10 Tips On How To Compose A One-Paragraph Descriptive Essay

While you might not get the assignment very often, there is a chance that you could be assigned a one-paragraph descriptive paper. Even though writing a one-paragraph essay sounds like the easiest possible essay, there are a few general rules to consider. Here are ten tips to help you complete the paper effectively:

1. 1. Craft an interesting topic sentence. You will not be writing a traditional introduction, so your first sentence has to show the readers what your paragraph will be about while getting their attention.
2. 2. Use vivid verbs. Descriptive essays are best written with powerful verbs. Avoid “to be” verbs as much as possible.
3. 3. Avoid flowery adjective and adverbs. Descriptive papers are weakened with overly pretty adjectives and unnecessary adverbs. Stick to the facts rather than embellishing them. Do not waste your words.
4. 4. Include plenty of examples. To make the description come alive, incorporate as many examples as you can into the essay.
5. 5. Explain the examples. So your reader understand the use of the examples, you will need to provide explanations that make sense. You can bring the object or idea to life with the explanations you craft.
6. 6. Organize with logic. Depending on the item or idea you are describing, you should make good decisions about the order of the sentences. You could write the description from the big picture to the small picture or from different angles. Since you only have one paragraph to work with, the organization is important to consider.
7. 7. Use sentence variety. Mixing up the sentence variety will make the paragraph flow in a way that your readers will enjoy. Be sure to mix up the styles you use to begin the paragraphs and use different sentence lengths, too.
8. 8. Write with a distinctive voice. In a description, you can usually include your own opinions. Since you get to explain the examples you use, you are free to use as many of your own thoughts as you can fit into the paragraph.
9. 9. Know your audience. Your paragraph will be written differently for an audience of adults versus and audience of students. Know who you are writing the paper for and write it accordingly.
10. 10. Close the paragraph effectively. The closing of the paragraph is important in this case. Since you do not have a concluding paragraph, you will need to give the paragraph a sense of closure with a powerful final sentence.