write a descriptive essay on my university

Descriptive Essay for University

One of the riveting things in people’s minds is how it processes something. When different individuals see the same thing in front of them, their brains operate their thoughts differently. What’s beautiful for some might appear the opposite for others. That’s how you’re going to discuss a subject in a descriptive essay. Express your subjective perspectives by learning how to compose your descriptive essay for university.

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What Is a Descriptive Essay?

A descriptive essay is a type of academic essay wherein the writer will provide a detailed description of a place, person, experience, emotion, or a particular process. It is the kind of essay wherein the writer can approach it by providing information basing on his or her subjective perception. Universities often give this assignment to the students to let them enhance their essay writing skills.

How to Write a Detailed Descriptive Essay For University

Whenever people ask you about your favorite food or place, you can easily picture them in your mind. Sometimes, because of how vivid your imagination is, it can even make you hungry. Others would even claim to feel nostalgic. Capture that emotion into text and transfer it on a piece of paper.

1. Immerse Yourself In Your Topic

The moment your professors give you the assignment, they also often give you a topic. In contrast, some teachers give you the freedom to choose one on your own. Either way, you need to conduct descriptive research and study it deliberately. You can’t provide a complete description of something unless you know a lot about it. 

2. Construct an Outline

You can start this step by searching for blank outline templates online. The next thing to do is to note what you want to include in your essay. One helpful tip is to know what your five senses tell you about the subject. Pay attention to how it looks, the way it smells, its smoothness, and other details you can get from your sensory organs. Describe it in your college essay outline .

3. Organize Your Description

Now that you already have a guide, you should organize your thoughts in a way that makes sense. Decide on the flow of your essay in each of your descriptive paragraphs . To help you with it, you can construct a flow chart . This method will help you determine how to arrange your ideas.

4. Incorporate Vivid Language

The main goal of your descriptive writing is to let the readers feel, see, or perceive things the way you do. When you describe a particular beach as your favorite place, ensure to write it vividly. To do this, you can incorporate figurative languages that would help you express your emotions better.

What are the differences between a narrative essay and a descriptive essay?

In the practice of article writing , professors may give you the assignment to write numerous types of essays. These kinds include a narrative essay and a descriptive essay. Despite that, they have a glaring difference in their purposes. Narrative writing aims to tell a story, while the latter’s goal is to provide a detailed description of something.

What are good topics for a descriptive essay for university?

Interesting topics for a descriptive essay are a lot similar to the things you write in your journal. You can write about your favorite food, a person you like, a place you find scary, and an artwork. If it interests you, you can also include things or issues on your campus that college students find interesting.

How do you start a descriptive essay?

Start your descriptive writing by writing a short descriptive paragraph as your introduction. The first sentence you should compose is your hook. The purpose of this segment is to compel and attract readers to your article. In the end part of this paragraph, you should write your thesis statement. In this part, you should briefly give people an idea of what you would discuss in your material.

People go out of their way to submit college application resumes , for the sake of securing their names on the students’ list. The reason is that universities are a place to hone and improve your skills for the career of your choice. That said, as most industries require numerous formal letter writing, they also practice your skills by letting you write essays. Start practicing yours by composing an impressive descriptive essay for university.

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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.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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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)

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.

• 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

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

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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How to Write a Descriptive Essay

Last Updated: February 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,515,659 times.

A good descriptive essay creates a vivid picture of the topic in the reader’s mind. You may need to write a descriptive essay as a class assignment or you may decide to write one as a fun writing challenge. Start by brainstorming ideas for the essay. Then, outline and write the essay using vivid sensory details and strong descriptions. Always polish your essay and proofread it so it is at its best.

Brainstorming Ideas for the Essay

• You could also choose a fictional person to write about, such as a character in a book, a story, or a play. You could write about a character on your favorite TV show or video game.

• Another take on this option is to write about a made-up place or object, such as the fantastical school in your favorite book or the magic wand from your favorite TV show.

• You could also choose a more specific emotion, such as brotherly love or self-hatred. These emotions can make for powerful descriptive essays.

• For example, if you were writing about a person like your mother, you may write down under “sound” : “soft voice at night, clack of her shoes on the floor tiles, bang of the spoon when she cooks.”

Writing the Essay

• If you are writing the essay for a class, your instructor should specify if they want a five paragraph essay or if you have the freedom to use sections instead.

• For example, if you were writing a descriptive essay about your mother, you may have a thesis statement like: “In many ways, my mother is the reigning queen of our house, full of contradictions that we are too afraid to question.”

• For example, if you were writing the essay about your mom, you may start with: “My mother is not like other mothers. She is a fierce protector and a mysterious woman to my sisters and I.”
• If you were writing an essay about an object, you may start with: "Try as I might, I had a hard time keeping my pet rock alive."

• You can also use adjectives that connect to the senses, such “rotting,” “bright,” “hefty,” “rough,” and “pungent.”
• For example, you may describe your mother as "bright," "tough," and "scented with jasmine."

• You can also use similes, where you use “like” or “as” to compare one thing to another. For example, you may write, “My mother is like a fierce warrior in battle, if the battlefield were PTA meetings and the checkout line at the grocery store.”

• For example, you may write about your complicated feelings about your mother. You may note that you feel sadness about your mother’s sacrifices for the family and joy for the privileges you have in your life because of her.

• For example, you may end a descriptive essay about your mother by noting, “In all that she has sacrificed for us, I see her strength, courage, and fierce love for her family, traits I hope to emulate in my own life.”

Polishing the Essay

• You can also read the essay aloud to others to get their feedback. Ask them to let you know if there are any unclear or vague sentences in the essay.

• Be open to constructive criticism and feedback from others. This will only make your essay stronger.

• If you have a word count requirement for the essay, make sure you meet it. Add more detail to the paper or take unnecessary content out to reach the word count.

Outline for a Descriptive Essay

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.writeexpress.com/descriptive-essay.html
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/descriptive-writing.html
• ↑ https://spcollege.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=10168248
• ↑ https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/style_purpose_strategy/descriptive_essay.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/essay_writing/descriptive_essays.html

About This Article

To write a descriptive essay, start by choosing a topic, like a person, place, or specific emotion. Next, write down a list of sensory details about the topic, like how it sounds, smells, and feels. After this brainstorming session, outline the essay, dividing it into an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Open with a vivid introduction that uses sensory details, then introduce your thesis statement, which the rest of your essay should support. Strengthen your essay further by using metaphors and similes to describe your topic, and the emotions it evokes. To learn how to put the finishing touches on your essay, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Descriptive writing is focused on creating imagery for the reader. This is done through ample details and creative expressions of facts. Think of how events and people are described in news articles. Consider a book you recently read and the descriptions provided by the author to transport you to a new place or to surround you with new ideas. This is one of the great powers of good writing.

Outside of the language classroom, it is unlikely that you will be asked to write a purely descriptive essay during your college experience. Most of the time, descriptive writing is part of a larger writing task. 

That being said, control over tense and aspect (narration) are essential parts of descriptions and this writing skill will be necessary throughout your English writing experience. Additionally, the ability to provide details through careful word choice and interesting clausal structures will add to your writing voice and the audience's connection to your purpose as a writer.

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/up_writing_winter/descriptive_essays .

How to Write a Descriptive Essay

This could be something as simple as your favorite flavor of ice cream or as complicated as the politics of 13th century Vienna. Different than a simple description, a descriptive essay allows the writer to really show off both their imagination as well as their writing skills.

What is a Descriptive Essay?

A descriptive essay is a type of academic writing that asks the writer to fully describe a place, person, situation, event, or thing. They can be simple or they can be very complex depending on the subject matter and audience written for. These types of essays train a writer’s ability to express themselves accurately as well as build compelling sentences and arguments.

