional response. Narrative essays can be based on real-life experiences or fictional stories.

On the other hand, the purpose of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed description of a person, place, or thing. It is meant to paint a picture in the reader’s mind and create a sensory experience. Descriptive essays can be based on real-life experiences or imaginary scenarios.

Narrative essays typically have a chronological structure, meaning they follow a timeline. They often include dialogue and sensory details to create a vivid picture for the reader. The structure of a narrative essay can vary depending on the story being told.

On the other hand, descriptive essays typically have a spatial structure, meaning they describe something in a specific order. They often use sensory details and figurative language to create a vivid picture for the reader. The structure of a descriptive essay can vary depending on the topic being described.

A narrative essay example could be a personal experience, such as a memorable vacation or a life-changing event. It could also be a fictional story, such as a short story or novel.

A descriptive essay example could be describing a favorite place, such as a beach or a park. It could also be a description of a person, such as a family member or a celebrity.

In conclusion, narrative and descriptive essays have distinct differences in purpose, structure, and examples. It is important to understand these differences when deciding which type of essay to write.

Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays are a type of writing that requires the writer to take a position on a topic and defend it using evidence and reasoning. This type of essay is often used in academic settings, such as in college courses or on standardized tests like the GRE or SAT.

An argumentative essay aims to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view. To do this, the writer must present a clear and compelling argument supported by evidence. The writer must also anticipate and address counterarguments to strengthen their argument.

An argumentative essay typically follows a five-paragraph structure, which includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should include a clear thesis statement that states the writer’s position on the topic. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports the thesis statement. The conclusion should summarize the essay’s main points and restate the thesis statement in a new way.

Rhetorical Analysis

To write an effective argumentative essay, it is important to consider the rhetorical situation. This includes the audience, purpose, and context of the essay. The writer should also consider using ethos, pathos, and logos in their argument. Ethos refers to the writer’s credibility, pathos refers to emotional appeals, and logos refers to logical appeals.

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the most important part of an argumentative essay. It should be clear, concise, and specific. The thesis statement should state the writer’s position on the topic and provide a roadmap for the rest of the essay. It should also be arguable, meaning there should be evidence and reasoning to support the writer’s position.

Expository Essays

Expository essays are a common type of academic writing that aims to inform or explain a topic to the reader. This section will discuss the purpose, structure, and examples of expository essays.

The purpose of an expository essay is to present a balanced analysis of a topic or issue. The writer aims to explain or clarify the topic to the reader, using evidence and facts to support their arguments. Unlike narrative or descriptive writing, expository writing is focused on presenting information clearly and concisely.

The structure of an expository essay typically follows a five-paragraph format. The first paragraph is the introduction, which includes a thesis statement that summarizes the essay’s main point. The following three paragraphs are the body, which presents the evidence and arguments to support the thesis. Finally, the last paragraph is the conclusion, which restates the thesis and summarizes the essay’s main points.

Here are some examples of topics that could be covered in an expository essay:

  • The causes and effects of climate change
  • The history and significance of a particular event or invention
  • The benefits and drawbacks of a particular technology or practice
  • The process of learning a new skill or language

In conclusion, expository essays are academic writing that aims to inform or explain a topic to the reader. They follow a five-paragraph structure and present a balanced analysis using evidence and facts.

In conclusion, narrative and descriptive writing are two important styles of writing that serve different purposes. Narrative writing tells a story and conveys events, while descriptive writing paints a vivid picture of a person, place, or thing. Both styles can be used in various types of writing, such as fiction, poetry, biographies, and human interest stories.

When it comes to narrative writing, it is important to consider the basic elements of a story, such as the characters, plot, setting, and theme. Dialogue can also be used to add depth and realism to the story. On the other hand, descriptive writing focuses on sensory details, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

It is important to note that narrative and descriptive writing are distinct styles, but they can also be used together to create a more engaging and compelling piece of writing. For example, a narrative essay can include descriptive elements to enhance the reader’s understanding and emotional connection to the story.

Overall, the key to effective narrative and descriptive writing is to use clear, concise, and engaging language. By mastering these styles, writers can create powerful and memorable works that resonate with readers long after they have finished reading.

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The Ultimate Guide to Narrative Essay vs Descriptive Essay

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Narrative Essay is a personal experience narrated by the author. Whereas the descriptive essay requires an author to describe something like a place, object, experience, and more.

Still confused between the narrative essay and the descriptive essay? Don’t worry, you have an exciting ‘narrative essay vs descriptive essay’ coming up in this exciting blog post. So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Comparison Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Narrative essay.

A narrative essay tells a story. It could be based on your own experiences or from your imagination. You need to make sure it has a plot, characters, setting and a start, middle, and end. The main aim is to get the reader to connect with the story, so you need to include things like dialogue, and vivid descriptions and the events must be in order. That way it will create an emotional connection with the reader.

Descriptive Essay

A descriptive essay focuses on giving the reader a vivid sensory experience through details that appeal to their senses. The writer uses descriptive language and imagery to create an atmosphere that allows the reader to visualize and experience what is being described. Unlike a narrative essay, a descriptive one doesn’t necessarily tell a story in a particular order, but instead focuses on delivering sensory impressions.

Key Differences

Purpose:  Narrative essays tell a story with a moral or message, while descriptive essays create a vivid picture of something by using sensory details.

Structure:  Narrative essays have a story with people, events, and a specific order. Descriptive essays are all about the words and senses, usually not sticking to an exact timeline.

Emphasis:  Narrative essays try to get the reader involved and make them feel something through telling a story. Descriptive essays try to make the reader really experience it by giving them images to look at in their head.

Narrative essays are great for captivating readers with a good story, while descriptive ones can make readers feel like they’re really there with the help of detailed descriptions. It all comes down to what the writer wants to convey and which one will have the desired effect on the audience.

Narrative Essay Example

The Journey Home

The rain was pouring down hard as I dragged my feet down the street, my bag filled with textbooks and my head weighed down with stress. I had taken this route so many times, but that night felt different. Every step brought back memories – the laughs, the disagreements, the experiences that made up my college years. As I made my way along the familiar path, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to change, and an era was coming to an end.

Descriptive Essay Example

The Abandoned Carnival

The carnival was totally deserted, a spooky quietness filling the air where there had once been a lot of noise. The rickety swings creaked in the breeze, their metal chains showing the wear of the years. The booths were faded and worn, only hinting at the exciting, lively scenes they’d once seen. There was a musty smell in the air, mixed with a faint memory of the sound of kids laughing, now replaced by a creepy silence. Nature had started to take over, weeds sprouting up through the concrete and claiming back the forgotten amusement park.

In a narrative essay, the focus is all about the narrator’s personal experience, like the journey home that brings on all kinds of emotions and reflections. It has a beginning, middle, and end that tells the story of something that happened in the author’s life.

Basically, the descriptive essay takes you into the abandoned carnival and really makes you feel like you’re there. It doesn’t necessarily tell a story or go in order, but it brings the place alive with all the sensory details, and it’s meant to make you feel something about the setting.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Plot/Storyline:  A narrative essay has a plot that starts at the beginning, goes through the middle, and ends at the conclusion. It’s like a story that’s told in chronological order.

Example:  As I stepped onto the train platform, I never imagined that chance encounter would change the course of my life. It was a typical morning until.

Characters:  In a narrative essay, characters take on different parts, whether they’re people, animals, or representations of feelings or ideas.

Example:  Sarah, with her infectious laughter and unwavering optimism, was the guiding light through the darkest moments of my journey.

Setting:  The backdrop gives you an idea of the situation and kind of puts you in the space where everything’s happening.

Example:  The quaint little cafe nestled in the heart of the bustling city became our sanctuary, where conversations flowed as freely as the aromatic coffee.

Conflict/Resolution:  Typically there’s a problem or struggle that helps move the story along, ultimately resulting in a solution or some kind of growth.

Example:  The decision to leave home was daunting, but the sense of adventure overshadowed my fears, propelling me toward unknown horizons.

Point of View:  The story is usually told from the point of view of the person telling it, which allows the reader to get close to what the narrator is going through.

Example:  I gazed out of the window, watching the world pass by, pondering the twists of fate that brought me to this moment.

Elements of a Descriptive Essay

Sensory Details:  Descriptive essays put lots of emphasis on using the senses to create an image for the reader.

Example:  The warm, golden rays of the sun danced across the emerald meadow, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that bathed everything in a soft, ethereal glow.

Vivid Language/Imagery:  Using a ton of detail and colorful words helps to create a feeling you can almost touch.

Example:  The air was heavy with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the sound of crackling firewood filled the cozy cottage, embracing me in a comforting embrace of home.

Emotional Appeal:  Descriptive essays try to stir up emotions by giving lots of details.

Example:  The abandoned, dilapidated house stood as a haunting reminder of forgotten memories, evoking a sense of melancholy that lingered in the air.

Emotional Appeal:  Essays that try to paint a picture with words and get you feeling something through detailed descriptions.

Focused Description:  This essay delves into one particular topic, person, location, or event, going into great detail.

Example:  The ancient oak tree, with its gnarled branches reaching toward the heavens, cast a protective shadow over the tranquil pond below, a sanctuary for weary travelers.

Organized Structure:  Although not necessarily chronological, descriptive essays usually have an organized structure that permits the reader to easily visualize the topic.

Example:  From the top of the hill, the sprawling city unfolded like a tapestry, each building a testament to human ambition and progress. The skyline glittered against the setting sun, offering a breathtaking panorama of urban life.

