Descriptive essays Revision

In descriptive essays, you have to describe a person, place or thing. If the question states “describe a
person that helped you in the time of need”, don’t just go on about how the person helped you, you
have to describe the person and his attributes as well.

Describing people: Add the characteristics of the person such as “tall, well built, shiny black hair,
etc.”. Remember to describe the height, age, build, face, eyes, hair and clothing of the person.
Describe the attributes and hobbies of the person and why he/she inspires/motivates you.

Example(s): When he laughed, he revealed a set of horribly discoloured teeth.

Everybody stared at her.

She had beautiful dark hair piled high on her head, a delicately shaped face, large soft eyes and the
most dazzling smile I had ever seen.

Describing places: State where and what the place is (For example Lulu Island in Abu Dhabi).

Describe how far the place is from your house (how you got there) and why do you like the place.
Describe the unique features of the place and what is so good about it.

Describe the weather and how it felt “hot” or “cold” when you were there. Would you recommend the
place to others (for vacations, etc.)? If yes, then why?

Example(s): She strolled to the back of the house by herself, and she saw the most beautiful
backdrop. Trees were everywhere and sunlight was trying its best to penetrate the thick lush
greenery. Right at the very middle of the trees was a small lake. Danielle leaned against the fence
and admired the scene before her with awe.

Describing things: Name the thing and what type of gadget/thing it is (For example your 24-carrot
Rolex WATCH  )

Describe the appearance of the thing, remember to be precise in mentioning the color, shape and
size of the object.

Describe the features of the object and why it is so special to you.

Starting Descriptives; start by naming the person/place/thing. For person, describe if he’s popular
or not. For places, describe it’s location and popularity. For things, name the brand and how the
people world – wide adore it.

Main body; go into further detail on the topic. If you’re describing a person then go in detail of the
appearance, characteristics and qualities of the person (in separate paragraphs). If you’re describing
a place, go in depth about the wonders of the place, the key features and leisure facilities, the
weather (decide paragraphing accordingly). If you’re describing things, most preferably two
paragraphs in detail of its appearance and how its features and background make it an important
object for you.
 Ending your essay; conclude your essay by summarizing all you’ve described and recommending
(in case of place) or wishing best of luck (in case of people such as teachers/sportsmen) or admiring
the object that you hold so dear. Key point; in descriptive,

VOCABULARY is very important because you want the reader to imagine what you’re describing!
Nobody just likes to read a description of a person or place or object. With appropriate vocabulary
you have to make it an interesting read.

Vocabulary for Describing People’s outlook

astronomical:
extremely large

boundless:
having no limit

boundless optimism

She has boundless energy and enthusiasm.

opp: Bounded

colossal:
extremely large
In the centre of the hall stood a colossal wooden statue, decorated in ivory and gold.

They were asking a colossal amount of money for the house.

elephantine:
very large
She's so tiny she makes me feel elephantine.

enormous:
extremely large
an enormous car/house

He earns an enormous salary.

I was absolutely enormous when I was pregnant.

You've been an enormous help.

extensive:
covering a large area; having a great range
a school with extensive grounds

gigantic:
extremely large
a gigantic statue

The cost has been gigantic.

ginormous (informal):
extremely large
Even little Billie ate his way through a ginormous ice-cream sundae.

humongous or humungous (U.S. slang):
extremely large
Zesto's restaurant serves humungous burgers.

vast:
extremely large in area, size, amount, etc.
syn: huge
ex a vast area of forest.

immeasurable:
(formal) to large, great etc. to be measured
ex to cause immeasurable harm

immense:
extremely large or great
syn: enormous
ex there is still an immense amount of work to be done

undersisez:
not as big as normal

tiny:
very small in size or amount
ex only tiny minorities hold such extreme views.

massive:
1_very large, heavy and solid
ex the massive walls of the castle
2_extremely large or serious
ex the explosion made a massive hole in the ground