Descriptive Essay Ideas

There is no exhaustive list of things that can be described, but these are some of the most common things you may be asked to write about. 

A Location - The goal of writing about a place is to make the reader feel as if they are there. Words, similes, and metaphors that ignite the reader’s imagination are essential. Try and immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of the place you are describing. Examples could be a city, a view, a particular building like your house, etc. 

A Time Period - Similar to writing about a location, the goal is to make the reader lose themselves in the time you are describing. This requires great research to be able to describe physical characteristics as authentically and as well as possible. This could include how you felt a year ago, an ancient time period, or the future.

An Event - The goal of describing an event is to explain a series of interesting circumstances. Typical storytelling elements like describing the plot, setting, and characters are useful, but make sure you focus on the chain of events.

An Emotion - The goal of describing an emotion is to make the reader feel the sentiments of the character you are describing. Metaphors and similes are very useful when trying to evoke an emotion in a reader along with physical descriptions that express the emotion. 

A Person - The goal of writing about a person is to make the reader understand something about that person. This includes physical descriptions of what they look like, what kind of clothing they wear, a sense of the physical presence along with their profession,  as well as how they behave. 

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Descriptive Essay Outline and Structure

Though a descriptive type of essay is quite different from a typical academic paper, it still follows a classic 5 paragraph format. Always follow any directions though, sometimes you may need more or fewer body paragraphs. This is a general structure you should keep in mind for this type of essay.

Introduction

• Introduction/background information

Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentence
• Sensory Information
• Physical Descriptions
• Transition Sentence
• Summary of the main points
• Restate the thesis

An outline is always a good idea for any kind of writing, but it is particularly useful for this type of essay because it collects your thoughts and makes sure your essay stays on track. 

Introduction 

• Hook - The sting of salty water, the hypnotic crash of the waves, the breathtaking sunsets, the best vacation spot?
• Background information - Everyone is different and everyone likes different types of things. When it comes to vacations though, there is a place that almost everyone enjoys.
• Thesis - In my opinion, the beach is the best possible vacation spot because of the variety of ways one can enjoy it. 

Body Paragraph 1 

• Topic Sentence - The beach has many kinds of natural beauty
• Sensory information - The unlimited expanse of the ocean combined with glorious sunrises and sunsets.
• Physical descriptions -The crunch of sand below your bare feet and the crash of waves on your body.
• Transition sentence - There’s more than just natural beauty though, there are physical activities to enjoy as well 

Body Paragraph 2

• Topic Sentence - The beach has unlimited activities for physical enjoyment.
• Sensory information - The thrill of battling with the ocean, the joy of falling on the sand, the wind streaming through your hair, and the pleasant tingling of the sun on bare skin.
• Physical descriptions - Water sports like surfing, jet skiing, and the like allow you to exercise in one of the most fun ways possible. Not to mention sports like frisbee, volleyball, beach soccer, and more.
• Transition sentence - If you just want to relax, the beach is perfect for that too!

Body Paragraph 3

• Topic Sentence - The beach is ideal just to relax, destress, and take it easy. 
• Sensory information - To relax as you are massaged by either human hands or the sun is a pleasure. Lazing around might be frowned upon, but the beach is the ideal place to spend some time taking care of yourself and letting the stresses of the world melt away.
• Physical description - Whether it’s reading a book, or enjoying a refreshing beverage with umbrellas in it, you can get taken care of on the beach. Building sandcastles, painting, and meditating are other activities easily and freely enjoyed. 
• Transition sentence - The beach has so much to offer.
• Summary of the main points - Whether it’s nature, physical exercise, or simple relaxation, the beach can offer all of that and more. 
• Restate the thesis - That’s the main reason that a beach is the ideal vacation spot, it allows for diverse ways of having fun. 
• Closing statement/Clincher - Think about the last time you went to the beach, don’t you want to go again?

What is the Purpose of a Descriptive Essay?

It should leave the reader with a clear idea of the topic of the essay. The goal is to explain things in a comprehensive and interesting way so that the information stays with the reader. Let’s go into the details of how to accomplish this. 

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Writing Process & Descriptive Essay Examples

It may seem challenging to write a successful essay of this type, but if you follow the advice below, it will be a breeze. 

How to Start a Descriptive Essay

Making sure you choose the right topic is the first hurdle to cross. A topic for a descriptive essay is vital because it is the main subject you will be writing about. Spend at least 20 minutes brainstorming different topic ideas and make sure you choose a topic that you know well.

Next, create an outline to better structure your thoughts and figure out the pieces of information you need to find out more about. The more time you spend creating a well-researched outline, the better your endpaper is going to be, and you’ll end up spending less time on actually writing the paper. Now you can move on the writing the descriptive essay introduction.

How to Write a Descriptive Essay Thesis

A thesis statement is the main argument you are trying to make in your paper. It is the main point you are trying to describe. A good thesis statement for descriptive essay is particular without being too brief. It should include not only just what the topic is, but also mention why the topic is important.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

You can have as many body paragraphs as you think are necessary to achieve the goal of describing something clearly. This means you could have just one body paragraph, the standard three, or more. 

Start every paragraph with a topic sentence that explains what the main purpose of the paragraph is. Next fill in sensory details, describing the emotions before moving on to describing the actual physical details. End each body paragraph with a transition sentence that helps each paragraph flow into the other. Not only does this make your writing stronger, but it also helps you create an immersive experience.

How to Write the Conclusion 

Summarize the main points of your essay and make sure that you reiterate the thesis statement. This reminds people of the point of your essay and ensures that when writing, you don’t stray too far from the point. 

Descriptive Essay Format 

There are 3 main formats of citation types for essays. Though the most common one is MLA, it is possible that you may have to use APA or Chicago Style citations. 

MLA stands for Modern Language Association and is used primarily for the arts and humanities.  MLA uses in-text parenthetical citation in the format of (Author, Page). The page at the end that contains all the sources is called the Works Cited page. The format of these entries is unique to MLA but is easy to make with a citation generator. 

APA stands for American Psychological Association and is used mostly for the sciences and social sciences. APA uses in-text parenthetical citations in the format (Author, Date). The page at the end that contains all the sources is called the References section

Chicago Style is used primarily for Business, History, and the Fine Arts. In-text citation can be either as footnotes or parenthetical citation in the format (Author, Date). The page at the end that contains all the sources is called the Bibliography. 

Most descriptive essays will follow the MLA style of citation, but if you need any more help, find a guide on Studyfy.com for more information about citation styles in general. 

Descriptive Essay Topics

The topic is crucial, because all the research you do, and the entire paper, will specifically be about describing the topic. Here are some descriptive essay prompts to inspire you!

The person you’ve most admired in your life

A movie scene that made you feel strong emotions

The time period you would travel to if you had a time machine

Why a beach is better than the mountains for a vacation (or vice versa)

The taste of a drink when you are incredibly tired

An author that inspired you 

Your favorite cuisine

The best place in the world to be by yourself

The best Christmas morning you’ve ever had

An accent that you really enjoy 

A time when you wanted something so much it burned

Describe the day in the life of your favorite celebrity 

The joy of escaping into a video game

What dancing means to you 

A life philosophy you believe in 

The feeling of holding a baby in our arms

The sound of crashing waves

Standing in front of a gorgeous view

A vacation that was meaningful 

Why fireworks are magical 

The first time you cosplayed 

How it feels to listen to music that you hate 

The best thing you have ever eaten in your life

What would it be like to live 100 years in the future

Why hearing people laugh is beautiful 

A day in the life of your favorite animal 

A strange superstition you believe in

The strangest person you’ve ever met

Your favorite tv show 

Playing your favorite sport 

What it’s like to be in love

Descriptive Essay Tips

Before we end, let’s go over some of the key points of information in this article.

