Quick Tips for Writing Your Descriptive Essay

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Writing a descriptive essay can be a rich and rewarding experience, but it can also feel a bit complicated. It's helpful, therefore, to keep a quick checklist of the essential questions to keep in mind as you plan, draft, and revise your essay.

Planning your descriptive essay:

What or who do you want to describe?
What is your reason for writing your description?
What are the particular qualities that you want to focus on?

Drafting your descriptive essay:

What sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures are important for developing your description?
Which details can you include to ensure that your readers gain a vivid impression imbued with your emotion or perspective?

Revising your descriptive essay:

Have you provided enough details and descriptions to enable your readers to gain a complete and vivid perception?
Have you left out any minor but important details?
Have you used words that convey your emotion or perspective?
Are there any unnecessary details in your description?
Does each paragraph of your essay focus on one aspect of your description?
Are you paragraphs ordered in the most effective way?

WRITING AN ESSAY

Consult the following website:

Guide to Writing an Essay. Tutorial & Instructional Programmes. – Washington DC: Gallaudet University, 2015: http: //www.gallaudet.edu/ tip/ english center/

[117] Guide to Writing an Essay. Tutorial &

Instructional Programmes, 2015

CRITERIA FOR GRADING ASSESSED ESSAYS
Essential elements required for ALL essays

Relevance: it directly answers the question

Understanding of the topic

Evidence of the use of appropriate material (e.g. books, journal articles, etc.)

Organisation of material into a coherent structure: introduction, argument and evidence, conclusion

Clear style, including accurate spelling, clear sentence construction and punctuation

References

Bibliography

Use of own words, except where directly quoting from another source

Language: avoidance of inappropriate slang, racist or sexist language

The following features are deemed to be evidence of quality

1. Evaluation and analysis of a wide range of material and sources

2. Ability to understand to discuss critically abstract ideas, theories and concepts

3. Argument - well formulated, substantiated, and with evidence of critical and independent thought

Grading First Class (above 70%)

A first class essay will typically demonstrate excellence in the following:

accurate integration of a wide range of material and resources high level of critical analysis and independent judgment quality of arguments in response to the question sources fully and accurately identified originality of exposition or treatment in addition to incorporating all of the elements required of all essays (above)

Second Class, First Division or 2.1 (60-69%)

There were be very good use of many or most of the aspects outlined in the first

class essay, but certain features may be less fully realized. Thus, for example, a typical 2.1 essay will include a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all relevant issues display a very good level of independent and critical judgment involve conceptual analysis in relation to certain issues of the argument in addition to incorporating all of the elements required of all essays (above)

Second Class, Second Division or 2.2 (50-59%)

There will be good use of some of the features of the first class essay, although

several elements will be only partially realized. Thus, for example, a typical 2.2 essay will display some independent thought (e.g. through the use of original examples), but may have uneven coverage of relevant issues, with some explored in more detail than others may lack sustained conceptual analysis, tending to accept uncritically the principal arguments in an area will include most of the elements required of all essays, but not all, for example, there may be some confusion in the use of terms the referencing may be inaccurate or inconsistent there may be use of inappropriate language

Third Class (40-49%)

There will be a satisfactory use of a limited number of the features outlined for the first class essay, but significant elements will be underdeveloped. Thus, for example, a typical third class essay may display little evidence of independent thought and critical judgement include a partial and rather superficial coverage of the key issues lack critical analysis while some of the elements required of all essays are present, they are not necessarily adequate. The essay may display, for example, a satisfactory grasp of the topic, be relevant to the question, but it may it may be poorly structured it may include some waffle (i.e. deploying lots of words without meaning very much the language may lapse into colloquialism references may be inadequate and inaccurate

Fail (below 40%)

There will be an inadequate use of a significant number of the features outlined for the first class essay. A typical Fail essay may be characterized by the following: major inaccuracies and omissions offers unsubstantiated opinion demonstrates no evidence of critical judgement there may be an attempt to respond to the question, but the essay as a whole will not answer it may be badly written there may be no references there may be little evidence of reading

A Report

A REPORT

A REPORT may be written for a superior (e.g. a boss or college principal) or a peer group (e.g. club members or colleagues). The content of a report is to some extent factual and draws on the prompt material, but there will be scope for candidates to make use of their own ideas and experience.
Candidates will be asked to do more than describe a situation; they may be asked to evaluate to what extent a particular aim has been achieved, or to suggest an alternative course of action.

Hints

Begin by stating the purpose of your report.
You may use invented statistics to provide a succint summary of your results.
Use a clear layout with:

Headings. They will make it clear that your report is not an essay or review.
Lists of numbered points or bullets where appropriate. (DON'T overdo it, though. If you use them in more than one section, you won't be able to show the full range of structures and vocabulary you know.)

Divide your report into sections according to the input.
Develop the ideas in the task input.
Include a sentence summarising your opinion at the beginning of the final section of your report.
Use an impersonal, formal style.

Useful language for a report

Stating the purpose of the report

The principal aim/objective/purpose of this report is to provide a description of / to provide / to present results of / to assess the importance of...
In this report I will provide a description of / I will provide/present results of / I will assess the importance of...
This report describes/provides an assessment of / describes/provides/presents results of...

Describing how you got the information

I conducted a survey of / I conducted interviews with local council officers...
... responded to an online questionnaire.
I visited three of the most popular...
... were invited to attend a focus group...

Reporting your results

Most of those responding to the survey stated that/expressed the opinion that...
According to...
A large/considerable/significant/ proportion of respondents/informants/those surveyed said that...
Nearly three quarters of the...

Presenting a list

The arguments against... are the following:

...
...

The following were the main reasons given for supporting...: firstly, ..., secondly, ...
Points our informants mentioned in favour of/against... were:

...
...

There are several ways in which... might be...:

...
...

Making recommendations

Taking all the factors mentioned into account/In the light of the results of the survery/questionnaire, ... would appear to be the most viable solution/option/approach.
I would therefore recommend....
Clearly, more could be done to.... I would make the following recommendations:

...
...
...

Report - Model question

TASK

Your local council is conducting an enquiry into the volume of visitors to the centre of your town or city with a view to encouraging more people to make greater use of shops, restaurants, cafes and entertainment facilities there. You agree to write a report describing the existing situation, including factors which discourage people from coming to the city centre and recommending ways of attracting more visitors.

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