DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY - General Guidelines

1. The purpose of writing is to describe the details of a specific event.
2. Since you have no notes to fall back on (not like in Directed Writing), you need to come up with your own details.
3. You can use your senses to help you give the details :
 What do you see?
 What do you hear?
 What do you taste?
 What do you feel?
 What do you think?
4. When describing an event, you can think of :
 the purpose of the event
 the date, time and venue
 the people/audience/participants/guests involved
 the sequence of events – the highs and the lows, incidents, etc.
 everything you see, hear, taste, feel or think
 other people’s views
 a good introduction and a good conclusion

They are three (3) types of descriptive essays. They are:
a) Describing a scene/event
b) Describing a place
c) Describing a person

A) DESCRIBING AN EVENT / A SCENE
When describing a scene or event, you are required to write in some details about the people
and activities going on.

Guidelines in writing descriptions of scenes/events
 Be clear about what scene/event you are describing
 Description must be lively and interesting
 Describe activities in details
 Activities are arranged in order
 Highlight person involved & what are they doing
 Capture the mood of the scene (noise, lights & colours)

B) DESCRIBING A PLACE
When describing a place, you are required to describe the place in detail. In your description,
include the people and activities going on.

Guidelines in writing descriptions of places
 Give an introduction to the place
 Give a physical description of the place (from outside moving to inside)
 Describe what you see and hear
 Describe in details the activities and attractions
 Can include your personal feelings about the place

C. DESCRIBING A PERSON
When describing a person/a group of people, you should give enough details about the
person/people. Include their lifestyle, contributions if any and daily activities.

Guidelines in writing descriptions of people
 Be clear about who you are describing
 If he/she is a famous person, mention why is he/she famous
 If it is about a group, some knowledge about them is vital
 Your description must be interesting
 Mention the special features why that person is outstanding
 Use present tense if the person is still alive 

List of Metaphors

The snow is a white blanket. 

The hospital was a refrigerator.

The classroom was a zoo.

America is a melting pot.  

Her lovely voice was music to his ears. 

Life is a rollercoaster.  

The alligator’s teeth are white daggers.  

Their home was a prison. 

The slide on the playground was a hot stove.

His heart is a cold iron.

She is a peacock.

He is a shining star. 

Time is money.

My teacher is a dragon.

Tom’s eyes were icy.

The detective’s face was wooden as he listened to her story.

She feels that life is a fashion show.

The world is a stage.

My kid’s room is a disaster area.

The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.

Kisses are the flowers of affection.

His words were cotton candy.

Mary’s eyes were fireflies.

John’s suggestion was just a Band-Aid.

The cast on his broken leg was a plaster shackle.

Her long hair was a flowing golden river.

The computers at school are old dinosaurs.

Laughter is the music of the soul.

He is a night owl.

Maria is a chicken.

The falling snowflakes are dancers.

At five o’clock, the interstate was a parking lot.

Books are keys to your imagination.

Her teddy bear was her best friend, never sharing her secrets.

The peaceful lake was a mirror.

Terry was blue when his goldfish died.

The wind was an angry witch.

The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage.

Her angry words were bullets to him.

Your brain is a computer.

Jamal was a pig at dinner.

You are my sunshine.

The car was a furnace in the sun.

Thank you so much. You are an angel.

That coach is an ogre.

Ben’s temper was a volcano, ready to explode.

The kids were monkeys on the jungle gym.

The sun is a golden ball.

The clouds are balls of cotton.

Sue’s room is a zoo with fish, a gerbil and a parakeet.

The park was a lake after the rain.

The lightning was fireworks in the sky.

Gary is a mule.

That lawn is a green carpet.

My dad is a road hog.

The stars are sparkling diamonds.

Those two best friends are two peas in a pod.

He is a walking dictionary.

Donations for the popular charity were a tsunami.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

My big brother is a couch potato.

The road was a ribbon stretching across the desert.

The teenager’s stomach was a bottomless pit.