• Use figurative language including metaphors and similes 
• Use your senses
• Choose appropriate words
• Show don't tell 
• Focus on specific details
• Spend time choosing the right topic
• Create a detailed outline
• Forget about the purpose of the essay
• Submit your first draft
• Make it too complicated
• Ignore your audience 
• Ignore any directions

In addition to the information provided in this article, there are various resources available to help with your writing needs. If you are struggling to write your descriptive essay, you can turn to professional writers and editors for assistance. You may consider hiring a research paper writing service or seeking help from dissertation writers .

Additionally, if you need someone to " write my admission essay ", there are various options available. You can hire a writer for a custom writing service or seek help from online tutors and teachers. Furthermore, if you need to write a strong admission essay, there are services available that specialize in providing guidance and assistance with this type of writing.

It is important to note that before submitting any work, it should be proofread and edited thoroughly to ensure its quality. Studyfy offers a range of services to help with this, including professional proofreaders and editors who can check your work for grammatical errors and ensure that it meets academic standards.

In summary, there are various resources available to help with your writing needs, including professional writing services, proofreaders, and editors. By utilizing these resources and following the guidelines outlined in this article, you can write a successful descriptive essay that effectively conveys your ideas and engages your readers.If you are looking for the query " I need someone to write an essay for me ", Studyfy has got you covered

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Descriptive Essays

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The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.

What is a descriptive essay?

The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This genre encourages the student’s ability to create a written account of a particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and moving in the mind of the reader).

One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try, try again!

Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.

• Take time to brainstorm

If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese, crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.

• Use clear and concise language.

This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in relation to that which you are intending to describe.

• Choose vivid language.

Why use horse when you can choose stallion ? Why not use tempestuous instead of violent ? Or why not miserly in place of cheap ? Such choices form a firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced meanings that serve better one’s purpose.

• Use your senses!

Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or looked. Embellish the moment with senses.

• What were you thinking?!

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential.

• Leave the reader with a clear impression.

One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive essays.

• Be organized!

It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.

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Descriptive Essay – How to Write It

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Descriptive essays enable students to learn the fundamentals of writing and self-expression. It is also possible to write descriptive essays far into your professional career, depending on your line of work and writing objectives. This post will discuss descriptive essays and how to write them properly.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Descriptive Essay – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Descriptive Essay
• 3 Descriptive Essay: Finding a Topic
• 4 Structure of a Descriptive Essay
• 5 Descriptive Essay: A Vivid Description

Descriptive Essay – In a Nutshell

• Descriptive essays should arouse a reader’s emotions and create an association with them.
• You should choose a specific topic and use it as a central theme that shapes the direction of the essay and the organisation of details.
• It should have an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion to finalise the writer’s aim of writing the essay.
• Combine direct and figurative language to help the reader visualise the subject

Definition: Descriptive Essay

• A descriptive essay is a genre of composition or writing that vividly describes a subject, procedure or event.
• It is usually used to test the student’s capacity to document an account of a specific experience with a subject.
• It also provides a large room for creativity as its aim is to paint a clear image that can move the reader’s mind.
• Descriptive essays are relatively different from the other genres since the goal is to appeal to the five senses; taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch.
• Every good descriptive essay should be able to appeal to all these senses. It should also focus on a specific topic and have a particular purpose.
• For instance, you can write about your experiences and the lessons you learnt from them.
• Basically, descriptive essays are all about converting your thought processes into writing.

Descriptive Essay: Finding a Topic

Choosing a topic is the first and arguably the most important step in descriptive essay writing. There are several ways you can go about picking a topic for your essay, including brainstorming and reading example descriptive essays to get general ideas.

For most students, brainstorming is the most effective technique since it focuses more on personal experiences and things they are interested in. It also lets you break down broad ideas into simple and workable topics. For instance, you can take a subject such as camping and think about their purpose and what people do in them. As you brainstorm, make a list of possible ideas you can comfortably write about in detail. When done, note topics that suit you and are more likely to move your readers.

Another technique you can use to choose a topic is reading examples of descriptive essays for general ideas. Focus on the direction of the essay and how the writer has organised the subject details within the content. You can pick essays that align with your interests, so you choose a topic you are comfortable writing about. Here are a few topic ideas you can use for your next descriptive essay:

• Camping in the woods for the very first time
• My driving test
• The wild Highway-13 car pursuit
• The interview predicament
• The wedding day

Structure of a Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essays have a relatively straightforward structure, which consists of an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion to finalise the writer’s aim of writing the piece.

The Introduction

Your introduction provides general background info about the subject/topic you are writing about. It should have a hook that enables your writer to relate to the senses you are trying to tap into. You should also form a thesis statement that introduces a claim (not necessarily from an opinion or argument point).

The defining characteristics of Batman are his deep voice, Gotham City and the fact that he always shows up at the last minute.

The body can be divided into three subcategories:

Physical Description

Contextual description, emotional description.

Gives an in-depth physical description of the subject.

He was driving a black Honda Civic with Carolina plates. The passenger’s side window was bashed in, with shreds of glass all over the front seats and on the pavement where he packed the car. As he opened the driver’s side door, I noticed blood all over his right arm and the pocket area of his shorts.

Describes a subject in the given context (can be physical or temporal environment).

The sun was setting on the coast, and vehicles on the freeway were just beginning to turn on their lights. It started raining, and you could tell it was getting harder to keep the truck on the track. The fact that there were fewer cars (being a weekend) didn’t help the situation.

Describes the emotional effect of the subject on the people in the surrounding.

Every motorist and pedestrian scampered in different directions as he weaved through the traffic, ramming and sideswiping anyone in his way. Highway patrol units were getting increasingly agitated, with the situation taking a turn for the worst.

Summarises all the main points in the body text.

To many, the high-speed chase could have ended before it even started, but for me, there is no way he could let the boys in blue catch up with him. He had had a lot to drink for the night, was carrying a concealed weapon and, to cap it all up, he had outstanding warrants in several states. There was no way he was going down without a fight!

Descriptive Essay: A Vivid Description

Figurative language in descriptive essays involves the use of words in a non-literal way, such as metaphors and similes, to create memorable effects. Writing your content that way is essential since it opens up the window for creativity and distinguishes your essay from any other piece.

Here are the important things to consider when writing a descriptive essay:

• Pick a Topic: A good descriptive essay focuses on a specific topic (subject, person or event) at all times. It is important to identify the purpose of your essay before you choose a topic, make an outline and begin writing. To choose a topic, brainstorm ideas or research essays that align with your interests.
• Compile Details: You will need a lot of details in your descriptive essay since you have to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. So, once you have a topic, the next step is to list all the details, including physical characteristics, dates, sensory information and names. Basically, collect all the details and group them to make access easier as you write.
• Create an Outline: An outline would help you write an organised descriptive essay. So, create an outline that lists the details to discuss/write about in each paragraph.
• Write the Introduction: The introduction maps out your entire essay and lays down the foundation by providing background information regarding the subject. It should also have a hook that helps readers relate to the senses you are trying to tap into.
• Write the Body: The body is made of multiple paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence introducing the subject. Follow the outline to parse out details and be as specific as possible without overwhelming the reader with too much info.
• Write the Conclusion: Your conclusion summarises the primary details you have included in your body. Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion; rather, create a body paragraph if you feel there are some details you left out. Once you are done, do not forget to review and proofread your descriptive essay before submitting it.