Narrative essays and descriptive essays are two very different academic activities. Often at times, students get confused between the two. That’s where we felt the need to address the issue in this exciting narrative essay vs descriptive essay blog post. Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of the differences between the two.

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Home » Language » Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

Main difference – narrative vs descriptive essay.

Though there is a difference between narrative and descriptive essay, these two types of essays are often confused to be the same. Both narrative and descriptive essay can be written by any age group, as they do not contain many facts or information. They are usually used in creative writing activities for students. The main difference between narrative and descriptive essay is that a descriptive essay describes a certain person, an object or a scene while a narrative essay narrates a story .

What is a Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essay is a piece of writing that includes lot of descriptions. A descriptive essay can be about a person, a place, an object, or a feeling. In this type of essay, we can describe sensory details (sights, smells, sound, taste, touch). A good descriptive essay writer can describe his subject in such a way that vivid images are created in readers’ mind. Common descriptive essay topics include my pet, my family, my favorite place, my best friend, etc.

Extract from a Descriptive Essay:

difference between narrative and descriptive essay

“My best friend is my own cousin. Her name is Lily Adams and, she is in the same age as me. She is a pretty, tall girl with long black hair. Her deep green eyes like emeralds. Lily is a very talkative girl and she loves to help poor people. She often carries extra food in her bag to give to the poor people she meets on the road……”

What is a Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay is a piece of writing that narrates a story. A narrative essay can describe a writer’s personal experience or an imaginary incident. A good narrative essay writer can make the readers feel that he is writing about a true incident. First point of view is generally used in this type of an essay. A narrative essay also contains a plot, setting, and characters. Some narrative essay writers use dialogues as well. Some examples for narrative essays topics are an unforgettable day, my first day at school, an experience that changed, A day at the beach etc.

Extract from a Narrative Essay:

main difference between descriptive essay and narrative essay

“….As I started to swim in the warm ocean, jumping over waves, I left others behind. I was still wearing my long back skirt which was quite heavy in the water, but my feet was touching the ocean floor, so I was not worried. But at one instant, I felt my feet could not touch the ocean floor anymore and I was  plunged into the water, weighed down by my clothing. Giant  waves kept coming and I was getting sucked into the depths every time they came. I tried to call out to my friends, but no sound came out my mouth……”

How to Write a Narrative Essay

As described above, the main difference between narrative and descriptive essay is their purpose. A narrative essay is written to narrate a certain incident or experience while a descriptive essay is written in order to describe a person, a thing, or a place. In a narrative essay, first person point of view is generally used and both first and third points of views are used in a descriptive essay. A narrative essay uses a logical, more often a chronological order, but a descriptive essay does not take time factor into account. Another significant difference between narrative and descriptive essay is that a narrative essay has a plot, setting and characters as it tells a story. In addition, a narrative essay can also contain dialogues.

Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay - A Comparison

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How to Write a Descriptive Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

A descriptive essay gives a vivid, detailed description of something—generally a place or object, but possibly something more abstract like an emotion. This type of essay , like the narrative essay , is more creative than most academic writing .

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Table of contents

Descriptive essay topics, tips for writing descriptively, descriptive essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about descriptive essays.

When you are assigned a descriptive essay, you’ll normally be given a specific prompt or choice of prompts. They will often ask you to describe something from your own experience.

  • Describe a place you love to spend time in.
  • Describe an object that has sentimental value for you.

You might also be asked to describe something outside your own experience, in which case you’ll have to use your imagination.

  • Describe the experience of a soldier in the trenches of World War I.
  • Describe what it might be like to live on another planet.

Sometimes you’ll be asked to describe something more abstract, like an emotion.

If you’re not given a specific prompt, try to think of something you feel confident describing in detail. Think of objects and places you know well, that provoke specific feelings or sensations, and that you can describe in an interesting way.

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The key to writing an effective descriptive essay is to find ways of bringing your subject to life for the reader. You’re not limited to providing a literal description as you would be in more formal essay types.

Make use of figurative language, sensory details, and strong word choices to create a memorable description.

Use figurative language

Figurative language consists of devices like metaphor and simile that use words in non-literal ways to create a memorable effect. This is essential in a descriptive essay; it’s what gives your writing its creative edge and makes your description unique.

Take the following description of a park.

This tells us something about the place, but it’s a bit too literal and not likely to be memorable.

If we want to make the description more likely to stick in the reader’s mind, we can use some figurative language.

Here we have used a simile to compare the park to a face and the trees to facial hair. This is memorable because it’s not what the reader expects; it makes them look at the park from a different angle.

You don’t have to fill every sentence with figurative language, but using these devices in an original way at various points throughout your essay will keep the reader engaged and convey your unique perspective on your subject.

Use your senses

Another key aspect of descriptive writing is the use of sensory details. This means referring not only to what something looks like, but also to smell, sound, touch, and taste.

Obviously not all senses will apply to every subject, but it’s always a good idea to explore what’s interesting about your subject beyond just what it looks like.

Even when your subject is more abstract, you might find a way to incorporate the senses more metaphorically, as in this descriptive essay about fear.

Choose the right words

Writing descriptively involves choosing your words carefully. The use of effective adjectives is important, but so is your choice of adverbs , verbs , and even nouns.

It’s easy to end up using clichéd phrases—“cold as ice,” “free as a bird”—but try to reflect further and make more precise, original word choices. Clichés provide conventional ways of describing things, but they don’t tell the reader anything about your unique perspective on what you’re describing.

Try looking over your sentences to find places where a different word would convey your impression more precisely or vividly. Using a thesaurus can help you find alternative word choices.

  • My cat runs across the garden quickly and jumps onto the fence to watch it from above.
  • My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above.

However, exercise care in your choices; don’t just look for the most impressive-looking synonym you can find for every word. Overuse of a thesaurus can result in ridiculous sentences like this one:

  • My feline perambulates the allotment proficiently and capers atop the palisade to regard it from aloft.

An example of a short descriptive essay, written in response to the prompt “Describe a place you love to spend time in,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how a descriptive essay works.

On Sunday afternoons I like to spend my time in the garden behind my house. The garden is narrow but long, a corridor of green extending from the back of the house, and I sit on a lawn chair at the far end to read and relax. I am in my small peaceful paradise: the shade of the tree, the feel of the grass on my feet, the gentle activity of the fish in the pond beside me.

My cat crosses the garden nimbly and leaps onto the fence to survey it from above. From his perch he can watch over his little kingdom and keep an eye on the neighbours. He does this until the barking of next door’s dog scares him from his post and he bolts for the cat flap to govern from the safety of the kitchen.

With that, I am left alone with the fish, whose whole world is the pond by my feet. The fish explore the pond every day as if for the first time, prodding and inspecting every stone. I sometimes feel the same about sitting here in the garden; I know the place better than anyone, but whenever I return I still feel compelled to pay attention to all its details and novelties—a new bird perched in the tree, the growth of the grass, and the movement of the insects it shelters…

Sitting out in the garden, I feel serene. I feel at home. And yet I always feel there is more to discover. The bounds of my garden may be small, but there is a whole world contained within it, and it is one I will never get tired of inhabiting.

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The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

If you’re not given a specific prompt for your descriptive essay , think about places and objects you know well, that you can think of interesting ways to describe, or that have strong personal significance for you.

The best kind of object for a descriptive essay is one specific enough that you can describe its particular features in detail—don’t choose something too vague or general.

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What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

A descriptive essay is a type of creative writing that uses specific language to depict a person, object, experience, or event. The idea is to use illustrative language to show readers what the writer wants to convey – it could be as simple as a peaceful view from the top of a hill or as horrific as living in a war zone. By using descriptive language, authors can evoke a mental image in the readers’ minds, engaging readers and leaving a lasting impression, instead of just providing a play-by-play narrative.

Note that a description and descriptive essay are not the same thing. A descriptive essay typically consists of five or more well-written paragraphs with vivid imagery that can help readers visualize the content, as opposed to a description, which is typically one or more plain paragraphs with no particular structure or appeal. If you are still unsure about how to write a compelling descriptive essay, continue reading!

Table of Contents

What is a descriptive essay, types of descriptive essay topics.

  • Characteristics of descriptive essays

How to write a descriptive essay using a structured outline

Frequently asked questions.

A simple descriptive essay definition is that it is a piece of writing that gives a thorough and vivid description of an object, person, experience, or situation. It is sometimes focused more on the emotional aspect of the topic rather than the specifics. The author’s intention when writing a descriptive essay is to help readers visualize the subject at hand. Generally, students are asked to write a descriptive essay to test their ability to recreate a rich experience with artistic flair. Here are a few key points to consider when you begin writing these.

  • Look for a fascinating subject

You might be assigned a topic for your descriptive essay, but if not, you must think of a subject that interests you and about which you know enough facts. It might be about an emotion, place, event, or situation that you might have experienced.

what is the difference between descriptive and narrative essay writing

  • Acquire specific details about the topic

The next task is to collect relevant information about the topic of your choice. You should focus on including details that make the descriptive essay stand out and have a long-lasting impression on the readers. To put it simply, your aim is to make the reader feel as though they were a part of the experience in the first place, rather than merely describing the subject.

  • Be playful with your writing

To make the descriptive essay memorable, use figurative writing and imagery to lay emphasis on the specific aspect of the topic. The goal is to make sure that the reader experiences the content visually, so it must be captivating and colorful. Generally speaking, “don’t tell, show”! This can be accomplished by choosing phrases that evoke strong emotions and engage a variety of senses. Making use of metaphors and similes will enable you to compare different things. We will learn about them in the upcoming sections.

