Charrie Lou P.

De Jose 11 - Cranium
Xyleen Nikole M. Palpallatoc

DESCRIPTION
Objective:

 By the end of this lesson, the students should be able to fully understand description, to develop
descriptive writing skills, and to distinguish the difference between subjective and objective descriptions.

Meaning:

It is a literary device in which the author uses details to paint a picture with their words. This process will
provide readers with descriptions of people, places, objects, and events through the use of suitable details.

In descriptive writing, the author does not just tell the reader what was seen, felt, tested, smelled, or heard.
Rather, the author describes something from their own experience and, through careful choice of words and
phrasing, makes it seem real.

Examples:

 Her last smile to me wasn’t a sunset. It was an eclipse, the last eclipse, noon dying away to darkness
where there would be no dawn.
 The waves rolled along the shore in a graceful, gentle rhythm, as if dancing with the land.
 The sunset filled the sky with a red flame, setting the clouds ablaze.
 The old man was bent into a capital C, his head leaning so far forward that his beard nearly touched his
knobby knees.

Two Types of Description:

1. Objective Description
 Present an impartial and actual picture of an object or scene.
 Focuses on facts, statistics, observable details
 Avoid emotional impressions or responses, bracketing his/her biases, sensationalism, or subjective interpretation.
 Best suited for academic, business, and professional writing
 Although writer may have an opinion, it is reflected by selecting factual details rather than using figurating language.
 Types of Objective Description:
 Encyclopedias
 Textbooks
 Business Reports
 Government Publications
2. Subjective Description
 Describing an impression of what is observed.
 Personal
 Reflect thoughts, feelings, mood of writer
 Seeks to create powerful impressions
 Developed through careful selection of details and use of connotations
 To be effective, must use emotional appeals and images that readers will understand and appreciate
 Best suited for personal essay, reviews, persuasive speeches and commentaries
 Often used in advertising to motivate consumers

Characteristics of Description

 Sensory Details (Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch)

 Figurative Language
 Strong Verbs
 Writing from Observation
 Dominant Impression
 Effective Connotative Language
 Organization

Importance of Description

 Close – Up Techniques
 Unusual and striking Context
 Precise Mental Picture