What are the main characteristics of a descriptive essay?

Some of the main characteristics of descriptive essays include:

• Vivid description
• Figurative speech
• Precise language
• Thoughtful organisation

What is the purpose of a descriptive essay?

Descriptive essays are used to describe a place, thing or person in a way that creates a picture in the reader’s mind.

What is a descriptive essay?

A descriptive essay is a genre of writing that provides a vivid description of a subject, a procedure or an event.

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Descriptive Essay Writing

Descriptive Essay Examples

Amazing Descriptive Essay Examples for Your Help

Published on: Jun 21, 2023

Last updated on: Mar 1, 2024

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Descriptive essays are very commonly assigned essays. This type of essay enhances students' writing skills and allows them to think critically. 

A descriptive essay is often referred to as the parent essay type. Other essays like argumentative essays, narrative essays, and expository essays fall into descriptive essays. Also, this essay helps the student enhance their ability to imagine the whole scene in mind by appealing senses.

It is assigned to high school students and all other students at different academic levels. Students make use of the human senses like touch, smell, etc., to make the descriptive essay more engaging for the readers. 

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Examples make it easy for readers to understand things in a better way. Also, in a descriptive essay, different types of descriptions can be discussed. 

Here are some amazing examples of a descriptive essay to make the concept easier for you. 

Descriptive Essay Example 5 Paragraph

5 paragraphs essay writing format is the most common method of composing an essay. This format has 5 paragraphs in total. The sequence of the paragraphs is as follows;

• Introduction
• Body Paragraph 1
• Body Paragraph 2 
• Body Paragraph 3
• Conclusion 

Following is an example of a descriptive essay written using the famous 5 paragraph method. 

5 Paragraph Descriptive Essay

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Descriptive Essay Example About A Person

Descriptive essays are the best option when it comes to describing and writing about a person.  A descriptive essay is written using the five human senses. It helps in creating a vivid image in the reader’s mind and understanding what the writer is trying to convey. 

Here is one of the best descriptive essay examples about a person. Read it thoroughly and try to understand how a good descriptive essay is written on someone’s personality.

Descriptive Essay Example About a Person

Descriptive Essay Example About A Place

If you have visited a good holiday spot or any other place and want to let your friends know about it. A descriptive essay can help you explain every detail and moment you had at that place. 

Here is one of the good descriptive essay examples about a place. Use it as a sample and learn how you can write such an essay. 

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Descriptive Essay Example for Grade 6

Descriptive essays are frequently assigned to school students. This type of essay helps the students enhance their writing skills and helps them see things in a more analytical way.

If you are a 6 grader and looking for a good descriptive essay example, you are in the right place.  

Descriptive Essay Example for Grade 7

Here is one of the best descriptive essay examples for grade 7. 

Descriptive Essay Example for Grade 8

If you are looking for some amazing descriptive essay examples for grade 8, you have already found one. Look at the given example and see what a well-written descriptive essay looks like. 

Descriptive Essay Example for Grade 10

Essay writing is an inevitable part of a student's academic life . No matter your grade, you will get to write some sort of essay at least once. 

Here is an example of a descriptive essay writing for grade10. If you are also a student of this grade, this example might help you to complete your assignment.

Descriptive Essay Example for Grade 12

If you are a senior student and looking for some essay examples, you are exactly where you should be. 

Use the below-mentioned example and learn how to write a good essay according to the instructions given to you. 

Descriptive Essay Example College

Descriptive essays are a great way to teach students how they can become better writers. Writing a descriptive essay encourages them to see the world more analytically.

Below is an example that will help you and make your writing process easy.

College Descriptive Essay Example

Descriptive Essay Example for University

Descriptive essays are assigned to students at all academic levels. University students are also assigned descriptive essay writing assignments. As they are students of higher educational levels, they are often given a bit of difficult and more descriptive topics. 

See the example below and know what a descriptive essay at the university level looks like. 

Short Descriptive Essay Example

Every time a descriptive essay isn't written in detail. It depends on the topic of how long the essay will be.  

For instance, look at one of the short descriptive essay examples given below. See how the writer has conveyed the concept in a composed way. 

Objective Descriptive Essay Example

When writing an objective description essay, you focus on describing the object without conveying your emotions, feelings, or personal reactions. The writer uses sight, sound, or touch for readers' minds to bring life into pictures that were painted by words.

Here is an example that you can use for your help. 

Narrative and Descriptive Essay Example

A narrative descriptive essay can be a great way to share your experiences with others. It is a story that teaches a lesson you have learned. The following is an example of a perfect narrative descriptive essay to help you get started.

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How to Start a Descriptive Essay? - Example

If you don't know how to start your descriptive essay, check this example and create a perfect one. 

How to Start a Descriptive Essay - Example

Subjective Descriptive Essay Example

It is a common concept that a descriptive essay revolves around one subject. Be it a place, person, event, or any other object you can think of. 

Following is one of the subjective descriptive, easy examples. Use it as a guide to writing an effective descriptive essay yourself. 

Writing a descriptive essay is a time-consuming yet tricky task. It needs some very strong writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills. Also, this is a type of essay that a student can not avoid and bypass. 

But if you think wisely, work smart, and stay calm, you can get over it easily. Learn how to write a descriptive essay from a short guide given below. 

How to Write a Descriptive Essay?

A writer writes a descriptive essay from their knowledge and imaginative mind. In this essay, the writer describes what he has seen or experienced, or ever heard from someone. For a descriptive essay, it is important to stay focused on one point. Also, the writer should use figurative language so that the reader can imagine the situation in mind. 

The following are some very basic yet important steps that can help you write an amazing descriptive essay easily. 

• Choose a Topic

For a descriptive essay, you must choose a vast topic to allow you to express yourself freely. Also, make sure that the topic you choose is not overdone. An overdone will not grab the attention of your intended audience. Check out our descriptive essay topics blog for a variety of intriguing topic suggestions.

• Create a Strong Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the essence of any academic writing. When you select the descriptive essay topic, then you create a strong thesis statement for your essay.  

A thesis statement is a sentence or two that explains the whole idea of your essay to the reader. It is stated in the introductory paragraph of the essay. The word choice for creating the thesis statement must be very expressive, composed, and meaningful. Also, use vivid language for the thesis statement.  

• Collect the Necessary Information

Once you have created the thesis statement and are done writing your essay introduction . Now, it's time to move toward the body paragraphs. 

Collect all necessary information related to your topic. You would be adding this information to your essay to support your thesis statement. Make sure that you collect information from authentic sources. 

To enhance your essay, make use of some adjectives and adverbs. To make your descriptive essay more vivid, try to incorporate sensory details like touch, taste, sight, and smell.

• Create a Descriptive Essay Outline

An outline is yet another necessary element of your college essay. By reading the descriptive essay outline , the reader feels a sense of logic and a guide for the essay. 

In the outline, you need to write an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs and end up with a formal conclusion.

Proofreading is a simple procedure in which the writer revises the written essay. This is done in order to rectify the document for any kind of spelling or grammatical mistakes. Thus, proofreading makes high-quality content and gives a professional touch to it. 

You might be uncertain about writing a good enough descriptive essay and impress your teacher. However, it is very common, so you do not need to stress out. 

Hit us up at CollegeEssay.org and get an essay written by our professional descriptive essay writers. Our essay writing service for students aims to help clients in every way possible and ease their stress. Get in touch with our customer support team, and they will take care of all your queries related to your writing. 

You can always enhance your writing skills by leveraging the power of our AI essay writing tools .

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Barbara P (Literature)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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How to Write a Descriptive Essay?

