Descriptive writing - Figures of speech
Dahlia Bartley, Contributor

Last week, we started to look at descriptive writing through our discussion of figures of speech. This topic is tested in section three of Paper 02 of the examination and assesses your ability to use descriptive language to produce a piece of writing which appeals to the senses. In a nutshell, descriptive writing is aimed at getting your readers to see, hear, feel, smell and touch, through their imagination, a situation, object or person you are writing about. Your description is supposed to be a picture in words.

In section three of the exam paper, you are expected to write between 400 and 450 words and, therefore, you will need to appeal to as many senses as possible, in order to create a well-developed piece of writing. Oftentimes, you are given a scenario and asked to describe a person or a place. We shall look at various aspects which you should include in such a description further in the lesson.

Try to be as creative as possible in your writing. It is best if you start with an opening sentence which paints a vivid picture in your reader's imagination. This will motivate your reader to continue reading. Continue your description with appropriate details then lead up to an effective ending. Instead of using mundane expressions, for example It was a beautiful day or It was a rainy Monday morning, as well as vague words such as nice, good, pretty or ugly, you should try to be as specific as possible.

For example, instead of writing It was a beautiful day, focus on what would make such a day beautiful. You could describe what can be seen on the outside (such as the brightness of the sun and the colours of flowers), what can be heard (such as birds chirping melodiously), what can be felt (such as a calm, cool breeze) and what can be smelt (such as the freshly cut grass or the salted sea). Do you get the picture?

Appealing to the senses

Seeing - appealing to your visual sense. You should include:

• An account of sizes, shapes and colours of people, places and things.
• Bright colours normally depict happiness while dark colours usually create a mood of sadness or despair.

Hearing - distinguishing between sounds. Descriptions should include varying levels of intensity.

Consider the following questions:

• What sounds, if any, would be heard in a baby's room?
• What sounds would be heard on a farm? In the city? During a storm?
• Touching - allowing the perception of sensations.
• Which objects or things could be described using these words?
• Hot/scorching, cold/frosty, smooth/satiny, wet/dry, soft/tough, bumpy/level

Tasting and smelling - These complement each other.

• In describing a scrumptious meal, for example, you should focus on the delicious aroma as well as the taste.
• Taste words: sour, sweet, acidic, tart (bitter), salty
• Smell words: fragrant, aromatic, spicy

Description of people

An effective way to write good descriptions of people is to base them on people you actually know. Include the following in your descriptions of people:

• Physical characteristics - pay attention to those features which stand out - for example, a scar, a mole, gold teeth, a huge head, small, beady eyes.
• Behaviour - for example, pleasant, obnoxious, sneaky
• Qualities - for example, honesty, integrity

Describing places and events

Events happen in particular places and to describe these effectively, you need to include clear details, especially of what can be seen and heard.

Use your imagination, put yourself in the place or event which you want to describe and ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of place am I describing?
• What is happening here?
• What makes this place different from all others?
• What impression do I want my readers to have of this place or event?
• What senses have I appealed to?

Now that you have a general idea of how to approach this section of the paper, start practising. A good descriptive writer practises his or her craft. With practice comes perfection. All the best!

Kingston College (KC) wicketkeeper, Adjani Burton (left), celebrates with a teammate during the fall of a Jamaica College batsman's wicket during the Grace Shield clash at Old Hope Road, recently. KC won by four wickets. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Dahlia Bartley teaches at Glenmuir High School.