NATURAL SIGHTS

marvellous:
extremely good, wonderful
syn: fantastic, explendid
ex this will be a marvellous oportunity for her

picturesque:
(of a place, building, scene) pretty, especially in a way that looks old-fashioned
syn quaint
ex a picturesque cottage, village
this inn is picturesquely situated on the bancks of the river

exuberant:
1_full of energy, exitment and happiness
ex she gave an exuberant performance

2_(of plants) strong and healthy; growing quickly and well.

immaculate:
1_extremely clean and tidy
syn: spotless
ex an immaculated uniform, room

2_containing no mistakes
syn: perfect
an immaculate performance

palatial:
(of a room or building) very large and impressive; like a palace
syn esplendid

crowded:
1_having a lot of people or too many people
ex in spring the place is crowded with skiers
2_full of something
ex a room crowded with books

modern:
1_of the present time or recent times
syn: contemporary
ex the modern industrial world

magnificent:
extremely attractive and impressive; deserving praise
syn: splendid
ex she looked magnificent in her wedding dress/you`ve all done a magnificent job

stunning:
1_extremely atractive or impressive
syn: beautiful
ex a stunning view of the lake

2_extremely surprising or shocking

ex he suffered a stunning defeat in the election

sandy:
covered with or containnig sand
ex a sandy beach /sandy soil

OTHERS

crowded:
If a place is crowded, it is full of people
By ten o'clock the bar was crowded.

historic:
important or likely to be important in history
historic buildings

a historic day/moment

In a historic vote, the Church of England decided to allow women to become priests.

cosmopolitan:
containing or having experience of people and things from many different parts of the
world
New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.

touristy:
describes a place which is not attractive because a lot of tourists visit it and it is full of
things for them to buy and do
This used to be an attractive seaside town, but now it's become very touristy.

industrial:
in or related to industry, or having a lot of industry and factories, etc
industrial output

industrial expansion

an industrial landscape/nation

He has an industrial background (= He has worked in industry).

deserted:
If a place is deserted, there are no people in it
a deserted building/street

The coastal resorts are deserted (= do not have many visitors) in winter.

 . PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

tall

short

slim

thin

fat

obese

well-built

overweight

medium height

well-dressed

smart

scruffy

good-looking

attractive

beautiful

pretty

handsome

ugly

old

young

middle-aged

bald
 bald-headed

beard

moustache

long hair

short hair

straight hair

curly hair

fair-haired

blond-haired or blonde-haired

brown-haired

dark-haired

ginger-haired

blonde

brunette

redhead

FEELINGS

happy

sad

miserable

worried

depressed

excited

bored
fed up

pleased

delighted

surprised

astonished

disappointed

enthusiastic

relaxed

stressed

anxious

tired

weary

exhausted

annoyed

angry

furious

livid

disgusted

ENGLISH VOCABULARY
EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
confident
sensitive

calm

hot-headed

impulsive

cheerful

generous

kind

mean

crazy

sensible

serious

honest

dishonest

good-humoured

bad-tempered

moody

hard-working

lazy

clever

intelligent

unintelligent

arrogant

snobbish

happy

unhappy

stupid

outgoing
cautious

adventurous

shy

introverted

extroverted

easy-going

rude

bad-mannered

impolite

emotional

polite

funny

witty

boring

patient

impatient

sophisticated

crude

cheeky

friendly

unfriendly

conceited

modest

brave

cowardly

absent-minded

talented
obedient

disobedient

principled

corrupt

Unscrupulous
 SCENERY
 
            Scenery can be beautiful or dull, soft or harsh.
 
            (a)        Examples of a beautiful scenery:
 
         Beautiful beaches encircled the island.
         I paused to look at the gay flowers that rioted in the
garden.
         In the distance towered a snow-capped, beautifully
symmetrical volcanic mountain.
         Low hills ringed the valley, rolling away into a blue
haze of high mountain peaks.
         Washed and dusted, the trees glittered, and the
hordes of parrots came back to flash their rainbow bodies
amid the timber, more loquacious than before.
           
            (b)        Examples of dull scenery:
 
         The grey brown land was devoid of life except for an
occasional snake.
         The recent rains had dampened the wild flowers in
the fields and they now looked battered and bedraggled.
         The countryside was awash with sheeting rain,
howling with    boisterous winds, and robbed of all colour
by the ashen skies.
 
