Definition & Basics
What is description in writing?
Using vivid details to create a clear image in the reader’s mind
What type of description is based only on facts?
Objective description
Why is purpose important in description?
It determines how and why you describe something
Which sense is used when describing colors?
Sight
What is a dominant impression?
The main feeling or mood of a description
Description helps the reader do what?
“See” the topic clearly
What type includes personal feelings and opinions?
Subjective description
Name one purpose of descriptive writing
Inform, clarify, persuade, or create a mood
Which sense is used when describing sounds?
Hearing
What controls the choice of details in writing?
Purpose and audience
What does description create using words?
A word-picture
Which type focuses on emotional language and impressions?
Subjective
What kind of details should you use: vague or specific?
Specific
Which sense is used for describing textures?
Touch
What does a writer use to create mood?
Specific details and imagery
What does description rely heavily on?
The five senses
Which type avoids personal reactions?
Objective
Why are specific details important?
They make the description clear and vivid
Which sense is used when describing flavors?
Taste
What mood is created by a dark, abandoned mansion?
Fear or suspense
Name the five senses used in descriptive writing
Sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch
True or False: Subjective and objective descriptions are always completely separate
False
Example: “Larry is a sloppy dresser” — what should be improved?
Add specific details. Ex: “Larry wore a wrinkled shirt with missing buttons, stained jeans, and untied, worn-out sneakers.”
Which sense helps describe scents like perfume or smoke?
Smell
What literary technique uses vivid imagery and comparisons (like Twain’s sunset)?
Figurative language