2.

DESCRIPTION
Description presents a verbal portrait of a person, place, or thing. In the context of writing, description means choosing words
and phrases that make your reader experience sights, sounds, and smell as realistically possible. You can think of this technique as
drawing a picture with words. Description appeals to the reader’s senses. Good descriptive writing makes the reader see (or feel,
smell, or hear) what the writer is describing.
Guidelines in Writing Descriptive Paragraph
1. Using Simple and Direct Words
When writing descriptive paragraphs, at times, students like you are tempted of using long, fancy, or uncommon words.
There is nothing wrong with these, as long as these words are suited and appropriate to the paragraph. However, your words
should flow so easily and smoothly that the reader notices what you are saying, not how you are saying. When this happens, it
is better to use simple and direct words in your narratives.
2. Eliminating Unnecessary Words
A good writing is concise. While long sentences or long words may be necessary occasionally, every word should have a
purpose. Otherwise, the point you are making may get lost. One way to cut down on extra words is to eliminate redundant
expression or sentences that restate an idea you have already covered. For example, each and every are redundant expression
because each and every mean the same thing. Choose one and eliminate the other.
3. Using Your Own Words
Expressions or descriptions repeated too often become meaningless. Have you heard someone say, “I slept like a baby” or
“It’s raining cats and dogs”? These clichés are fine in casual conversation, but they should be avoided in writing. They are so
overused that they no longer create vivid mental pictures.
For more powerful writing, describe things in your own words. Find only the right adjective or adverb or make comparisons
that enable the reader to picture your subject in a perspective. Or just keep it simple- sometimes “I slept well” or “It’s raining
hard!” is fine.
4. Being Specific
In a casual conversation, you may use some of the same descriptive words over and over- words such as nice, cool, and
nasty. Your friends know what you mean, but with readers, you need to write more specifically to get your point across. Using
specific nouns and verbs make your writing more vivid and cuts down on extra words that can distract the reader and can
confuse the reader’s understanding.
Example of Descriptive Paragraph
Observe the following examples. Determine the characteristic of a descriptive writing shown in two examples.

Once you drive our new sport wagon, you will wonder how you ever got along
without it. The spacious rear compartment has plenty of rooms for all your weekend
gear, and the roof rack provides extra storage for bikes and skis. Optional four-wheel
drive gives you power in tough conditions, but the handling is smooth that you’ll feel
as though you’re driving on air. Finally, the compact size means slick maneuverability
and gas mileage that rivals a midsize sedan. This car is custom made for the practical
adventurer.
An incredibly compact size and light weight mean you can take it anywhere at
any time for any purpose. At the same time, the high power and large memory capacity
give you the versatility of a larger unit. High-resolution video and audio capabilities
make this a state-of-the art model. From video editing to desktop publishing to
gaming, this computer meets the needs of professionals, students, and personal users
alike. The Centrum XE laptop is the ideal personal computer for anyone who needs
high performance on the go.
Task 1. Using Simple and Direct Words
Directions: For each of the sentences below, write a description that illustrates the same subject with simpler and more direct
language. Use a dictionary to look up the meanings of words you do not understand. Feel free to rearrange the order of the sentence
or break it up into two parts if that helps. The first example has been completed for you.
Example: The incandescent, resplendent sun issued from the horizon and thus commenced another torrid day.

Answer: The bright sun appeared on the horizon, promising another scorching day.

1. A tall, statuesque, willowy woman entered the room suddenly and unexpectedly, startling all of the guests.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Dessert was a toothsome confection bedecked with a corona of luscious carmine berries.
________________________________________________________________________
3. The oversized pickup is a burly, stalwart 2.3 tons of steel constructed to endure a multitude of years and plethora of weather
conditions.
________________________________________________________________________
4. The day was nascent, and my plans were inchoate, so I loitered idly at the breakfast table as I cogitated on the upcoming
day.
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Beneath the sparkling lunar orb, the sea glistened brilliantly and the adamantine rocks appeared radiant in the moonlight.
__________________________________________________________________
Task 2 Using Your Own
Directions: For each of the following overused expressions, or clichés, think of a more original- or a simpler and more
straightforward way of expressing what you want to say. Write your own description on the lines below each example.