  • Capture all the different senses

Unlike other academic articles, descriptive essay writing uses sensory elements in addition to the main idea. In this type of essay writing, the topic is described by using sensory details such as smell, taste, feel, and touch. Example “ Mahira feels most at home when the lavender scent fills her senses as she lays on her bed after a long, tiring day at work . As the candle melts , so do her worries” . It is crucial to provide sensory details to make the character more nuanced and build intrigue to keep the reader hooked. Metaphors can also be employed to explain abstract concepts; for instance, “ A small act of kindness creates ripples that transcend oceans .” Here the writer used a metaphor to convey the emotion that even the smallest act of kindness can have a larger impact.

  • Maintain harmony between flavor and flow

The descriptive essay format is one that can be customized according to the topic. However, like other types of essays, it must have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The number of body paragraphs can vary depending on the topic and available information.

It is crucial to remember that a descriptive essay should have a specific topic and goal, such as sharing personal experiences or expressing emotions like the satisfaction of a good meal. This is accomplished by employing exact language, imagery, and figurative language to illustrate concrete features. These language devices allow the writer to craft a descriptive essay that effectively transmits a particular mood, feeling, or incident to readers while also conjuring up strong mental imagery. A descriptive essay may be creative, or it may be based on the author’s own experiences. Below is a description of a few descriptive essay examples that fit into these categories.

  • Personal descriptive essay example

A personal essay can look like a descriptive account of your favorite activity, a place in your neighborhood, or an object that you value. Example: “ As I step out of the front door, the crisp morning air greets me with a gentle embrace; the big chestnut tree in front, sways in the wind as if saying hello to me. The world unfolds in a symphony of awakening colors, promising a day filled with untold possibilities that make me feel alive and grateful to be born again”.

  • Imaginative descriptive essay example

You may occasionally be required to write descriptive essays based on your imagination or on subjects unrelated to your own experiences. The prompts for these kinds of creative essays could be to describe the experience of someone going through heartbreak or to write about a day in the life of a barista. Imaginative descriptive essays also allow you to describe different emotions. Example, the feelings a parent experiences on holding their child for the first time.

Characteristics of descriptive essay s

The aim of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed and vivid description of a person, place, object, event, or experience. The main goal is to create a sensory experience for the reader. Through a descriptive essay, the reader may be able to experience foods, locations, activities, or feelings that they might not otherwise be able to. Additionally, it gives the writer a way to relate to the readers by sharing a personal story. The following is a list of the essential elements of a descriptive essay:

  • Sensory details
  • Clear, succinct language
  • Organized structure
  • Thesis statement
  • Appeal to emotion

what is the difference between descriptive and narrative essay writing

How to write a descriptive essay, with examples

Writing an engaging descriptive essay is all about bringing the subject matter to life for the reader so they can experience it with their senses—smells, tastes, and textures. The upside of writing a descriptive essay is you don’t have to stick to the confinements of formal essay writing, rather you are free to use a figurative language, with sensory details, and clever word choices that can breathe life to your descriptive essay. Let’s take a closer look at how you can use these components to develop a descriptive essay that will stand out, using examples.

  • Figurative language

Have you ever heard the expression “shooting for the stars”? It refers to pushing someone to strive higher or establish lofty goals, but it does not actually mean shooting for the stars. This is an example of using figurative language for conveying strong motivational emotions. In a descriptive essay, figurative language is employed to grab attention and emphasize points by creatively drawing comparisons and exaggerations. But why should descriptive essays use metaphorical language? One it adds to the topic’s interest and humor; two, it facilitates the reader’s increased connection to the subject.

These are the five most often used figurative language techniques: personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, and allusion.

  • Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that is used to compare two things while emphasizing and enhancing the description using terms such as “like or as.”

Example: Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving – Albert Einstein

  • Metaphor: A metaphor are also used to draw similarities, but without using direct or literal comparisons like done in similes.   

Example: Books are the mirrors of the soul – Virginia Woolf, Between the acts

  • Personification: This is the process of giving nonhuman or abstract objects human traits. Any human quality, including an emotional component, a physical attribute, or an action, can be personified.

Example: Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world – Louis Pasteur

  • Hyperbole: This is an extreme form of exaggeration, frequently impractical, and usually employed to emphasize a point or idea. It gives the character more nuance and complexity.

Example: The force will be with you, always – Star Wars

  • Allusion: This is when you reference a person, work, or event without specifically mentioning them; this leaves room for the reader’s creativity.  

Example: In the text below, Robert Frost uses the biblical Garden of Eden as an example to highlight the idea that nothing, not even paradise, endures forever.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay

– Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost (1923)

Descriptive essays need a combination of figurative language and strong sensory details to make the essay more memorable. This is when authors describe the subject matter employing senses like smell, sound, touch, and taste so that the reader can relate to it better.

Example of a sensory-based descriptive essay: The earthy fragrance of freshly roasted chestnuts and the sight of bright pink, red, orange fallen leaves on the street reminded her that winter was around the corner.

  • Word choice

Word choice is everything in a descriptive essay. For the description to be enchanting, it is essential to utilize the right adjectives and to carefully consider the verbs, nouns, and adverbs. Use unusual terms and phrases that offer a new viewpoint on your topic matter instead of overusing clichés like “fast as the wind” or “lost track of time,” which can make your descriptive essay seem uninteresting and unoriginal.

See the following examples:

Bad word choice: I was so happy because the sunset was really cool.

Good word choice: I experienced immense joy as the sunset captivated me with its remarkable colors and breathtaking beauty.

  • Descriptive essay format and outline

Descriptive essay writing does not have to be disorganized, it is advisable to use a structured format to organize your thoughts and ensure coherent flow in your writing. Here is a list of components that should be a part of your descriptive essay outline:

  • Introduction
  • Opening/hook sentence
  • Topic sentence
  • Body paragraphs
  • Concrete details
  • Clincher statement

what is the difference between descriptive and narrative essay writing

Introduction:

  • Hook: An opening statement that captures attention while introducing the subject.
  • Background: Includes a brief overview of the topic the descriptive essay is based on.
  • Thesis statement: Clearly states the main point or purpose of the descriptive essay.

Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should have

  • Topic sentence: Introduce the first aspect or feature you will describe. It informs the reader about what is coming next.
  • Sensory details: Use emphatic language to appeal to the reader’s senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell).
  • Concrete details: These are actual details needed to understand the context of the descriptive essay.
  • Supporting details: Include relevant information or examples to improve the description.

Conclusion:

  • Summarize key points: Here you revisit the main features or aspects of the subject.
  • Restate thesis statement: Reinforce the central impression or emotion.
  • Clincher statement: Conclude with a statement that summarizes the entire essay and serve as the last words with a powerful message.

Revision and editing:

  • Go over your essay to make sure it is coherent, clear, and consistent.
  • Check for logical paragraph transitions by proofreading the content.
  • Examine text to ensure correct grammar, punctuation, and style.
  • Use the thesaurus or AI paraphrasing tools to find the right words.

A descriptive essay often consists of three body paragraphs or more, an introduction that concludes with a thesis statement, and a conclusion that summarizes the subject and leaves a lasting impression on readers.

A descriptive essay’s primary goal is to captivate the reader by writing a thorough and vivid explanation of the subject matter, while appealing to their various senses. A list of additional goals is as follows: – Spark feeling and imagination – Create a vivid experience – Paint a mental picture – Pique curiosity – Convey a mood or atmosphere – Highlight specific details

Although they both fall within the creative writing category, narrative essays and descriptive essays have different storytelling focuses. While the main goal of a narrative essay is to tell a story based on a real-life experience or a made-up event, the main goal of a descriptive essay is to vividly describe a person, location, event, or emotion.

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Descriptive Essay Vs. Narrative Essay

Descriptive essay vs narrative essay

Table of Contents

Understanding and appreciating the differences.

Even before the advent of civilization and modern society, writing existed in a rudimentary form. The major communication channel was the talk but writing took off and started to penetrate the social fabric. In the beginning, it was hard to differentiate between fact and fiction because of a biased approach toward personal history, but human beings, as a specie, learned to keep the differences and appreciate them.

In schools and colleges, students need to write for the most part to learn and show what and how much they learned. In terms of creative writing, essays still reign supreme. There are two major types of essays that are still used by school authorities to gauge the capabilities of students. These are descriptive essays and narrative essays. The focus of this blog is on the similarities and differences between the two.

Introduction To Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is one of the most ubiquitous forms of writing. The literal meaning of narrative is a story or an interconnected account of an event. In academics, a narrative essay is a subjective account of a personal experience or incident that changed the course of history for the writer and other characters involved in the process. The major elements of a narrative essay include a well-grounded theme, believable characters, a concrete yet symbolic setting, and a conflict to disrupt the status quo. 

A narrative essay is written to make the readers care and entertain so that they can draw parallels from the characters and contents of the narrative essays. Apart from this, narrative essays offer a ripe ground for writers to experiment with language, prose, and its application.

Descriptive Writing 101

Compared to a narrative essay, a descriptive essay is much more focused and devoid of any deeper meaning. It is defined as a personal account of a person, an object, a place, an event, or an experience. Writers rely on figurative language and sensory details to infuse life and vigor through the subject. Sometimes, the topic for a descriptive essay and a narrative essay can be the same but the contents differ a lot because of the focus on the details. 

The purpose of writing a descriptive essay is to make things and people come alive for the readers. It follows a standard essay format with three major sections, comprising different yet complementary information to bridge the gap of space and time for the readers. 