 
            (c)        Examples of soft scenery:
 
         The Atlantic spread out before them like a piece of
pale blue china.
         Chimney smoke arched and danced in the wind
under a blue sky.
         The sun shone more kindly now, and the trees
which framed the scene were golden and lovely.
         A gentle breeze came up to spin white drifts of sea
water over the beach.
 
            (d)        Examples of harsh scenery:
 
         They were halted by a seemingly insurmountable
rocky mountain range.
         Gigantic waves crashed on the rocks around us in a
pandemonium of sound.
         The rock was hard as flint, and a fall would have
meant serious lacerations and broken bones.
 
7.         NATURAL PHENOMENA
 
The sky and clouds, sunrise and sunset, lightning and
thunder, wind and rain often inspire good descriptions.
 
            (a)        The sky and clouds:
 
         The high sunlit clouds drifted across a clear blue
sky.
         The sky above was full of tumultuous, dark, ragged
clouds.
         A sky of mackerel clouds, crimson and amber-tinted.
         It was a grey afternoon with a dull sky threatening
rain.
         A cloud, ominous and black, drifted over the
mountain and released a sudden shower.
 
 
            (b)        Sunrise and sunset:
           
         The sun rose in a pool of crimson and gold, spilling
light all over the land and the white clouds.
         From freezing night, it turned to scorching day as
the sun climbed towards its zenith.
         As the sun set, the few thin strips of clouds on the
horizon turned shimmering gold.
         It was a lovely walk, with the sun setting behind the
mountain in a sea of liquid gold.
         The sunsets have been glorious lately, all rosy and
salmon- pink.
 
            (c)        Lightning and thunder:
 
         Thunder came marching from far away with
increasing tread.
         Lightning and thunder raged with fury.
         A flash of forked lightning and a great clap of
thunder came close upon each other.
         A bolt of lightning tore across the sky and a peal of
thunder followed.
 
           
 
 
 
 
(d)        Wind and rain:
 
         The wind was sighing and thrashing in the tree tops
and the boughs moaned.
         The morning was cold and wet with a brisk wind
sweeping the rain across the land.
         A curtain of rain beat down from the heavens.
 
            (e)        The moon:
         The moon was abnormally large and it bathed the
earth with its luminous glow.
 
8.         ATMOSPHERE
 
         It was a blindingly hot day and the humidity in the air
was stifling.
         The evening was very still and the darkness carried
the faint perfume of flowers and the scent of the dew-
rinsed earth.
         The seconds merged into minutes and the minutes
into hours as the prisoner waited for his execution.
         We could hear the chorus of frogs from the creek,
and the myriad softer sounds that stir in the night.
         The atmosphere in the dance hall was saturated
with music and sweet perfume.
         The air was heavy with dust beaten up by the
soldiers.
 
9.         THINGS
 
         Mangled corpses littered the battlefield.
         The stench from the rubbish dump was nauseating.
         The little house was desolate and sterile, full of grief
and   wretchedness.
         What had once been a flower bed was now scarcely
recognizable  under the rampant growth of weeds.
         It was a well-built, characterless modern house.
         A row of dilapidated shop houses was gutted in the
fire.
         Fireworks blossomed in the night sky, turning to
giant flowers of  pink, orange and green.
         The deserted house looked eerie and ominous.
         The road snaked along the plain into the horizon.
         The fair was in full swing and the stalls were
dressed in gorgeous colours.
         Light came in through windows fogged with smoke
and grime.
         Pink papaya, golden pineapple, glistening
watermelon slices, heaps  of pomelos and starfruit were
spread under the lamps of the stalls.
         It was a sleepy little settlement with only a handful of
houses.
         She walked past windswept bushes and what
looked like a  dilapidated barn of blackened wood.
         Glass can be so beautiful, so exquisite.
The house on the hill commanded a glorious view of the
sea

Describe the best meal you have ever eaten. (Remember you must describe the place, the atmosphere and the people
you were with as well as the food itself.)