1. He’s so cheerful he’s like a breath of fresh air.

________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. I’m so hungry I could eat an elephant.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. These two sisters are as different as night and day.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Bernard talks like a mile a minute.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. My nephew is growling like a beanstalk.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________

Task 3
Directions: Read the following texts. Answer the questions that follow.

This Crazy Feeling Called Love

by Grace Cruz

What is love? Funny, I cannot understand why someone would suddenly change behavior just because of this thing called
l-o-v-e.
I would often laugh at the recollection of my friends’ attitudes towards love. Why do they hide whenever they see their
crushes coming, and after which, take secret glances at their directions? And imagine their creativity in throwing clandestine looks
at the guys of their dreams! They would peer through an open magazine newspaper, or whatever book that they could lay their hands
on-to the point that sometimes they do not even notice that they are holding the page upside down. Or sometimes, they would
pretend to powder their nose only to see the image reflected in the mirror that they holding. Ah, you never know how creative girls
can be.
And why do they seem to lose their senses if the guys do not reciprocate their felling? Or worse, why do they feel like it is
the end of the world when they experience little nonsense quarrels or anything of the sort.
Me? I will never, never allow myself to be fooled by this crazy felling. I know how to handle myself. I have my head above
my heart, and that is where it should be. I do not want to be an object or ridicule by other teenagers like me. At least, I am sensible.
I am not be fooled easily by any guy around.
But… not until the day changed it colors- so I found.
It was the first day of the second semester. I was taking a light snack at the canteen, before my second period for the day.
A neat-looking guy in black rimmed eyeglasses broke my train of thoughts and asks if he could have the seat across mine. Sure, I
though, and gave him a nod.
It was a casual question on a typical day at the canteen, but it made me throw a second quick glance at his direction, and I
caught him looking at me. Our eyes met, and he smiled. My, what cute dimples he has! Perhaps I blushed, and lowered my eyes. I
tried to concentrate on what I was sipping, played with the straw until the ice melted. I feel like melting too.
I heard him ask about the time. “The time…Uh, it’s nine thirty.” I was surprised that my voice almost did not come out. I
pinched my arms secretly. Behave, I told myself. He was just asking about the time.
‘’Thanks,’’ he said again and quickly finished his sandwich. Then, he stood up and with a slight bow; I understood that he
meant to end our brief encounter.
I tried to compose myself after that. They are you, I thought, that was nothing. It was just an encounter-a meaningless casual
encounter, I told my brain. After this, I knew that we would not meet again anymore. Or if we do, we would not even remember
having met this morning.
I was left half-smiling, half-staring at the chair where he sat till my classmate Aida broke my trance, “It is already time.
Shall we go now?’’
‘’Ah, yes,’’ I said. “Sure!” I followed Aida as she led the way outside the canteen. Suddenly I felt moving in very slight
steps. I looked around and saw the warm color of surrounding.
We reached our room, and seated while wait for our professor. We recognized old friends and exchanged Hi’s and Hello’s.
We also greeted new acquaintances with broad smiles and high fives.
When it was almost the start of the class, a guy entered the room. My heart stopped beating for a second. He was the guy
at the canteen! He glances around and asked, “Philosophy 102?”He was trying to check if he was at the right room.
He looked for a vacant seat, and he saw a chair-that unoccupied seat beside me. His notebook fell when he sat, and it landed
just right beside my foot. “I am sorry.” he apologized. I smiled and did not say a word, but inside, my heart was saying, it is all right
even if all of your notebooks would fall again and again. I surely wouldn’t mind.
For the whole period, I kept my face at the other direction, but once in a while I would side glance to look at him through
the corner of my eyes. He wore his uniform neatly, I thought. And hmmm, he seemed studios-his full attention was focused on our
professor.
That night, he was in my dreams. When I woke up, I hurriedly prepared to go to school. Suddenly, school was the most
exciting place to go to.
I reached school quite early, so I passed by the canteen, just like the previous day. And saw him again. My heart thumped
faster, maybe as fast as his paced steps. How would I greet him? Should I say, “Hello, you come early too?’’ or “What is your class
today?’’
But while I was trying to compose the words that I would say, I saw him greeting another girl, and they seemed to know
each other very well. I could not hear what they were saying, but they seemed to be cracking jokes. They were laughing heartily,
and they seemed to be very happy.
I felt a slight pinch in my heart. I couldn’t understand. I tried to ignore the pain, and told myself, she was just a classmate,
a friend. But when I looked again at their direction, I saw them holding hands and they seemed to be very comfortable with each
other’s company. The way they looked at each other’s eyes portrayed a mutual felling that had been there long before, even before
I met him yesterday in this very same place.
The light feeling that brought I to cloud nine yesterday crashed like the blowing torrents of Typhoon Yolanda. It whipped
me, and it slashed me-and I felt my heart pounding. I took a deep breath, and then tried to compose myself. I touched my head; it
was still in place-my head with its long wavy hair that was pulled up in bun. My head is still right above my heart where it should
be. I should not let this felling let me down in any way.
I stood up and quickly walked my way past them. I did not even bother to look. I did not care at all. I was too young yet to
fall in love.
A. Processing Questions
1. What does the selection talk about?
2. What is the author’s perception of love?
3. Do you agree with the author’s ideas? Why?
4. At what point do you agree with the author’s view about love?
5. Give your own perception of love. What it is for you?