Differences Between Descriptive Essay Vs. Narrative Essay

This section is dedicated to covering the differences between writing a descriptive essay and a narrative essay. The differences range from the primary motive to literary devices, a range of subjects, and more. Students should keep in mind that the main difference between the two is their treatment and scope related to the given subject, even when a topic or a title is somewhat similar or related.

Purpose of Writing

One of the things that make a descriptive essay different from a narrative essay is its purpose of writing. The purpose of writing a narrative essay is to present a relatable and believable story to the readers. It should have a well-grounded theme, a set of characters, especially a protagonist and an antagonist, and a setting where all these things play out.

Readers can draw parallel to the things based on the narration provided by the writer. On the other side, a descriptive essay is written to describe a person, a thing, an event, or a place to the readers through figurative language and sensory details.

Dependence On Literary Devices

Another thing that sets the two types of essays apart is their dependence on literary devices. In a narrative essay, writers do not have any compulsion to rely on these to make a point. Even minimalist, simple prose can do the trick for the writers. We have seen many master storytellers such as Samuel Beckett and Ernest Hemingway who showed the writers that more can be said by saying very little or none at all. The other side of the spectrum does not correspond with that notion. In a descriptive essay, a writer has to rely on literary devices such as similes, metaphors, analogies, and more to make a point. 

Range of Subjects

The range of subjects is another aspect where the two diverge, to some extent. A narrative essay is a personal account of an incident or happening that was influential in its content and character, for both the writer and the readers. It does not revolve around a specific subject, but rather a story that leads to the conflict and then moves through it. A descriptive essay, however, focuses on the physical and metaphysical aspects of a subject under consideration. It can be a person, a thing, a place, or an event that was special for the writer. In any case, the scope and treatment of the subject can make or break the deal for both types of essays.

Essential Elements To Balance

The elements of an essay are the fundamentals that are necessary for their existence. A narrative essay has around five elements without which one cannot exist. These include a theme, a thesis statement, characters, a setting, and a conflict. For a descriptive essay, it is necessary to have vivid details, figurative language, sensory details, and a rigid structure and organization of the content to be qualified as such. The job of a writer is to balance all these elements for the benefit of the story or the description. He should play the cards right in terms of connecting the readers with the content. If this is not true, the essay is lacking in many aspects.

Tips To Write Riveting Essays

In addition to understanding the similarities and differences between the two  different types of essays , it is necessary to have a look at some of the tips and tricks. They can help students tackle different issues related to different elements and their manifestations in the content.

This section is dedicated to helping novice writers with the mechanics of writing and connecting the story or description with the readers.

Clarity of Prose And Purpose

Writing requires precision and focus to provide the exact meaning to the readers. Whether you are writing a descriptive essay or dabbling into the vocation of writing a narrative essay, it is best to understand that readers find pretentious details hard to understand and remember. No matter what your writing style is, it is best to strive for clear prose with simple sentence structure. Whenever in doubt, always err for short sentences and paragraphs. This also helps in providing a single purpose to the prose which is the part and parcel of writing an essay in the first place.

Masterful Use of Language

For a writer, the command and use of language are everything. It is as much a science as it is an art. While writing an essay, a writer should be mindful of the need for the level and depth of language. Many make the mistake of using dense and heavy words thinking they would enrich the prose. On the contrary, it can put readers off the course because they make it hard to read and not much pleasant to recite. So, masterful use of language and reliance on literary devices and moments, such as minimalism, alliterations, and more can bear exceptional fruit for the end product.

The show, Don’t Tell Rule

This adage has been used by many experts to help novice writers understand the importance of getting readers into the scene, instead of describing the scene to them. While writing an essay, you will be entrusted to provide the necessary context and details. Instead of merely stating them, you can get the reader invested in them by helping them understand and visualize the scene better. This “show, don’t tell” philosophy is at the heart of both narrative and descriptive essay writing, especially for the latter, because without it, the purpose of writing falls flat. So, the prose should be enriching and enticing in every major section of the essay.

In simple terms, an essay is a focused piece of writing that either explains, argues, describes, or narrates. Depending on the subject matter and topic of the essay, students need to write an essay focusing on one of the aspects. The common elements of an essay, of any kind, include a theme, a thesis statement, a setting, and an agent of change.

A hook is a literary device that writers employ to lure the readers into reading an essay and get them invested in the story. There are many ways a hook manifests itself, such as through a direct question, a bold statement, or a statistic that connects directly with the content of the essay. Without a working hook, it often becomes harder for readers to get past the title or the introduction.

There are three major sections in a standard essay, whether it is a narrative essay or a descriptive essay:

  • An introduction/ opening sets all the things in motion for an essay. Its contents include a hook, setting or context for the main body, and a thesis statement
  • The main body is the bulk of an essay. It is where all the essential elements of the essay come into play
  • A closing/ conclusion summarizes the main ideas and ties all the loose ends before signing off. This is what readers often remember the most from an essay

A thesis statement is a distilled version of the main theme or the idea of an essay. It covers the dynamics of topics in a single or a couple of bold sentences. The ideal place for a thesis statement is at the end of the introduction where it can transition into the main body and foreshadows the upcoming content.

Argumentative essays are considered to be the most common types of essays that are written in universities. In these essays, writers need to make a stance in a debate, either for or against the statement. Still, narrative and descriptive essays are also common in schools and colleges to gauge the writing and thinking capabilities of the students.

Having a working outline after research and gathering the necessary information is necessary to prevent bottlenecks and writer’s block along the way. It keeps the content focused and helps writers keep the destination in mind, even after numerous detours. That’s why many experts suggest outlining to be the proper first step in writing an essay.

Final Thoughts

Even though there are many similarities between narrative and descriptive essays, they are different in their form, scope, and reach. Where one is about describing a subject under consideration, the other one is about telling a story leading to a certain point and beyond.

In this post, we have covered the major differences between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay, thus providing the launch pad for students to write great essays in both categories. Apart from the content provided in this post, we urge students to study literary figures and try to emulate their style in their prose. Ultimately, it will become easier to create worlds and people in them through the power of description and narration.

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Essay Typer

How To Write A Descriptive Essay?

26 April, 2020

11 minutes read

Author:  Tomas White

Descriptive essay is one of the hardest forms of writing. To master descriptive writing, you must be creative and craft a scene that all readers can picture with words alone. This freedom and creativity can make it one of the most rewarding and fun essays to write. It is the backbone of all artful writing like poetry, novels, and even television scripts. We prepared this guide for You to learn all you need to know about descriptive writing. Let's start!

Descriptive Essay

What is a Descriptive Essay?

The goal of a descriptive essay is simple, choose a subject and describe it. The subject could be anything:

The subject of the essay

A descriptive essay is all about describing the subject in great detail. Being a type of expository writing , it gives you great freedom to paint a picture with your words, shares a once in a lifetime event with the reader or makes them feel something.  It is better to choose a descriptive essay topic that has lots of qualities to discuss for example a person might have a more interesting feature to describe than a paper towel. Choose a subject you connect with emotionally or have a personal history with. The best descriptions come from retelling an experience.

The Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Essays

The main difference between descriptive and narrative essays lies in the structure and purpose of the essay. A descriptive essay is used to describe a subject to present a clear picture of it. As such, it only requires you to describe the item in a logic fashion. A narrative essay’s purpose is to tell a story. As such, it requires a plot and logical progression to an outcome. A person’s face can be the subject of a descriptive essay. But it would be hard to write a narrative piece that follows the person’s face as the central plot of a story.

Showing VS Telling

Show details while describing

A descriptive essay values details over facts. This is also known as showing vs. telling. To  show  something is to describe using the five senses, how it looks, how it smells, how it tastes, how it feels and how it sounds. Imagine the reader as an alien, who has never experienced the subject for themselves. How would you describe it then?

To give you an understanding of how to differentiate between showing and telling I’ll write an example of a descriptive paper that describes my favorite place.

Description sample

The above example tells you, as it doesn’t evoke any of your senses. It is a senseless description . It’s vague and hard to imagine.

Good example of a Descriptive Essay

This description is more detail and easier to imagine because of the following changes:

  • The choice of words like ‘haven’ instead of ‘like’ add a showing element as it is showing in what way I like the library.
  • Putting describers before items like ‘brightly colored’ books makes it easier to see.
  • And choosing words with more like ‘towering’ instead of ‘tall’ makes the description less full.
  • The description of the books shows what they do, not what they are. These are important points to consider when writing a descriptive essay.

A good exercise for descriptive writing and is to read descriptive essay examples and pick out the words that do the four points outlined above. Analyzing other’s descriptive writing will make your own descriptive work stronger. Can you pick out another place in the descriptive essay example above where those four changes occur and what it lends to the description?

Still having problems with your descriptive paper? All you need is to request help from our top-notch essay writing service and our essay writer make it for you !

How to Choose a Descriptive Essay Topic?

When deciding what to highlight about your topic, take a step back and look at what draws you to it. A campfire has bright, flickering colors, a satisfying crackling sound, and a sort of flow as it moves from the bottom to the tip of the flame. Place yourself in proximity to the subject and describe the parts that stimulate your senses the most.

Title Examples of Descriptive Essays

Here are some examples of descriptive essay topics that are fun to write:

Topics for a Descriptive Essay

Pick something you can see right now and think about how you’d describe that.

Related Posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics

How to Set Up a Proper Description?

