This document provides guidance on writing descriptive paragraphs about places and people. It emphasizes using space order and specific details to paint a vivid picture for the reader. Space order involves describing a setting from one area to another, such as from top to bottom or left to right. Specific details allow the reader to visualize what is being described rather than relying on vague terms. Sample topic sentences, paragraphs and outlines are provided as models to demonstrate how to structure an effective description.

1. Module 4
Descriptive Paragraphs
Places and People
Descriptions are word pictures. You
tell how something looks, feels,
smells, tastes and sounds. You need
to become a sharp observer and
notice many small details so that you
can write a good word picture.
Information taken from:
Butler, L. Fundamentals of Academic Writing. Longman
Hogue, A. (2008). First Steps in Academic Writing. Longman.

2. Descriptions
There are two keys to writing good descriptions:
1. Use space order to organize your
description.
2. Use lots of descriptive details.

3. 1. Space Order
Imagine that you are standing in the doorway of
your classroom. How would you describe it to
someone who has never seen it?
You might start at the left side of the doorway and
work around the room ending to the right side.
You might start at the front and go from front to
back.
This kind of organization is called space order.

4. Space Order
Words
Top to bottom
Bottom to top
Far to near
near to far
Right to left
Left to right
Outside to inside
Inside to outside

5. Planning a Space Order
First decide which space order to use. Then
list your details in that order.
Finally, make an outline by filling the missing
main details.

6. 2. Specific Details
The second key to writing a good description
is to use specific details. When you describe
something you paint a picture with words.
Your goal is to make your reader “see” what
you have described. You do this by using a lot
of details. The more specific you can be, the
better your reader can see what you are
describing.

7. Examples
Vague Specific
A lot of money
A large house
jogs a lot
A pretty face
$500,000
A six-bedroom, four-bathroom house
Jogs three miles in the park every day
Warm brown eyes, shinning black hair

8. Topic Sentence for
Descriptive Paragraphs
The topic part of a topic sentence for a
paragraph of a description usually names the
person, place, or thing to be described.
The controlling idea part usually gives a
general impression (beautiful, neat, messy,
interesting, unusual, and so on)

9. Examples
Topic Controlling idea
The old house looked ready to fall down.
Topic controlling idea
The cave was a dangerous place to enter.
Topic controlling idea
The club was full of young people having fun.

10. Concluding Sentence for Descriptive
Paragraphs
The concluding sentence of a description may repeat the
idea stated in the topic sentence.
It may also give the writer’s opinion or feeling about the
topic.
Examples:
In short, I doubt the old house will survive one more winter.
My friend and I were very happy when we got out of the
cave.
To sum up, music, dancing, and flashing lights make clubs
exciting and fun.

11. Describing a Place
A descriptive
paragraph of a place
explains how a place
looks.

12. Tips for your Description
Pick a place you feel strongly about.
For example, something you like
very much, or something that you
dislike very much.
Try to remember as much detail as
possible about this place.

13. Describing a Place
A description of place may answer some of these questions:
 Where is the place?
 How big is it?
 How warm or cold is the place?
 How does the place make you feel? Why?
 What things can you see in this place?
 What colors do you see?

14. Describing People
A descriptive paragraph
of a person explains how a
person looks and his/ her
personality.

15. Adjectives for Describing
People
Personality Physical Characteristics
 Happy, satisfied
 Relaxed
 Exciting
 Nervous
 Angry
 Serious
 Sad, depressed
 Outgoing
 Big, large, tall
 Small, tiny, short
 Thin
 Heavy
 Strong, weak
 brown-, black-, blond-haired
 Light-, dark-skinned

16. Describing People
A description of a person may answer some of these
questions:
 Who is the person?
 What does the person do?
 What does he or she look like?
 How does the person act – how is his or her
personality?
 How does he or she make others feel?

17. Model Paragraph
The Shared Refrigerator
My roommate and I share a refrigerator. My roommate’s half of the refrigerator is
very neat. On the top of the shelf is a cartoon of milk, a pitcher of orange juice, and a
bottle of mineral water. There are arranged in a straight line on the shelf. On the next
shelf are cans of soda. These are carefully lined up in rows. Orange soda is in the first
row, cola in the second and lemon lime in the third. On the third shelf, he keeps dairy
foods, such as butter, cheese, eggs, and yogurt. On the bottom shelf sit plastic
containers of leftovers. These are neatly arranged by size. The large one are in the back
and the small ones are in the front. In conclusion, my roommate is an organized person,
and his half of the refrigerator really reflects his personality.

18. Model
Simple Outline
TITLE The Shared Refrigerator
TOPIC
SENTENCE
My roommate’s half of the refrigerator is very neat.
Supporting
ideas
a. On the top shelf is a cartoon of milk, a pitcher of
orange juice, and a bottle of mineral water.
b. On the next shelf are cans of soda.
c. On the third shelf he keeps dairy food such as
butter, cheese, eggs, and yogurt.
d. . On the bottom shelf sit plastic containers of
leftovers
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
In conclusion, my roommate is an organized person,
and his half of the refrigerator really reflects his
personality.
Notice how this person plans her supporting ideas and adds
details in the paragraph.

19. Model Paragraph
My Tall Nephew
The first thing you notice about my nephew is that he is extremely tall – six feet,
six inches tall, to be exact. His head sticks up almost a foot above everyone else’s. His
hair is short, light brown, and curly, and his eyes are blue. His nose is straight, and his
mouth curls into a smile easily and often. His casual clothes are typical of young people
everywhere: a T-shirt, and jeans. On the front of his shirt, you can read the name of his
school in read and blue letters. As your eyes move down his long legs, you notice that
his jeans are a little too short. Perhaps he can’t buy pants to fit his long legs. On his feet
he wears sneakers. Maybe his sneakers were white when they were new, but now they
are gray with age and wear. Despite his casual clothes, my nephew is not a casual
person. He stands as tall and straight as a redwood tree, and you think to yourself, “This
is a strong and confident young man.”

20. Model
Simple Outline
TITLE My Tall Nephew
TOPIC
SENTENCE
The first thing you notice about my
nephew is that he is extremely tall.
Supporting
ideas
a. His head
b. His clothes –top
c. Jeans and legs
d. His feet
CONCLUDING
SENTENCE
He stands as tall as a redwood tree and
you think to yourself, “This is a strong and
confident young man.”
Notice how this person plans her supporting ideas and adds
details in the paragraph.