B. Take note of the author's styles of using beautiful expressions. Read the parts of her narration that are described on the following
page.
1. How did the author describe her friends who had been in loved during her young age?
2. How did the author describe the uneasiness of having a crush that her friend had experience for the first time?
3. How did euphoric feeling of love change her moods and emotions after that?
4. How did the author describe the pain of smitten love?
5. How did the author rationalize her experience in the end?

Task 4
Directions: Choose a writing project which is appropriate to your discipline, your new skills in writing description on the subject.
Write a 250 word-sentence paragraph.
Communication and Arts
Pretend that you are a feature story writer of a local newspaper, you write weekly profiles of interesting people in the
community. This week, you have interviewed Serapio “Amang” Policarpio, an 80 year old retired cabinetmaker who has lived in
this town his entire life. Besides keeping up his famous woodworking, Mang Serapio has been actively involved in the community,
leading efforts to clean up a nearby river and serving for several years on the town council.
You want your readers to see Serapio as you see him, so they can appreciate what a fascinating character he is. To create
the details you need, write a paragraph that introduces Serapio: how he looks, how he sounds, and what his personality is like and
other details you think are important. Remember to include a topic sentence that tells the reader who Serapio is.
Nursing and Allied Medical Courses
You are a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics. One of your patients has just become pregnant for the first time at the
age of 39. She is nervous about the possible complications of a late-life pregnancy. To give her to be calm and to show her assurance,
you write out a brief description of the signs of a normal pregnancy during the first trimester. In this way your patient will know
what to expect and whether her experience are normal.
Write a paragraph describing how a pregnancy looks and
Criminology, Public Administration, Psychology, and Social Work feels during the first trimester. For information to help your
descriptive writing, go to a nearby internet shop and access any website about Health and Medicine. Organize your thoughts and
use clear strong details in your descriptive paragraph.
As a group psychologist specializing in work-related situations, you have been hired to conduct a stress-relief workshop with
the employees of a large company. In one session, you will ask the participants to close their eyes and picture themselves in a
beautiful and peaceful setting that you describe. Write the paragraph you will use with the participants. Include descriptions that
appeal to at least three senses.
Business Administration, Accountancy, HRM and Marketing
Imagine that you have just opened a native restaurant in your neighborhood. In the press release that you will send to the local
papers to announce your store’s opening, you want to include a paragraph that describes the food in detailed. Your descriptions
should be sharp and should engage the reader’s senses. Use words that will enable readers to visualize the taste and appearance of
the food. Try to provoke their sense of smell and taste using the terms that describe texture, spices, and preparation techniques.