Slow down and think about what you want to invoke. Don’t rush into a description or you’ll likely end up with something weaker than you could have. Take your topic aside and write some sentences describing how it charms each sense – the five senses being:

Keep a thesaurus on hand to switch some of the more basic words out. If you can read your paragraph back and vividly imagine the item you’ve described, you’ve done it.

How to write a Descriptive Essay Outline

The plan of writing

Starting your descriptive essay without a plan can lead to a messy and sprawling description.  Learning to outline your ideas is just as important as knowing how to write them.

Related Posts: How to write an Essay outline  | How to write an Essay introduction  

 Creating an Introduction for a Descriptive Writing

Once you have chosen the subject to write you need to plan the introduction for your descriptive paper. An introduction needs to include a thesis statement and three features of the thing you are describing.   The introduction should start with a thesis statement that states how you feel about your topic. This should then be supported with three qualities defining those feelings.

Examples of a thesis statement

These thesis statements aren’t meant to be complex. All they’re meant to do is to set up your reader for your descriptions. It is important to include three reasons that you can expand on describe in great detail as they will form the paragraphs of your descriptive paper.

Planning and Writing the Body of a Descriptive Essay

Looking at your thesis statement, take those three reasons and break them down into their own paragraphs. Describe hanging out with your friends at the beach, talk about the food you’d eat, the activities you’d participate in. Detail what huskies do when they’re energetic, what shows that they get along with other dogs?

It helps to write about each way you can describe an item on a separate sheet of paper. Use that sheet as your descriptive essay outline. Take each item and write what sense you can use to describe the item in each paragraph.

For example, if you want to talk about eating a popsicle on the beach you could include how cold against your tongue for touch, that it smelt and tasted like raspberries, it was a bright red, and shaped like a rocket for sight, and the sound you made it as you bit on it, or the sound you made as it rocketed into your mouth. Expand this into a paragraph keeping the most vivid description.

Force your reader to imagine objects

Force your reader to imagine these objects in their head. Help them visualize it, pour your vision into the paper and focus on both the small and the big details. Just don’t go overboard. It’s important to have a few great descriptors rather than a ton of average ones.

When describing an object, go about it in a practical sense. Don’t just throw details on the page, talk about them in order. Describe a mountain from its peak to it’s middle all the way down to its base. You wouldn’t go from the middle to the base to the peak, would you? This way, you’re keeping your reader engaged with the topic.

Concluding a Descriptive Essay

Concluding descriptive writing is easy. All you have to show why the subject you described is important to you. All you have to do is show the reader what you implied. Show why it has meaning, and why they should care.

Descriptive Essay Example

Drafting your essay.

Make sure that your essay responds to these questions

Where the organization comes to fruition. When writing your essay, keep the reader in your head at all times. Constantly as yourself: “Is this vivid enough?” Don’t focus much on grammar, get the content onto the paper.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Once you’ve finished writing your essay, read it back and make sure it responds positively to each of these questions:

  • Are these descriptions making my writing visual? Could I make them more vivid?
  • Have I used these descriptions to detail my emotions to the reader?
  • Do these descriptions convey each of the five senses?
  • Have I gone into enough details in each paragraph?
  • Are my descriptions in an orderly fashion?

If you believe your essay fits these criteria, then you’re good to go on the content side.

Perfecting the Essay

Double check your essay

Read it through a couple more times. Take some time away from it and then come back with a fresh mindset.  Correct any grammar issues you see, and double check that it answers all of the questions mentioned above. Once that’s done, you’ll have an essay worthy of an A+ grade.

From Our Writers: Tips on How to Write a Good Descriptive Essay

  • Be sensitive. Some writers are scared to show their true selves, but the point of a descriptive essay is to talk about how an object affects your senses and emotions. Keep this in mind during all stages of the essay.
  • Put effort into unique descriptions. Don’t settle for standard words, spend some time searching out alternatives to common descriptive words. It will only help the reader envision your thoughts.
  • Write about something that you care about. If you choose something you don’t have much personal experience with, you can’t truly write from the heart.

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A Clear Guide to Descriptive Narrative Essay

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A descriptive narrative essay is often confused by students due to the similarities between a descriptive and narrative essay. Both of these essays can be written by people of any age as they don’t contain facts but rather involve a creative approach.

This article will guide you through the difference between descriptive and narrative essays in detail.

Descriptive Vs. Narrative: What’s the Difference?

A descriptive paragraph gives the reader a lively experience by using vivid language and details of the subject and surroundings.

They’re not necessarily personal in nature. However, narrative paragraphs incorporate personal ideas, feelings, and growth.

The key difference between the two essays is:

  • A descriptive essay is supposed to provide a detailed description of a specific place, object, or concept. The art of descriptive writing involves paying attention to sensory details.
  • A narrative essay is intended to present a whole story. These essays are often personal, anecdotal, or experiential, which allows students to express themselves more creatively.

What Is a Descriptive Narrative Essay?

Descriptive narrative essays are essays that attempt to capture or recreate events from the audience’s point of view. They are not intended to be a guide to how to feel about said events but to convey what occurred in a facilitated manner.

A steaming cup of coffee next to a stack of old books

Descriptive Essays in Detail

Descriptive essays involve many descriptions of a person, place, object, or feeling . The five sensory details, sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch, are employed in this type of writing.

Good descriptive writing should paint vivid pictures of the situation in the reader’s mind about the subject or surroundings. Examples of descriptive essay topics could be a haunted place, my pet, my best friend, my family, our new house, and more.

Narrative Essays in Detail

As the name suggests, a narrative essay is used to narrate a complete story in a sequence. The author could share an imaginative story or a personal experience.

A good narrative story contains a plot, setting, and characters that make the reader feel like it is a true incident. Writers often use the first point of view in this type of essay and also employ dialogues. Examples of narrative essay topics could be a trip to remember, the first day at school, an exciting Christmas Eve, and more.

Benefits of Teaching Descriptive Writing

Let’s look at some of the key benefits of teaching descriptive writing to students:

  • It helps students make their writing more captivating and interesting to the readers.
  • This allows students to practice using new words in meaningful contexts, which is a crucial aspect of building vocabulary.
  • It enables students to observe and reflect on the methods employed by other authors to create vivid descriptions.
  • Descriptive essays use figurative language, mostly similes, metaphors, personification, and onomatopoeia. Students can develop their critical verbal reasoning abilities by noticing figurative language in mentor texts and using it in their own work.
  • Students can clarify their understanding of new subject matter material and remember more of what they have learned through it.

Wrapping Up

The differences between a descriptive and narrative essay are much more than merely a different type of essay. Some of the most significant differences lie in the nature of the topics discussed and the reasons for writing.

People prefer descriptive essays when they want to explore a topic by providing a detailed description of an individual or event . But narrative essays let you be creative while telling a personal story you have experienced.

A Clear Guide to Descriptive Narrative Essay

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Differences Between Narrative & Descriptive Writing

Karen hartless.

A young female student types on her laptop

Seasoned writers weave descriptive and narrative writing to create compelling reading, but the two styles have distinct purposes and features emerging writers need to master separately. Descriptive writing attempts to capture the details of a topic and accurately portray its elements to readers. Narrative writing attempts to relay a story using chronological order or time sequence. Since good description often is needed in telling a story, students should master descriptive writing elements before crafting longer works of fiction.

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  • The Purpose of Descriptive Writing

Descriptive Writing Techniques

  • The Purpose of Narrative Writing
  • Narrative Writing Techniques

1 The Purpose of Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing relies on sensory detail: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell to create a three-dimensional portrayal of an object, person, place, emotion or even an idea. The purpose is to give the reader as much detail as possible and to describe the subject in a new way that makes the subject unforgettable. The famous novel "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole, starts with this description: "A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once." Toole accomplishes a memorable description of the title character by utilizing spatial organization and figurative language, techniques all writers can master with practice.

2 Descriptive Writing Techniques

Descriptive writing uses illustrative or spatial organization to create a logical image of the subject. Directional signal words, such as below or above, help readers follow along with transitions in your descriptions. If your are describing something abstract, use illustrative signal words such as in addition, and for example. Figurative language makes descriptive writing unique. Metaphors and similes help readers imagine a subject by comparing it directly to another more familiar item. When applicable, use sound devices such as onomatopoeia and alliteration to help readers envision subjects more clearly. Small assignments with limited word counts describing tangible or concrete items will help students build the skills needed to write descriptively.

3 The Purpose of Narrative Writing

Narrative writing attempts to tell a story, but often can use description to help readers picture the elements involved. Narrative writing has a point of view, which usually is first-person or third-person. Herman Melville's opening lines to "Moby Dick" establish a first-person narration: "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago -- never mind how long precisely -- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Narrative writing includes characters, a setting and a plot of events -- exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Narrative writing also develops a moral or theme for its readers through the integration of various fictional elements.

4 Narrative Writing Techniques

Narrative writing uses chronological or time order to describe a sequence of events. Sequence signal words, such as first, second and next, help move a narrative forward. Flashbacks and flash-forwards are techniques used to jump through time and switch between different points of view. Foreshadowing or hinting at something before it happens is a technique that entices readers to continue reading. Narrative writing often contains dialogue or conversations between characters, which helps move the action forward and allows readers to connect with characters. While narrative writing includes detailed descriptions, the narrative writer needs to focus on telling a logical story.

  • 1 Short List: Literature's Greatest Opening Paragraphs

About the Author

Based in Winchester, Va., Karen Hartless has 10 years of teaching experience in the areas of English, creative writing and public speaking. She earned a Master of Education degree as a reading specialist from Shenandoah University, focusing on teaching, reading, and writing clear, concise text.

