The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses. Teaching students to write more descriptively will improve their writing by making it more interesting and engaging to read.

When a text conjures a vivid, sensory impression in the reader’s mind, not only does it make the writing more interesting to read; it helps the reader understand the text better and recognize the author’s intention more clearly.

Character Descriptions

Imagine you are sitting down in a coffee shop watching people walk by on a busy intersection. You notice a person walking past with unique or peculiar qualities. Bewildered, you start to imagine what a life this person must’ve lived. Your writing task is to describe that person in detail. Your description should include:

• Physical appearance
• Movement or posture of the person
• Guessing some of his/her past history
• What kind of person are they?
• What feelings/emotions they are portraying?
• Are they accompanied by someone/something?