How it works
A description stalls when the writer runs out of things to say about the subject. This descriptive essay graphic organizer gathers the details before the draft, so the writing time goes to choosing the best ones and putting them in order.
Read the full guide
From the descriptive writing graphic organizer to a draft
Fill the sense boxes quickly and do not judge the details yet. Then decide on the impression, circle the details that build it and cross out the rest. The circled details, in the order you chose, become the body paragraphs.
Pick a small subject
A whole city is hard to describe in one essay. One street corner at one time of day is not. A narrow subject leaves room for exact details.
- Before adding an adjective, try a more exact noun or verb: shuffled says more than walked slowly.
Questions and answers
What is a descriptive essay?
An essay that makes a place, an object or a person vivid for the reader. It is built from sensory details and works toward one dominant impression. Its focus is the scene.
How do you organize a descriptive essay?
A description is usually arranged by place, such as top to bottom or near to far. It can also be arranged by time, or for emphasis. Pick one order before drafting and keep to it.
What are sensory details?
Details that appeal to the physical senses: what a reader could see, hear, smell, taste or touch. The Common Core writing standards ask for sensory details in narrative writing in grades 4 and 5, and for sensory language from grade 6.
What is a dominant impression in descriptive writing?
On these sheets, the one feeling or idea the whole description should leave with the reader. The details, the words and the order are chosen to arrive at it.