Published by Grace Graffin at August 26th, 2021 , Revised On August 22, 2023

What is a Descriptive Essay?

A descriptive  essay  is a  type of essay  that allows you to create a  narrative  based on something you experience. It provides you with an opportunity for learning by describing an object, person, location, experience, emotion, circumstance, or other phenomena. A writer expresses his/her emotions creatively in a descriptive essay that attracts the reader’s attention.

What is the Purpose of a Descriptive Essay?

The purpose of the descriptive essay is to portray your feelings and emotions related to any object or event that enables readers/listeners to envision what is being described. To do it, you can use sensory details that attract the senses, like sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Example: The statue was tall.” or “I saw the statue looming over me. (informing) The bikes appeared to be moving in formation, trailing one another along the street (showing).

An excellent narration in your descriptive essay can have a lasting impression on the reader’s mind.

Descriptions are either subjective or objective. In an objective description, you describe the object or event without letting your emotions and feelings influence the description.

Example: It could be: 1. An incident you witnessed or a news item: 25 people, including men, women, and children, died in a bus accident, and 5 people were severely injured. 2. It could also be a description of your business meet or

Whereas in a subjective description, you need to describe the object or event through your emotions and feelings.

When you describe the same example of a news item mentioned above in a subjective description, you incorporate more details expressing your concern about the pain and suffering the victims and their families had to suffer.

Example: 25 people, including men, women, and children, died in a bus accident, and 5 people were severely injured. It was a painful incident, people. They were screaming with fear and pain. I can still remember those screams, and I can’t forget those teary eyes and sad faces of those helpless people, including innocent children.

Similarly, when you describe your first business meeting where you had to give your business presentation, you will add excitement, happiness, nervousness, the confidence you faced before and during the presentation.

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Descriptive Essay Writing Guidelines

A descriptive essay consists of three parts- an  introduction , a  body , and a  conclusion . The introduction part must start with a strong opening line to give the  outline  of the  topic . If it is about any person, you can mention some specific personality traits and give some idea about physical appearance.

In the next section, you should describe your  topic  in detail. The number of paragraphs is dependent on the  length of the essay , but in general, one paragraph should contain 150-200 words. The first  paragraph  will provide the theme and the idea about the content of the next paragraphs. The next two paragraphs will describe the topic. To explain the topic, you should use sensory details, imaginary language, and words, including verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

In the final section, you need to provide a summary of the topic. In the last line, re-establish your thoughts and the primary theme of the essay.

How to Write a Descriptive Essay About a Person?

Writing a descriptive essay about a person is challenging as you have to include specific traits and portray their character.

Appearance-  It is necessary to define physical traits like skin colour, hair, eyes, nose, height, body structure, etc. You may also describe the type of cloth and accessories to identify the person quickly.

Manners-  You should describe a person’s habits and behaviour: he smokes a cigar, drinks alcohol, or wears a hat or glasses.

Character traits- The character traits are difficult to write. You should have enough knowledge about the person to describe the character trait. Some qualities may include honesty, sincerity, or negative qualities like resentful, arrogant, miser, etc.

Emotions-  You can also describe the person as melancholic, sanguine, choleric, or phlegmatic, with a sense of humour.

You can consider an essay about your mother as a descriptive essay example. While writing this essay, you should write about the special characteristics of your mother. You can then write about how she cares and nurtures the family, including how special she is to you.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Descriptive Essay?

The  thesis statement  of a descriptive essay should remain concise, clear, and direct. It must provide an  outline of the essay. A thesis statement is a guide to the complete essay, it is the essay’s theme, and the topic should revolve around this theme throughout the essay. Along with learning essay writing, you can also get professional essay help to boost your grades with minimum effort.

Descriptive Essay Types

Different types of descriptive essays are:

• Personal descriptive essay – you should describe your  personal experience—examples: a visit to your favourite holiday destination, the experience of watching a particular movie.
• Imaginative descriptive essay – you should enhance your imagination to describe the topic—examples: a soldier’s experience in World War II, life on another planet.
• Conceptual descriptive essay – you should write on some abstract topic like emotion. Example: Write your own opinion about love.

Example of a Descriptive Essay

Here is an example of a short descriptive essay for you:

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i start a descriptive essay.

Start a descriptive essay by:

• Selecting a vivid topic.
• Creating a strong thesis statement.
• Outlining main points or aspects.
• Using sensory details to paint a picture.
• Organizing ideas logically.
• Engaging the reader’s senses and emotions.

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How to write a descriptive essay

A descriptive essay provides a fascinating, complete explanation of something—typically a place or entity, but more vague, such as feelings. This type of essay is more innovative than most scholarly work.

Descriptive essays assess your capacity to employ language distinctively and imaginatively to create a noteworthy picture of what you are explaining to the audience. They are as writing assignments in school and composition lessons. Media articles, book reviews, academic studies, records of a specific event, travel documentary films, and narratives of an individual experience are all examples of excellent descriptive writing.

Purpose of a Descriptive Essay

Descriptive essays provide audiences with a more comprehensive knowledge of a subject by branching out with concrete information and figurative language. You must have a precise view of the topic after reviewing a descriptive essay if it’s a historical show, a geographic area, or an artwork. Descriptive essays are also advantageous to the writer. If the topic of the essay is personal, such as your favorite tv show or food, or something culturally significant, this sort of essay is essential for understanding the craft of descriptive writing.

Tips for writing a descriptive essay

The ideal descriptive essays are well-organized, full of specifics and sensory language, and are more concerned with facts than with opinions. Here are the tips  for writing descriptive essays;

Select a particular topic

Solid descriptive essays maintain their emphasis at all times. Whenever you start detailing or writing, decide on the objective of the essay. A thesis statement could be useful for summarizing your core message. An excellent thesis statement in such kinds of essays is minimal about individual viewpoints and regarding mentioning the information that must leave the strongest imprint on the author’s imagination.

Gather information

The right descriptive essays are solid with precision, dates, physical features, background knowledge, and sensory data that can assist your audience to remember your core points. Obtain these specifics and then organize them using note cards into unique pieces of data that you can access as necessary.

Create an overview

The descriptive writing should be well-formatted. Divide your essential topics into unique body paragraphs, all of which ought to be a subsection of the main subject of the essay.

Construct the opening paragraph

A proper introductory paragraph can serve as a guide for the rest of the essay. The most effective introductions begin with a hook, such as a hypothetical question or an eye-catching statement. Following your hook, give a global perspective and outline the questions that the essay will attempt to answer. The conclusion of the opening must include the thesis statement.

Compose body paragraphs

Every body paragraph must start with a subject statement that grabs the audience’s attention and lets them understand what to anticipate from the paragraph. In every body paragraph, distinguish the information. Try to be as precise as possible without burdening your audience. Concrete instances always leave a stronger indication than a general statement.

Closing paragraph

Utilize the ending paragraph to restate the core concepts from the initial paragraph and refer back to crucial facts from the body paragraphs. This section should not be used to present new approaches.  Develop another body paragraph if you recognize you still have significant subjects to cover.

Make essay language interesting

Whenever you think your essay is over, go over it again and check for places where rich sensory information could improve a description. Instead of reciting lists, seek out opportunities to share a story. The descriptive language will stick with your audience even after they have read it.

Features of descriptive essay

Authors use illustrations, figurative language, and accurate language to ‘display’.  A photographer can use a camera to record a picture of a person, an artist can paint a portrait of a person, and an author can define an appearance of a person. A metaphor is a language that evokes a picture in the minds of the audience by appealing to their senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. Authors can use phrases to render their audiences to see and feel whatever it’s like to visit the Eiffel Tower.