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Descriptive and Narrative Essay Styles

Published by Grace Graffin at August 17th, 2021 , Revised On August 22, 2023

Argumentative essays are the most common type of essays , but you could be asked to write a descriptive or narrative essay by your tutor.

These two types of essays are different from argumentative essays, as they permit the writer to express the content in a natural yet comprehensive manner. Hence, readers can grasp the exact concept without any confusion.

Argumentative essays , as the name suggests, are more about arguments and providing counterarguments. On the contrary, descriptive and narrative essays can be used to win an argument by appealing to the audience’s emotions.

This tactic can be really helpful, particularly when starting a  personal statement  for admission to a college or university.

Descriptive and narrative essays are structured so that a deliberate effort is made in portraying a specific meaning to drive the reader’s perception. This is usually in a style that alters the meaning of something that one perceives.

Differences Between Descriptive and Narrative Essays

In this article, we will come to know the characteristics of descriptive as well as narrative essays. Let’s discuss these below:

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive essays need to share experiences and events with readers so that they experience the same feelings. You should express the subject-object relationship so that the readers feel so close to the experience it is like they went through it themselves.

Which Approach Should You Take?

There are two main approaches to a descriptive essay. The personal essay will require you to talk about your feelings and responses. This is the type of essay where you will use evocative and vivid language in order to describe an experience and gain empathy from your readers.

A more academic descriptive essay that describes, for example, political or historical events, will likely require writing in more academic language . This type of essay will describe in detail something that is not connected to you personally. The essay can still be engaging, as long as it is not excessively formal.

The Theme of Your Descriptive Essay

There are different themes that you can be instructed to write about in a descriptive essay:

  • Describe someone who has had an impact on your life.
  • Describe a situation or experience that changed your opinion on something.

Essays such as these will require you to draw from your own experience and memory. The aim is to show the reader how something impacted your life or how an experience taught you a valuable lesson. In doing so, you should work to make this as real as you can for your readers.

Imaginative

  • Describe the experience of a slave in 18th century USA.
  • Describe how it might feel to have to flee your home country because of war.

Themes like these are likely to be outside of your lived experience and as such you will have to best portray them using your imagination.

  • Describe the feeling of inspiration.
  • Describe how it is to be in despair.

Describing feelings and emotions in detail can be quite challenging, and many people struggle . People know the meanings of the words, but it will be down to your writing skills to convey them to your reader. How can this be done without writing something that appears like an extended dictionary definition?

Tips for Writing Descriptive Essays

Find appropriate words.

Writers with good essay writing skills pay attention to each word they write in an essay. They want to make sure the words convey the intended meanings to the reader.

To make their writing more understandable, many writers prefer to use sensory language (related to the senses) in their essays over cerebral language (related to the intellect). Expert writers will describe things using the five senses, bringing a descriptive essay to life. Using figurative language in metaphors and similes allows for memorable images, and it is acceptable to use very strong descriptions where needed.

Your essay will benefit if you employ this use of language. But you should be careful not to overuse things. And there are some things you should not do.

Use Writing Tools in Moderation

Try to resist the habit to overuse certain writing tools. Sometimes more is less, meaning that if you use something too much, it ends up being less effective. Avoid the use of clichés; describing something as “dry as a bone” is the same as saying “it is dry”. Everyone knows the meaning and it adds nothing to your work. Using a thesaurus will increase your vocabulary and help you structure original descriptions and sentences.

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Design the Sentence Structure Carefully

The structure of a sentence depends on its length. Keeping your sentences too short can make your writing appear unsophisticated and your ideas seem disconnected. On the other hand, consistently writing very long sentences, despite having properly placed  transitions , could make the essay lose its focus.

Also Read: How to Use Parallel Structure in Writing?

The best way to cut down a  long sentence  is to figure out your main points. The length of sentences in an essay creates the essay’s overall mood, which can divert the reader’s attention if not paid necessary attention. This is also true of formal academic writing in a descriptive essay; the tone and voice are important.

What is the Difference between Essays and Reports?

If you have made notes on a certain experience that you are going to describe, it will allow you to gather and present your statement more compactly. Whether you share the actual experience or your imagination of it, it always helps deliver your message fully to the readers when you provide all the relevant information.

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Narrative Essay Topics

It is advisable to study the keywords in your essay prompt. There might not be quite enough detail in the prompt, so you could find that you have to choose and develop a topic . There are many themes you may be expected to cover in your essay. The following list covers some of the main principles:

  • Showing conflict or challenge – An event or experience where you or another encountered a conflict, challenge, or were tested.
  • Prevailing against the odds – Either where two parties are in opposition to each other or one party prevails against natural forces, for example.
  • Personal growth – An honest account of how an experience changed you for the better.
  • Something of value to you – An explanation about why something is important to you. Make the reader really feel how strongly you value this.

Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Make an outline for your narrative essay.

It is recommended to plan your essay , as the idea of narrative essays is to communicate to your readers about the subject clearly. Tell your readers what you intend to talk about, why you chose this subject, and why it is important.

To make a better sentence structure for your narrative essay, you can use foreshadowing and past events. Remember to tell the story in chronological order, do not deviate from the plot, and try to show rather than tell as much as possible.

Bring Your Narrative to Life

You cannot show your reader pictures, you only have words to use. But you can use words to create pictures in the reader’s mind with visual, descriptive language. You can also give them words to listen to: Instead of he told me to stop , use direct quotes, “ Stop right there! ” he said, and jabbed a thick finger menacingly into my chest . These are the kind of quotations you can use freely, likely with no need for referencing .

Explain the Narrator as a Character

If you want to play the role of the narrator yourself, you need to pick the character traits you can share as a narrator. A compact narrative essay will explain the narrator’s identity, which will consequently have a deep impact on the story and its focus.

Readers will not get to know the narration’s main theme unless they get to know about the narrator. Let’s understand this through an example: If the narrator is not reliable or trustworthy, you can let him narrate his story in his own voice and indirectly raise questions about the approach.

In contrast to this, you can use a reliable narrator and support the argument by providing evidence and opinions that support the narrator’s arguments.

Also Read: How to Write an Essay?

To conclude, a narrative essay is all about narrating a story, while the idea of a descriptive essay is to describe something in a way that the reader should perceive perfectly for himself. Essayists find it challenging to narrowly focus on a narrative essay, while a descriptive essay is difficult in terms of organisation . Order Your Essay Now   View Sample Essay Essay Writing Help

Descriptive and Narrative Essays Checklist

Frequently asked questions, can an essay be both descriptive and narrative.

Yes, an essay can combine descriptive and narrative elements. A well-crafted essay can use descriptive language to vividly portray scenes and events while incorporating a narrative structure to tell a story, engaging readers on both sensory and storytelling levels for a richer experience.

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Critical Writing 101

Descriptive vs analytical vs critical writing.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | April 2017

Across the thousands of students we work with , descriptive writing (as opposed to critical or analytical writing) is an incredibly pervasive problem . In fact, it’s probably the biggest killer of marks in dissertations, theses and research papers . So, in this post, we’ll explain the difference between descriptive and analytical writing in straightforward terms, along with plenty of practical examples.

analytical and descriptive writing

Descriptive vs Analytical Writing

Writing critically is one of the most important skills you’ll need to master for your academic journey, but what exactly does this mean?

Well, when it comes to writing, at least for academic purposes, there are two main types – descriptive writing and critical writing. Critical writing is also sometimes referred to as analytical writing, so we’ll use these two terms interchangeably.

To understand what constitutes critical (or analytical) writing, it’s useful to compare it against its opposite, descriptive writing. At the most basic level, descriptive writing merely communicates the “ what ”, “ where ”, “ when ” or “ who ”. In other words, it describes a thing, place, time or person. It doesn’t consider anything beyond that or explore the situation’s impact, importance or meaning. Here’s an example of a descriptive sentence:

  “Yesterday, the president unexpectedly fired the minister of finance.”

As you can see, this sentence just states what happened, when it happened and who was involved. Classic descriptive writing.

Contrasted to this, critical writing takes things a step further and unveils the “ so what? ” – in other words, it explains the impact or consequence of a given situation. Let’s stick with the same event and look at an example of analytical writing:

“The president’s unexpected firing of the well-respected finance minister had an immediate negative impact on investor confidence. This led to a sharp decrease in the value of the local currency, especially against the US dollar. This devaluation means that all dollar-based imports are now expected to rise in cost, thereby raising the cost of living for citizens, and reducing disposable income.”

As you can see in this example, the descriptive version only tells us what happened (the president fired the finance minister), whereas the critical version goes on to discuss some of the impacts of the president’s actions.

Analysis

Ideally, critical writing should always link back to the broader objectives of the paper or project, explaining what each thing or event means in relation to those objectives. In a dissertation or thesis, this would involve linking the discussion back to the research aims, objectives and research questions – in other words, the golden thread .

Sounds a bit fluffy and conceptual? Let’s look at an example:

If your research aims involved understanding how the local environment impacts demand for specialty imported vegetables, you would need to explain how the devaluation of the local currency means that the imported vegetables would become more expensive relative to locally farmed options. This in turn would likely have a negative impact on sales, as consumers would turn to cheaper local alternatives.

As you can see, critical (or analytical) writing goes beyond just describing (that’s what descriptive writing covers) and instead focuses on the meaning of things, events or situations, especially in relation to the core research aims and questions.

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what is the difference between descriptive and narrative essay writing

But wait, there’s more.

