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Patterns for College Writing Chapter 7 - Coggle Diagram
Patterns for College Writing Chapter 7
What is description?
description tells the readers about the physical characteristics of a person, place, or thing
it relies on the five senses
sight
hearing
taste
smell
touch
descriptive essays tell what something looks like, feels like, sounds like, smells like and/or tastes like.
Using Description
description is present in many different kinds of assignments
things can be described to make a point
things can be described to point out differences
knowing how to write effective description is important
Description can be used objectively or subjectively
Objective and subjective description
subjective description conveys one's personal response to the subject.
subjective description should be balanced with objective description
subjective descriptions should convey more than just a literal record of events, sights, and sounds
this kind of perspective is often revealed through word choice and phrasing
one's perspective is not necessarily stated specifically
objective description focuses on the object itself rather than on one's personal reactions to it
objective description should be balanced with subjective description
well chosen visuals can enhance a description by enabling writers to avoid tedious passages of description that might confuse readers
be as accurate as possible when that is necessary
the purpose s to create a precise, literal picture of your subject.
Using Objective and Subjective Language
both descriptions rely heavily on language that appeals to readers' senses
objective
tends to use word's denotations
it uses precise and factual language
subjective usually se richer and more suggestive language
they use more suggestive and rich language
they rely heavily on connotations and figures of speech
similes
metaphors
personification
allusion
Selecting Details
Sometimes inexperienced writers pack their descriptions with bland words
it is important to couple interesting words with interesting details that elicit that response in the readers
all good writing relies on specific details
show the reader instead of telling them
not all details however are equally desirable
only details that leave a dominant impression
other details that can be included are
level
background
knowledge of the audience
Planning a Descriptive Essay
Developing a Thesis Statement
implied thesis statements are often used in descriptive essays
arrangement details are used to suggest the essay's main idea through
many writers prefer explicitly stated thesis statements
Organizing Details
when one plans a descriptive essay organization is key
it is best to throw down one's ideas then revise them as they go along
remember that there always description options
the only correct strategy depends on the dominant impression that you want to convey,
Using Transitions
all transitional words and phrases will help the readers follow the description
without transitions the readers have difficulty understanding the relationship with one another
use words that indicate the spatial arrangement of details
Structuring a Descriptive Essay
Descriptive essays begin with an introduction that presents a thesis that establishes the dominant impression
Each body paragraph includes details that support the thesis or convey the dominant impression
the conclusion reinforces the thesis
sample structure
Introduction (thesis statement)
Point 1 (Support for thesis)
Point 2 (Support for thesis)
Point 3 (support for thesis)
Conclusion (conclusion of the thesis)
Revising a Descriptive Essay
checklist
does the essay call for description
does the essay clearly communicate its thesis or dominant impression
is the description primarily objective of subjective
is the correct form of language used for the form of description used
are enough specific details included
the the details arranged in an effective way
are transitional words and phrases used
Editing a Descriptive Essay
proofread usually for
grammar
mechanics
punctuation
pay special attention to misplaced and dangling modifiers
a misplaced modifying appears to modify the wrong word because it is placed in the sentence incorrectly
dangling modifiers cannot logically modify any words that appear in the sentence.
checklist
are there any dangling modifiers
have genera and bland descriptive words avoided
are there effective uses of figures of speech
Worksheet
what is the essay's dominant impression or thesis?
What points does the writer emphasize the introduction
Would you characterize the essay as primarily an objective or subjective description
Point out some examples of figures of speech
what specific details does the writer use to help readers visualize what is being described
are all the details necessary
how are details arranged
what are some transitional words and phrases the writer uses to help the readers follow the discussion
Do any sentences contain misplaced or dangling modifiers
how effective is the essay's conclusion