Purpose: A descriptive paragraph gives the reader a visual picture of the
topic. It gives
a point of view about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells or sounds.
Key features: A descriptive paragraph:
- describes
- creates a “word picture” for a reader
- shows with words
To describe a person’s appearance, details should be given as follows: height/build,
age, facial features, hair, clothing, moving from the most general aspects to the more
specific details.
Zulfiyya, who is one of the kindest teachers I know, looks more like a young
student than a teacher. First of all, she is a short, slim woman in her
mid-forties. She has a round face with girlish features. She has
dark eyes and a small narrow nose. Her thin eyebrows highlight
her narrow, curious eyes. Also, her hair makes her look
younger. She has medium-length wavy hair which is parted
to one side. Finally, Zulfiyya always dresses simply, in very
young fashions. She often wears knee-length skirts as most
students do. She also prefers flat-heeled shoes instead of
the high-heeled ones that older women generally wear. In
fact, if you see Zulfiyya, you will probably be surprised to
learn that she is a teacher and not a student.
- What is the topic of this paragraph?
- What is the topic sentence of this paragraph?
- What is the controlling idea of this paragraph?
- What features of a descriptive paragraph do you see in this paragraph?
- What descriptive words are used in this paragraph?
- What is the concluding sentence of this paragraph?