Figurative language compares two separate items. Each day, individuals employ figurative language without even knowing it. “You’re on fire!” indicates that somebody’s body temperature is immense, but nobody would run straight to get a fire extinguisher. It is accepted that a term like this is an expression of language and not a literal translation. Figurative language is divided into three categories simile, metaphor, and personification.

A simile is a sort of figure of speech that compares two distinct things by using phrases like, as, than, or reflects.  For instance, ‘cool as a cucumber" is a simile that analyzes two dissimilar items.

A metaphor is a type of symbolic language that compares two different things without using an associative term such as like or as. A metaphor asserts that the thing that is compared is something else. “Their cheeks were roses” is a metaphor,  that compares two separate things, cheeks and roses.

Personification

Personification is a kind of figure of speech that provides human characteristics an inhuman item, animal, or abstract concept. Personification is demonstrated by the phrase “The light danced on the surface of the water.”  Light cannot dance on the water surface but the language chosen accurately describes how the effect of light portrays dance on the surface of the water.

Writing becomes more descriptive and intriguing when applying exact language. Instead of mentioning a subject’s functionalities, select detailed information and applicable adjectives to define it. The language and specifics employed to represent a subject will establish a tone or provide the audience with an idea of how the author thinks about it.

Element of a descriptive essay

A descriptive essay identifies something, someone, a place, or an occasion that the author has encountered. Illustrative language is used by authors to convey to the viewer the topic stated in the essay. An author can develop excellent descriptions that build pictures in the audience’s mind thereby revealing a particular mood, or emotions, about the essay’s topic by using visuals, figurative language, and direct language.

Analytical essay vs descriptive essay

How to write an analytical essay

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Table of content.

• 01. Steps For Writing a Descriptive Essay
• 02. Four Tips That Will Help You Write a Great Description
• 03. Strategies for Choosing Essay Topics
• 04. Examples of What Is a Descriptive Essay
• 05. Come Up With Great Descriptions and Start Loving Your Writing

Do you want to know how to write a descriptive essay? It’s a common question of many students as sooner or later, they all have to work on this task. College is a difficult time since homework is almost never-ending. Descriptive papers are a blessing and a curse because, on the one hand, they are pretty easy to write, but on the other, not everyone feels this way. Such an essay type requires you to pick a subject and present it to the audience, focusing on every bit of it and adding meaningful descriptive details. 

Basically, you should describe a person, a place, some event, or literally anything else, making sure that your readers end up with a clear image of this topic in their minds. Professors love assigning descriptive essays because writing them helps train students’ imagination, observation, and memory skills. You can learn how to focus on something, analyze it, and present everything coherently, recreating the picture you saw for other people’s benefit. But let’s explore this kind of writing more thoroughly.

Steps For Writing a Descriptive Essay

Lacking a sense of direction is always a frustrating problem for young writers. They would like to start working and doing their research, but the trouble is, they have no idea where to start and what they should be doing. Confusion is natural in these cases, so the steps we outlined below serve the purpose of dispersing it. They could become helpful guidelines showing how to write a description properly.

• Choose a  good paper  topic.  At least 50% of students’ success depends on a topic they choose for their descriptive high school essay. Find a theme that could actually inspire you. It should be something you like and wouldn’t mind describing, so go through things that interest you. Favorite country, best friend, a concert, historical event — your choice for a story could be anything.  
• Create thesis claim.  If students know how to write a descriptive paragraph, that’s great, but how about thesis? This is an essential claim that reflects the essence of a paper, the last sentence of an introduction that discloses the whole point of your work. So, before you start creating composition itself, write your thesis. Brainstorm until you define core point of your essay and start trying out different theses until you settle on the most effective one.
• Develop an outline and follow it.  The third step of typical descriptive essay format concerns an outline. Don’t ignore it simply because doing extra writing seems like an annoying perspective. Plan info for each separate paragraph; see the layout of an essay before it comes into existence — this could help you preserve direction sense and remain coherent in your writing. For example, in case you plan on dividing an essay into 5 parts, label and describe them in one sentence. Later, remembering what you had to discuss will be much easier.  
• Polish your essay.  Another important step students should never skip entails re-reading what they wrote and playing role of an editor. Hasty job won’t fit here: you need to be slow and thorough. Read entire text from the beginning. Look at writing style, tone, structure, and overall coherency. How does everything sound? Is the portrait you focused on vivid enough? How readable is the text — are paragraphs neither short nor overly long? Do details emerge one by one, is this process gradual enough? Finally, catch grammar and proofreading issues. This is going to boost your grade for sure.

 Four Tips That Will Help You Write a Great Description

Descriptive writing tips hold the power to make any work more successful than it would have been otherwise. If you’d like some advice on descriptive format, it’s not a problem. Just take a look at suggestions below.  

• Get to know your topic personally.  Let’s imagine a student has decided on describing her favorite café. No matter how well she remembers it, it would be better to visit it again if possible for getting the whole experience. She could also look for pics or even videos online — these days, you can find almost everything on the Internet. Do the same for your analysis. Impression should be fresh, meaning that you need to re-capture it, so check out as much info about it as you can before you start on description essay.
•   Use rich vocabulary.  Descriptions require rich as well as diverse word choices. If students’ vocabulary is limited, it’s preferable to look into different dictionaries. Find good synonyms or alluring adjectives there. For instance, don’t repeat phrase, “I was worried/this made me worried/I found it worrisome.” Apply other words, such as “anxious, concerning, jittery, wary,” etc. Use figurative language if it fits an essay you’re planning to write: things like metaphors, similes, alliterations, and comparisons could always make a descriptive text sound more succinct. Usual academic dryness is a bad choice here: be poetic and detailed, and your grade could be raised.
• Show, don’t tell.  This is the golden rule of good writing, particularly when it comes to descriptive paper. Students should rely on their senses, not on mechanical descriptions. Emotions make readers more likely to empathize with an author, so include them in this writing task. For example, don’t merely state, “I really hoped I could find her.” Say, “My heart kept skipping nervous beats, with my mind screaming at me to go on, to turn this place upside down, to find her and make sure she’ll never be hurt again.” The second example is more powerful than the first, so take this into account during writing process. Think about what a subject you’re describing makes people feel and react, not only about its physical characteristics.
• Build appropriate  structure .  How to start a descriptive essay? How should body be crafted and how should this essay end? Find answers to all these questions before proceeding with writing. Every solid essay must follow certain technical rules. Introduction should outline a central theme; body paragraphs are for exploring thesis: they shouldn’t exceed the size of 2/3 from one page, and each needs strong opening and closing sentences. Conclusion restates major points: it cannot have any new stuff. Remember this at all times.

Strategies for Choosing Essay Topics

For writing great descriptive essays, students must pick a good topic, but it’s easier said than done. Where could they find it if nothing specific comes into their minds? Our site offers a solution. Check out essay topics we’ve collected: there are many of them, so you’ll definitely find at least some interesting ones. They are divided by essay types, so if you need descriptive category, look through that list; if an assignment is about an argumentative essay, go through the related group. Task complexity differs, too, so there are options for high school, college, as well as university levels.

Examples of What Is a Descriptive Essay

Seeing something with one’s own eyes is often better than learning it in theory. That’s why looking through examples is so helpful: after checking what other people wrote, students get a more defined idea of what they should be doing. Like with topics, we’ve created a collection of great samples with descriptive writing. You could access them for free — just find an option that seems interesting and read it. These essays were assessed highly by professors or other people specializing in academic writing, so you could perfect your skills by learning essential aspects from them. In the end, it could also make your grade higher.