This “ what vs so what”  distinction is important in understanding the difference between description and analysis, but it is not the only difference – the differences go deeper than this. The table below explains some other key differences between descriptive and analytical writing.

Should I avoid descriptive writing altogether?

Not quite. For the most part, you’ll need some descriptive writing to lay the foundation for the critical, analytical writing. In other words, you’ll usually need to state the “what” before you can discuss the “so what”. Therefore, description is simply unavoidable and in fact quite essential , but you do want to keep it to a minimum and focus your word count on the analytical side of things.

As you write, a good rule of thumb is to identify every what (in other words, every descriptive point you make) and then check whether it is accompanied by a so what (in other words, a critical conclusion regarding its meaning or impact).

Of course, this won’t always be necessary as some conclusions are fairly obvious and go without saying. But, this basic practice should help you minimise description, maximise analysis, and most importantly, earn you marks!

Let’s recap.

So, the key takeaways for this post are as follows:

  • Descriptive writing focuses on the what , while critical/analytical writing focuses on the so what .
  • Analytical writing should link the discussion back to the research aims, objectives or research questions (the golden thread).
  • Some amount of description will always be needed, but aim to minimise description and maximise analysis to earn higher marks.

what is the difference between descriptive and narrative essay writing

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19 Comments

Sarah

Thank you so much. This was helpful and a switch from the bad writing habits to the good habits.

Derek Jansen

Great to hear that, Sarah. Glad you found it useful!

Anne Marie

I am currently working on my Masters Thesis and found this extremely informative and helpful. Thank you kindly.

Marisa

I’m currently a University student and this is so helpful. Thank you.

Divya Madhuri Nankiya

It really helped me to get the exact meaning of analytical writing. Differences between the two explains it well

Linda Odero

Thank you! this was very useful

Bridget

With much appreciation, I say thank you. Your explanations are down to earth. It has been helpful.

olumide Folahan

Very helpful towards my theses journey! Many thanks 👍

joan

very helpful

very helpful indeed

Felix

Thanks Derek for the useful coaching

Diana Rose Oyula

Thank you for sharing this. I was stuck on descriptive now I can do my corrections. Thank you.

Siu Tang

I was struggling to differentiate between descriptive and analytical writing. I googled and found this as it is so helpful. Thank you for sharing.

Leonard Ngowo

I am glad to see this differences of descriptive against analytical writing. This is going to improve my masters dissertation

Thanks in deed. It was helpful

Abdurrahman Abdullahi Babale

Thank you so much. I’m now better informed

Stew

Busy with MBA in South Africa, this is very helpful as most of the writing requires one to expound on the topics. thanks for this, it’s a salvation from watching the blinking cursor for hours while figuring out what to write to hit the 5000 word target 😂

Ggracious Enwoods Soko

It’s been fantastic and enriching. Thanks a lot, GRAD COACH.

Sunil Pradhan

Wonderful explanation of descriptive vs analytic writing with examples. This is going to be greatly helpful for me as I am writing my thesis at the moment. Thank you Grad Coach. I follow your YouTube videos and subscribed and liked every time I watch one.

Abdulai Gariba Abanga

Very useful piece. thanks

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Narrative Essay – A Guide For Your Academic Writing

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Narrative-essay-Definition

Narrative essays, which are often included as part of an academic essay , are crafted from a specific perspective, often that of the author, to captivate the reader with the story’s intricate details and progression. The use of vivid and distinct verb tenses enriches the narrative. The personalized, experiential, and frequently anecdotal character of these narratives offers students the liberty to convey their thoughts in unique and often emotionally resonant manners.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

  • 1 Narrative Essay – In a Nutshell
  • 2 Definition: Narrative essay
  • 3 What is a narrative essay for?
  • 4 Elements of a narrative essay
  • 5 Finding a topic for a narrative essay
  • 6 Narrative essay vs. Short story
  • 7 Example of a narrative essay

Narrative Essay – In a Nutshell

  • A narrative essay is a piece of writing meant to be informative and engaging as it unfolds a story or an event.
  • When writing a narrative essay, ensure you have adequate research or experience with the topic, so you don’t have to research too much.
  • Unlike many other essays , narrative essays often use first-person perspectives.

Definition: Narrative essay

A narrative essay is a kind of academic writing that examines an intriguing subject using the first-person experiences and observations of one or more people. It may be applied to create a narrative about a person’s life or describe a specific historical event or period.

To craft a captivating story that informs readers about the topic, the author employs both their own words and quotations from additional sources.

A narrative essay is a writing in which the author tells a story depending on what is best suited. The narrative form can be either spoken or written, fiction or nonfiction. Unlike other essay formats, these papers permit the use of the first person .

Ireland

What is a narrative essay for?

Telling a tale is the primary goal of a narrative essay. It may be something straightforward, like a tale of your summer adventures, or something intricate, like the story of your life. As a result, the narrative serves two purposes:

  • Entertaining the audience
  • Highlighting the significance of the experience.

Elements of a narrative essay

Like any other essay, the skeleton of a narrative must consist of:

  • A sensible title
  • An introduction
  • Body paragraphs
  • A conclusion .

The narrative length is as long as the narrator or writer wishes.

However, this essay has other sub-elements that make it remarkable and enchanting to the audience. It includes the:

  • Exposition (setting and character introduction)
  • Rising action (events that develop conflict for the protagonist)
  • Climax (the point at which the tension of the conflict reaches its peak intensity)
  • Falling action (the events that occur after the climax)
  • Denouement (the resolution of conflict)

Finding a topic for a narrative essay

To keep readers reading and interested when writing a narrative essay, your topic needs to be something you can write about engagingly. It is also crucial that the subject is one that can be thoroughly investigated and has great detail. You will have more facts to write about in your essay as you do more studying on the topic.

Finding a subject you are passionate about is essential while writing a narrative essay. This subject can cover everything from what you are doing right now to what you have done in the past. The easiest method to accomplish this is to conduct a study and discover what other people have done in similar situations.

Additionally, you ought to search online or in printed books for illustrations of other narratives dealing with the identical subject. When it comes time to put your narrative in writing, the more knowledge you have about your topic, the better.

Narrative essay vs. Short story

Example of a narrative essay.

Below is the beginning section of a narrative essay about the first time I saw a picture of myself.

Narrative-essay-example

What is the difference between narrative and essay?

A narrative emphasizes the significance of your personal experience and conveys a core topic or a key lesson in addition to narrating a story, while an essay is a researched write-up about a subject.

More often than not, essays explore remote subjects, compared to narratives that are given by someone who was present as the events unfolded.

What is the most important element of narrative writing?

The storyline is the most crucial component of every play, novel, short story, or genre of literature.

The story’s action, or plot, determines how the work is structured. The story’s development, progression, and progression over time are all part of the plot.

What is a good narrative essay topic?

Events like relocating, graduating, traveling, and weddings are suitable topics for personal narrative essays. So long as you have a memorable story you want to narrate, you can write this type of essay.

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Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Writing

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Descriptive writing

Table of Contents

Understanding the Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Writing

Nowadays, every second student is confused about  what is descriptive and narrative  writing ? And what is the difference between these two. Therefore, in this guide, we will talk about the purpose of descriptive and narrative writing along with their differences.

[ Related: Characteristics of Academic Writing ]

Main Purpose of Descriptive Writing

If we are writing a descriptive essay , then keep in mind that it is based on sensory information . The term sensory information means that sound, taste, smell, sight and touch. In simple words, an incident or event you have encountered personally or have seen it happening. In descriptive writing, we develop three-dimensional portrayal of place, feelings, thoughts, object and person. The objective of descriptive writing is to provide the reader enough information about something as much as you can.

Example of Descriptive Writing

Let’s take an example of the renowned novel written by John Kennedy named “A Confederacy of Dunces”. In this novel, the writer begins with the following description:

“A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles……”

Basically, through the words, we can clearly get the image in our mind. This is the ideal technique of descriptive writing that through your use of words, you can create that image in the reader’s mind.

Techniques of Descriptive Writing

Let’s talk about the techniques and tricks of descriptive writing :

  • In descriptive piece of writing or essays , we use illustrative organization to develop the logical picture of the specific subject.
  • Use of directional signal words assist readers to create the images in their mind. In case, you are writing something abstract then you can utilize figurative language. It will make your writing unique and interesting for the reader.
  • Use of similes and metaphors facilitate readers to imagine the situation in their mind easily.
  • You can also use sound devices in your writing for a vivid idea.

Main Purpose of Narrative Writing

In comparison to descriptive writing, writer tells the story in narrative writing. In the narrative writing, authors normally use different pictures to provide the clear idea to his/her reader. Narrative writing includes point of view (It can be first person or third person point of view). In narrative writing, there are different elements like characters, plots, incidents, setting, time, climax, rising action, exposition, falling action, catastrophe or resolution.

Narrative writing also includes a theme or moral lesson for its readers.

Techniques of Narrative Writing

Let’s have a look on some of the techniques used by writers in narrative writing:

  • In narrative writing, time and chronological order is usually used to highlight any event.
  • Authors generally use sequence signal words to make a reader understand the story.
  • Use of flashback technique is very common in narrative writing. This technique is used to jump through on any event any time.
  • Use of dialogue is very common in narrative writing that helps the reader to get idea about actions and characters personality.
  • Lastly, narrative writing includes complete information. In short, author needs to highlight something logical.