The thunder was a mighty lion.

I am so excited. My pulse is a race car.

The moon is a white balloon.

Toddlers are rug rats.

The stormy ocean was a raging bull.

Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

Lists of Similes and Metaphors

 List of Common Similes

~ As quiet as a mouse
~ As quick as a flash
~ As white as a sheet
~ As brown as a berry
~ As red as a beetroot
~ As black as night
~ As sick as a dog
~ To sleep like a log
~ As sick as a parrot
~ As blind as a bat
~ As alike as two peas in a pod
~ As big as an elephant
~ As black as coal
~ As bright as a button
~ As brave as a lion
~ As bold as brass
~ As busy as a bee
~ As clean as a whistle
~ As clear as crystal
~ As clear as a bell
~ As cold as ice
~ As common as dirt
~ As blue as the deepest ocean
~ As stubborn as a mule
~ As soft as silk
~ As cool as a cucumber
~ As cunning as a fox
~ As dead as the dodo
~ As deaf as a post
~ As dead as a doornail
~ As different as chalk from cheese
~ As dry as a bone
~ As drunk as a lord
~ As dull as dishwater
~ As dry as dust
~ As easy as A.B.C.
~ As flat as a pancake
~ As easy as apple-pie
~ As fresh as a daisy
~ As free as a bird
~ As gentle as a lamb
~ As hot as hell
~ As hungry as a wolf
~ As light as a feather
~ As innocent as a lamb
~ As mad as a hatter
~ As pale as death
~ As obstinate as a mule
~ As mad as a hornet
~ As old as the hills
~ As proud as a peacock
~ As poor as a church mouse
~ As quick as a wink
~ As plain as day
~ As sharp as a razor
~ As silent as the dead
~ As slippery as an eel
~ As slow as a snail
~ As smooth as silk
~ As sour as vinegar
~ As stiff as a board
~ As steady as a rock
~ As straight as an arrow
~ As strong as an ox
~ As stubborn as a mule
~ As sturdy as an oak
~ As thin as a rake
~ As timid as a rabbit
~ As sure as death and taxes
~ As tough as old boots
~ As wise as an owl
~ To drink like a fish
~ As white as snow
~ To have a memory like a sieve
~ To sleep like a log
~ To have eyes like a hawk
~ To work like a dream
~ As cute as a bug's ear
~ As clear as mud
~ As fit as a fiddle
~ As playful as a kitten
~ As loose as a goose
~ As nutty as a fruitcake
~ As hard as nails
~ As hot as blue blazes
~ As silent as the grave
~ As smooth as glass
~ As thorny as a rose bush
~ As smooth as a baby's bottom
~ As tight as a drum
~ As bright as the moon

List of Metaphors

~ A laugh in a sea of sadness
~ He has a voice of a crow
~ He has a voice of a wolf
~ He has the heart of a lion
~ He is the sun of my sky
~ He swam in the sea of diamonds
~ He tried to help but his legs were rubber
~ Her hair was bone white
~ Her lips were butterflies
~ Her positive attitude is a lighthouse for the hopeful
~ His belt was a snake curling around his waist
~ His plans were rock solid and so were his aims
~ Ideas are wings
~ It's raining men
~ Life is a mere dream, a fleeting shadow on a cloudy day
~ Light of their life
~ Love is fire
~ She is a dog when she eats
~ Spiritual seeking is treasure hunting
~ Thoughts are a storm, unexpected
~ Truth is food for him
~ You are the light in my life
~ They were eaten up with hatred
~ Mistrust had poisoned their relationship
~ I've been caught between a rock and a hard place
~ The weeks crawled by until we could meet again
~ Anger bottled up inside her
~ His words were cotton candy
~ He was a lion on the battlefield
~ The computers at school are old dinosaurs
~ The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage
~ The stars are sparkling diamonds
~ My big brother is a couch potato
~ They had entered their autumn years
~ Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks

Tips for Reading for Meaning

• Read the passage once only to get the general idea of the main topic/theme.
• Read every question twice to identify its type and then locate the answer in the relevant paragraph.
• Your answers should be two the point. They can be given in one word for particular questions and in 1 or maximum 2 sentences for all other questions.
• ‘Answer in your own words’ questions are to be very carefully dealt with. Find two key words in the text which are the exact answer of the question. Replace the key words with the correct synonyms and write your answer in a complete sentence.
• Inferential questions would be more challenging than others which would require you to read between the lines and extract implicitly given information. The answer is not explicitly available. They usually start ‘What do you think/What can you tell/How do you know/What evidence is there’ etc.
• If the question requires you to give one reason or find one word from the passage, writing more than one reason/word will get you zero marks, even if the answer is otherwise correct.
• Vocabulary question requires you to provide meanings in context and using a single word or a phrase of maximum 7 words.
• Do not attempt extra words or give extra meaning, as only the first one will be checked.

Tips for Reading for Ideas

• You have to write 12 content points from the given passage, on two aspects: advantages/disadvantage, causes/effects, comparison of past and present etc. The points on both sides should be balanced (6+6, 7+5 or 5+7).
• The points should be brief, precise and concise. You don’t need to write them in your own words. Review the marking scheme to find out how the point should be written.
• Avoid repeating a point in different words. Examples of a point do not count as separate points.
• Each point should be written on separated line in a numbered or bullet list.
• Example points given by the examiner in the boxes are not included in your 12 content points.
• Write 2/3 extra points, whenever possible. You will get marks for the extra points in case some of your points are incorrect.
• Write a paragraph summary of 180 words, including the 10 words given in the question. Use your own words as far as possible and use conjunctions to make your paragraph cohesive and fluent to read.
• You should know the difference between facts and opinions. Google it and you will find plenty of resources. Practice solving the past paper questions on finding fact/opinion.

Tips for Creative Writing

• Read all the given topics at least twice, before choosing the topic you want to respond to.
• Choose the topic according to your strengths and preparation, and whether you have enough ideas to write between 350 – 500 words.
• Avoid  writing an argumentative essay, unless you have thoroughly practiced this type of writing.
• Plan before you start wiring and always recheck your work before you hand it in. You can divide the examination time in the following way:
• 1. Planning your response: 7/8 minutes.
• 2. Writing: 45 minutes.
• 3. Editing: 5 – 6 minutes. 
• Descriptive and Argumentative essays should have a proper introduction (1 paragraph), a detailed body (3 – 6 paragraphs) and a logical conclusion (1 paragraph).
• Stories should have an engaging opening, with an intriguing middle to sustain readers’ interest and a logical ending to bring a proper resolution to the plot.
• Use similes, metaphors and effective descriptive words to create verbal pictures in a descriptive essay.
• Keep your stories believable and realistic. Use flashback, dialogues and description of setting to make your narrative composition engaging for the reader.
• Avoid writing stories which end up as a ‘bad dream.’ Avoid copying the plots from popular movies you have watched. Also refrain from showing violence, racism or glorifying crime in your stories.
• Editing your essay is immensely important before handing it in. You should know what your common errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling are. Also keep an eye out for commonly committed slips in English writing: its/it’s, there/their, ‘i’ instead of ‘I’, use of articles (a, an and the), subject-verb agreement (He don’t/doesn’t etc), run-on sentences etc.
• Don’t try to use ambitious vocabulary unless you are sure about its meaning and use. Using a simple word correctly is going to gain you more marks than using an unfamiliar word incorrectly, while trying to impress the examiner.

Tips for Directed Writing

• Read the question thoroughly.
• Follow the given instructions.
• Begin and end properly.
• The given situation should be reiterated in the introduction and description o content points should be started from second paragraph.
• Justify each and every content point. Make separate paragraph for every content point.
• Use wide vocabulary.
• Do mention date.
• Use appropriate tone and register.