Come Up With Great Descriptions and Start Loving Your Writing

If you learned descriptive essay definition, cataloged all tips, and looked through samples, it is time for trying your hand at being a writer. Follow each step — this could make writing a much smoother process. Most importantly, select a topic that speaks to you on a personal level, and it’ll direct you better than anything else. Still, at some point, you might feel like needing help, and if so, don’t let it embarrass you.

Students lead complex lives. They are extremely busy since they have to find a balance between their studies, work, homework, and personal life. Fights with close friends, too much pressure from professors, extra shifts at work or physical illness, even trivial laziness, and a desperate need for rest — there are many factors that could interfere with your writing. Contact us in case this happens. Tell us you require descriptive essay help, upload files with guidelines, and we’ll follow them to a T. Your essay will be submitted by the date you’ve pointed out, so you’ll save your time while still earning a good grade. 

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Essays About University: Top 6 Examples and 6 Prompts

Our time in university is often one of the most critical points in our lives;  if you are writing essays about university, read our guide. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a university as “ an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees .” Otherwise known as colleges, universities are the institutions in which students obtain their tertiary education, helping them pursue the careers they want. 

Regardless of your university’s prestige, taking your college education seriously is crucial. University prepares you to go into the field you want to work in, and it is regarded as essential for success and prosperity in life. The choices you make in and for university will affect your path forever.

6 Examples of Essays About University

1. compare and contrast between state university and private university by naomi moody, 2. a reflection on my college experience by tori harwell, 3. you don’t need college anymore, says google by david leibowitz, 4. on graduating in a pandemic by audrey huang.

• 5. ​My University Experience by Jenny

6. From Living for the Later to Living for the Now: A Reflection of My College Career by Trisha Kangas

1. is university really as daunting as it seems, 2. what lessons did your college experience teach you, 3. how did you grow throughout university, 4. the skills you need for university, 5. how can you best prepare for university, 6. is it necessary to attend university.

“Many people assume a public college is cheaper than a private college because of tuition fees are reduced for state residents. But the posted “sticker price” of a private college is rarely the real price. If a private college strongly appeals to you, consider waiting for its financial aid offer before making a final decision. More often than not, private colleges offer the scholarships and grants that significantly cut your actual cost, even bringing it close to the cost of a public college.”

Moody discusses the differences between public and private universities. A state university is more accessible and has various course options, while private university courses often specialize in specific fields and are more challenging to receive an entry. The price difference between public and private universities is more manageable if given financial aid, Moody writes. She believes that although both set students up for success, she is partial to private universities and would instead study in one. 

“I used to laugh at the people who told me college would go by in the blink of an eye. And then it did. Soak in every single second of these crazy, chaotic, stressful four years. Spend as much time with your friends as you can. The days go by faster and faster the closer you get to leaving. Take advantage of the time you do have.”

In her essay, Harwell gives tips on how to enjoy their years in university, based on her personal experiences. She encourages readers to take reasonable risks, say “yes,” find the right balance between academics and social life, and get involved to make friends. Most importantly, she wants readers to make the most of their college years and enjoy every moment, just as she did. You might also be interested in these essays about assessment .

“In Google’s report of their IT certification course, 61% did not have a four-year degree, typically complete the program in under six months, and earn a median annual wage of $54,760. To be blunt, university degrees are only as valuable as the weight applied by company hiring managers, and Google has just signaled that a $300 certificate has parity with a diploma.”

Leibowitz describes how university has become obsolete to some. Companies such as Google are allowing job applicants to work without a diploma, instead making them take an IT certification program. Other companies such as Levi’s and Gap have followed suit, allowing employees to complete a program in place of a degree. Leibowitz poses the idea of eliminating degree requirements to make work more accessible.

“Graduation has historically been all about projecting into the future — anticipating what’s to come, cherishing the bright spots within these precious college years, formation and self-discovery in an ever-accelerating landscape. Pandemic graduation seems to be about having the brakes thrown into our plans, and being forced to sit still and alone for a very long time.”

Huang reflects on her university experience in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and imagines the future that her suitemates might live out, and how they have pursued their dreams or changed. Huang is mostly distraught at having to stop her education and an “inferior” graduation experience; however, she is relieved that she can reflect on her time in university, an experience she will treasure for a lifetime. 

5. ​ My University Experience by Jenny

“I would like to tell you that coming to Leeds Beckett on the Speech and Language Therapy course has been the best decision for my career, and I’ve had so much fun living here and making new friends. Making the most of my course’s opportunities, as well as all the opportunities Leeds Beckett gives you like volunteering aboard, joining sports teams and everything else is a really valuable experience which you won’t regret. Put in the work and you’ll get loads out of it!”

Jenny, a student at Leeds Beckett University, writes about how she returned to college after graduating in 2014. However, she wanted to pursue a different career, so she attended university again. She writes about her course requirements, job placements, and overall university experience, and she encourages people to try her course or attend her university if they are interested.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about online learning .

“Although it was maybe difficult for me to slow down and give myself a pat on the back for getting on the dean’s list, writing a 15 page short story I was really proud of, or being nominated for the Student Employee of the Year Award, I still did all of those things and that in itself is something to be proud of. And I think that’s where my focus should ultimately end up.”

Kangas reflects on her time in college, writing that she feels accomplished yet anxious simultaneously. She worked hard but remembered not to be too hard on herself, something she encouraged all students to practice. It is important to find a balance between academic achievement and mental health. She also reminds students not to be afraid of change but to have a positive outlook.

6 Helpful Writing  Prompts on Essays About University

Many say university entails the toughest years of your life, making children dread going to college. Based on your experiences, write about your experience in university and determine whether this claim is factual or not. 

In university, we learn a lot about ourselves and our world. Write about lessons or life skills you may have learned in college and how they have helped you today. Such as becoming more confident, learning to love yourself, connecting with people, or even pursuing new passions in life. Be sure to link your main idea back to how college can help you do better in the future.

For your essay, reflect on your college experience. Answer the question, “how did you grow as a person?” Write about your feelings throughout your university years, particularly how they changed, and describe any skills you may have learned. Be sure to use personal anecdotes for a more heartfelt perspective. 

Before attending university, you must equip yourself with specific skills to help you succeed. You must often obtain certain grades in specific classes to enter university. However, you also need personal skills such as communication, time management, and discipline to complete assignments. Write about some of these skills and explain why they are important. You can also explain how to hone these skills to improve your experience at university.

University can be daunting, especially for people leaving high school and moving city or state to attend university. In your essay, discuss how you can prepare yourself, physically and mentally, to attend university. What should college students know before they start the year? Be sure to use your personal experiences as a basis. You can also give examples of books or articles readers can look at for further knowledge. 

Many argue that university education has become unnecessary in the 21st century. Many famous entrepreneurs and business owners, such as Elon Musk , speak out against university education, saying that life experience and learning on the job are more valuable. Detail your stance on this issue and explain your reasoning. Be sure to support your argument with details and credible sources. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

If you still need help, our guide to grammar and punctuation explains more.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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My University Paragraph Writing Example In English

Here is an example Paragraph on the topic of My University. This paragraph was written by one of the best essay writers. I hope you will find this sample the best one.

Table of Contents

Example Paragraph On My University

I go to school in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. We have 29,000 inhabitants in the city area and a further 125,000 in the city area. Wheaton College is located here. According to its website, “Wheaton College is a highly selective undergraduate liberal arts college that emphasizes Christian faith and practice.” However, many students do not come to Wheaten with a Christian background.