Similarities Between Descriptive and Narrative Writing

  • If we talk about similarities between descriptive and narrative writing , then they both follow the same essay format .
  • In both descriptive and narrative writing, you have to start from an introductory paragraph and ending will be took place with a proper conclusion .
  • In the end of the introductory paragraph, you will place a thesis . In short, a sentence explaining the purpose of your overall writing! You have to provide a reason; need to explain why a specific incident, person, object and place are important for you. Why did you write about it?
  • Moreover, this thesis will also explain that you have learned something from things, you are talking about.
  • In both descriptive and narrative writing, make sure to add specific information in the paragraphs to support your ideas.

[Related: Difference Between Autobiography and Narrative ]

Just like few similarities, descriptive and narrative writing has difference too. Let’s talk about it below.

Introduction

In descriptive writing, the introduction is all about what the subject to be discussed in your writing. The reader can easily guess what is going to be the next. On the other hand, the narrative writing is based on suspense and writer does not reveal the story all of a sudden. In order to end up the mystery, the reader has to go through from the paper.

Point of View

Narrative writing is written with first person perspective. On the other hand, descriptive writing has third person point of view in it. Moreover, descriptive writing includes place, person and object. On the other hand, in narrative writing, the writer talks about his/her personal experience.

Paragraph Structure

In narrative writing, you can write two sentences in one paragraph. However, in descriptive one, you can write long paragraphs. The use of dialogues is quite common in descriptive writing in comparison to narrative writing.

The ending part in narrative writing can be short and to the point. However, in descriptive essay the conclusion portion can be long and detailed one.

Overall Technique and Structure

If we talk about descriptive writing or essay, then the events use to represent in the chronological form. There is a time frame in it. The writer uses the time feature to show different incidents to create a clear idea in reader’s mind. On the other hand, in narrative writing , you are not bound to follow a strict time frame to talk about any incident.

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Critical writing: Descriptive vs critical

  • Managing your reading
  • Source reliability
  • Critical reading
  • Descriptive vs critical
  • Deciding your position
  • The overall argument
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  • Alternative viewpoints
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“Descriptions: they report information about something, but they don't perform any kind of reasoning - and nor do they pass judgement on or analyse the information they contain.” Tom Chatfield, Critical Thinking

Many of students are told that their writing is too descriptive and not critical enough. But what does this actually mean? This page describes both sorts of writing so that you can see the difference and gives examples of how to make your writing less descriptive and more critical.

Descriptive versus critical writing

Descriptive writing.

This is an essential element of academic writing but it is used to set the background and to provide evidence rather than to develop argument. When writing descriptively you are informing your reader of things that they need to know to understand and follow your argument but you are not transforming that information in any way. This is usually writing about things you have read, done (often as part of reflective writing ) or observed.

a visual representation of the text

Critical writing

When writing critically, you are developing a reasoned argument and participating in academic debate. Essentially you are persuading your reader of your position on the topic at hand. This is about taking the information you have described and using it in some way. This could be writing things like:

  • why it is relevant to your argument,
  • how it relates to other literature,
  • how it relates to the focus of your assignment
  • how a theory can be put into practice,
  • why it is significant,
  • why you are not persuaded by it,
  • how it leads you to reach your conclusion.

A visual representation of the text

The University of Leeds gives some good examples of descriptive vs critical writing on their website: Critical writing .

Table comparing functions of descriptive and critical writing

The table below gives more examples of the difference between descriptive and critical writing 

Persuade don't inform

To summarise, when you are writing critically you are persuading the reader of your position on something whereas when you are writing descriptively you are just informing them of something you have read, observed or done. We take you through the process of deciding on, and demonstrating your position in your writing on the next page: Deciding your position .

Persuade don't inform

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COMMENTS

  1. Narrative vs Descriptive Writing: Understanding the Key Differences

    Narrative writing is designed to tell a complete story, while descriptive writing conveys an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept. Narrative writing involves telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It is often used in novels, short stories, and memoirs.

  2. What are the differences between narrative and descriptive writing?

    2. Descriptive Writing paints pictures with words or recreates a scene or experience for the reader. Narrative Writing on the other hand, relates a series of events either real or imaginary or chronologically arranged and from a particular point of view. For short, the descriptive is to describe and the narrative is to tell information.

  3. What's the difference between a narrative essay and a descriptive essay?

    The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

  4. The Four Main Types of Essay

    Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way. At university level, argumentative essays are the most common type.

  5. Narrative essay vs descriptive essay

    Purpose: Narrative essays tell a story with a moral or message, while descriptive essays create a vivid picture of something by using sensory details. Structure: Narrative essays have a story with people, events, and a specific order. Descriptive essays are all about the words and senses, usually not sticking to an exact timeline.

  6. Learn 4 Types of Writing

    Company Learn the Types of Writing: Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive, and Narrative Catherine Traffis Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose.

  7. Difference Between Narrative and Descriptive Essay

    The main difference between narrative and descriptive essay is that a descriptive essay describes a certain person, an object or a scene while a narrative essay narrates a story. What is a Descriptive Essay Descriptive essay is a piece of writing that includes lot of descriptions.

  8. How to Write a Descriptive Essay

    A descriptive essay gives a vivid, detailed description of something—generally a place or object, but possibly something more abstract like an emotion. This type of essay, like the narrative essay, is more creative than most academic writing.

  9. What is a Descriptive Essay? How to Write It (with Examples)

    A descriptive essay's primary goal is to captivate the reader by writing a thorough and vivid explanation of the subject matter, while appealing to their various senses. A list of additional goals is as follows: - Spark feeling and imagination. - Create a vivid experience. - Paint a mental picture. - Pique curiosity.

  10. How to Write a Narrative Essay in 5 Steps

    Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a narrative essay? A narrative essay typically tells a true story that may have a few elements changed for clarity or dramatic purposes. However, this isn't a requirement. You can format a fictional story as a narrative essay.

  11. Narrative Vs. Descriptive Writing

    The biggest difference between the two is that a narrative essay includes action, but the descriptive essay does not. Narration follows a logical order, typically chronological.

  12. Descriptive Writing and Using Descriptive Language

    Descriptive writing is a cornerstone of many writing tasks, including essays or narratives. ... The difference between the two is that a simile uses the word "like," "so," "than," or "as" to make the comparison. For example: The building was as tall as Mt. Fuji. ... let's say you've been assigned to write a descriptive essay ...

  13. Descriptive Essay Vs. Narrative Essay

    Table of Contents Understanding And Appreciating The Differences Introduction To Narrative Writing Descriptive Writing 101 Differences Between Descriptive Essay Vs. Narrative Essay Purpose of Writing Dependence On Literary Devices Range of Subjects Essential Elements To Balance Tips To Write Riveting Essays Clarity of Prose And Purpose

  14. Descriptive Essay: Topics, Outline and Writing Tips

    The Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Essays. The main difference between descriptive and narrative essays lies in the structure and purpose of the essay. A descriptive essay is used to describe a subject to present a clear picture of it. As such, it only requires you to describe the item in a logic fashion.

  15. A Clear Guide to Descriptive Narrative Essay

    They're not necessarily personal in nature. However, narrative paragraphs incorporate personal ideas, feelings, and growth. The key difference between the two essays is: A descriptive essay is supposed to provide a detailed description of a specific place, object, or concept.

  16. Differences Between Narrative & Descriptive Writing

    ... Seasoned writers weave descriptive and narrative writing to create compelling reading, but the two styles have distinct purposes and features emerging writers need to master separately. Descriptive writing attempts to capture the details of a topic and accurately portray its elements to readers.

  17. Descriptive and Narrative Essay Styles

    Which Approach Should You Take? There are two main approaches to a descriptive essay. The personal essay will require you to talk about your feelings and responses. This is the type of essay where you will use evocative and vivid language in order to describe an experience and gain empathy from your readers.

  18. Descriptive vs Analytical/Critical Writing (+ Examples)

    As you can see, critical (or analytical) writing goes beyond just describing (that's what descriptive writing covers) and instead focuses on the meaning of things, events or situations, especially in relation to the core research aims and questions. Need a helping hand? See how Grad Coach can help you... 2:38 Book An Initial Consultation

  19. What's the difference between narrative and descriptive essays?

    The crucial difference in these two essays on a basketball game is that the narrative essay tells the story of the game and the descriptive essay attempts to express the details of the...

  20. Narrative Essay ~ A Guide For Your Academic Writing

    A narrative essay is a kind of academic writing that examines an intriguing subject using the first-person experiences and observations of one or more people. It may be applied to create a narrative about a person's life or describe a specific historical event or period. To craft a captivating story that informs readers about the topic, the ...

  21. Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Writing

    Writer's Corner Understanding the Difference Between Descriptive and Narrative Writing Nowadays, every second student is confused about what is descriptive and narrative And what is the difference between these two. Therefore, in this guide, we will talk about the purpose of descriptive and narrative writing along with their differences.

  22. Difference between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay?

    As a native speaker and writer of American English, to "describe a process" is a valid usage, but the result is more of a narrative than the description you'd get from "describe an object."

  23. Critical writing: Descriptive vs critical

    Descriptive writing. This is an essential element of academic writing but it is used to set the background and to provide evidence rather than to develop argument. When writing descriptively you are informing your reader of things that they need to know to understand and follow your argument but you are not transforming that information in any way. This is usually writing about things you have ...

  24. Relationship Between Equality and Justice: The Principles ...

    How Rawls Defines Relationship Between Equality and Justice. Rawls views the political problem as a procedural issue (Rawls, p.583), Unlike Plato's view the political problem isn't about finding what good really is but rather identifying the proper procedure that allows us to live together, it's about working out the differences in an adequate manner to reach some place of unity in decision.