Some students are still going to college and treating it like high school. The party, drink alcohol and take drugs. On certain evenings you can often see groups of people smoking outside of the dormitories when they couldn’t smoke inside anyway (because they are not allowed to). They also don’t take their learning seriously, depending on cheating to get through high school. Some students aren’t even smart enough to do that, but still think they can pass tests with luck.

my university life, Sometimes I feel like there are too many distractions in our university, but the ability to focus is something everyone should be working on. A good education is important to get a job, but a lot of students at my university don’t care. They will be happy when they graduate with no debt and when the jobs they get are low-skilled jobs that anyone with a high school degree could get.

My University Campus Paragraph

Brimming with a lively student body and vibrant atmosphere, my university campus feels like a small city within a city. Architecturally impressive, the buildings exhibit a blend of classic and modern design. The library, our intellectual hub, is an architectural masterpiece, containing an extensive collection of books and digital resources that fuel our academic journeys.

Lush green spaces interspersed around the campus serve as perfect spots to unwind between classes or engage in impromptu study sessions under the shade of towering trees. The campus is dotted with various facilities, including state-of-the-art laboratories, modern lecture halls, a well-equipped gym, and even a small-scale cinema for those much-needed breaks. Our student union building, the heartbeat of the campus, hosts diverse events, fostering a sense of camaraderie and inclusivity.

Every corner of the campus teems with life. The echo of laughter emanating from the bustling cafeteria, the intellectual debates sparking up in quiet corners, and the sound of keyboard clicks from the computer lab, all contribute to the symphony of campus life. Each department has its distinct identity, yet they harmoniously blend together, creating a dynamic learning environment.

The campus is not just an academic sanctuary but also a cultural melting pot. Students from all walks of life converge here, bringing a richness of perspectives to every interaction. Walking through the campus, one can hear snippets of conversations in a multitude of languages – a testament to the diversity that our university prides itself on.

Above all, the campus embodies the spirit of innovation and aspiration. Every day, you can see students working on groundbreaking research, participating in clubs and societies that mirror their passions, or simply engaging in meaningful conversations that push the boundaries of their thought. This sense of shared ambition, the will to learn and grow, to make a difference, is what truly characterizes my university campus.

As a student, the campus is my second home, a place I’ve grown to love and cherish. It’s where I’ve made lifelong friendships, expanded my horizons, and truly discovered myself. My university campus is more than just a place; it’s an experience, a journey I’ll always hold dear.

My University Life Paragraph

My university life in South Africa can only be described as a vibrant fusion of cultures, knowledge, and experiences that shaped me into a global citizen. An average day starts with a brisk walk across the sprawling campus, flanked by both neoclassical architecture and modern facilities. My course load is demanding yet rewarding, filled with thought-provoking lectures and spirited debates. I’m currently majoring in Computer Science, a field that challenges and intrigues me on a daily basis.

The diversity of the student body is truly remarkable, with individuals hailing from different continents, cultures, and backgrounds. This multicultural milieu encourages open-mindedness and fosters deep insights into global perspectives, helping me to grow not just as a student but as a person.

The importance of extracurriculars is not lost on us. Our student-run clubs and societies span a vast range of interests, from robotics and coding to art and music. I am an active member of the University’s Coding Club, where we work on real-world problems and develop innovative solutions.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my university life is the opportunity to give back to the community. Through various university-led initiatives, I have been able to volunteer at local schools, contributing to their academic and personal development.

However, university life isn’t without its challenges. Balancing academics, extracurriculars, and personal life can be overwhelming. And yet, facing these challenges head-on has taught me valuable lessons about resilience, time management, and the importance of mental health.

Despite the long, grueling study hours, the occasional bouts of homesickness, and the pressure of looming deadlines, my university life holds an unrivaled charm. The friendships I’ve forged, the mentorship I’ve received, the knowledge I’ve gained, and the memories I’ve created make this journey truly worthwhile. University isn’t just a phase of academic advancement—it’s a transformative chapter of life that shapes my identity, molds my character, and prepares me for the world beyond.

In conclusion, my university life is the crucible where I am constantly learning, growing, and evolving. The interplay of academics, extracurricular engagements, and personal relationships provide a rich tapestry of experiences that have been instrumental in my personal and professional development. These years have been challenging, illuminating, and ultimately rewarding, shaping me into a confident, globally aware, and well-rounded individual. My university life is more than just an educational journey; it’s a journey of self-discovery and personal growth that will leave an indelible imprint on my identity.

Essay On My University

Introduction.

As I reflect on my time at university, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for the wealth of experiences and knowledge I’ve gathered. To say that my university life has been transformative would be an understatement. It has been a journey of self-discovery, filled with unique opportunities, inspiring mentors, and friendships that will last a lifetime. This essay will give you a glimpse into my unforgettable journey, the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and my personal growth during the adventurous voyage of my university life.

The Academic Rigor

My university experience has been an academic whirlwind. From the challenging coursework in the sciences to the engaging lectures in the humanities, the intellectual rigor of my university has both stretched and stimulated my mind. I’ve been fortunate to learn from professors who are not only experts in their fields but also passionate educators.

Embracing the Culture

One of the things I love most about my university is its rich cultural diversity. As a Nigerian university, we have students from across the country and around the world. This melting pot of cultures has broadened my worldview and enhanced my understanding of different perspectives.

The Power of Community

The university experience is about more than academics; it’s about being part of a community. Through various clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities, I’ve made lifelong friends and developed a strong bond with my university. This sense of community has been an invaluable part of my university life.

Looking Towards the Future

As I look toward the future, I’m grateful for the foundation my university has provided. Beyond the knowledge and skills I’ve gained, my university has taught me resilience, critical thinking, and the importance of community. I’m excited to carry these lessons with me as I move forward in my journey.

Reflecting on my university life, it’s clear that this journey has been transformative, filled with rich learning experiences, diverse cultural exposure, and a strong sense of community. The university has not only equipped me with academic knowledge, but also with essential life skills and lifelong bonds. As I step into the next phase of my life, I carry with me the confidence that my university has instilled in me, ready to face the world and make a difference. The memories I’ve made, the friends I’ve gained, and the lessons I’ve learned will forever remain an integral part of me. Indeed, my university life has been an unforgettable chapter in my life’s book.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024

April 15, 2024

Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.

Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .

What are Creative Writing Prompts?

Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).

Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.

How to use Creative Writing Prompts

Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:

Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.

Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.

Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts.  This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)

Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.

Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens

Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!

Prompts using memories

• Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
• Describe a family ritual.
• Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
• Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
• Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
• Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
• Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
• What’s your earliest memory?
• Who was your first friend?
• Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
• Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
• Write about the best month of the year.
• Write about the worst day of the year.
• Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
• Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
• Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
• Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
• Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
• Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.

Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts

• Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
• Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
• Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
• Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
• Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
• Tell the story of a piece of trash.
• Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
• Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.

Senses and observations as creative writing prompts

• Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
• Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
• Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
• Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
• Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
• Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
• Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
• Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
• Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
• Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
• Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
• Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
• Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
• Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.

Songs, books, and other art

• Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
• Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
• Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
• Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
• Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
• Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
• Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
• Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
• Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
• Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
• Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.

Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts

• Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
• Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
• Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
• Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
• Invent a mode of time travel.
• Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
• Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
• Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
• Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
• Write like you’re telling a secret.
• Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?

Prompts for playing with narrative and character

• Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
• Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
• Write a story that begins with the ending.
• Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
• Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
• Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
• You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
• Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
• Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
• Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
• Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
• Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
• Invent a bank or museum heist.
• Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
• Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
• Write using the form of a recipe.

Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction

• Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
• Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
• Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
• Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
• You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
• Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
• Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
• Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
• Write about your day, but lie about some things.
• Tell the story of your birth.
• Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
• Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
• Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.

Prompts for starting with dialogue

• Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
• Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
• Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
• Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
• Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
• You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
• Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
• Write a job interview gone badly.

Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School 

Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:

• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Good Transition Words for Essays
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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