Writing WorkshopDescribing a Place

Assignment

Prewriting

Choose a Place

Consider Purpose, Audience, and Tone

Gather Details

State Your Controlling Impression

Organize Your Details

Practice and Apply

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Assignment: Write an essay in which you describe a place that is both familiar and meaningful to you.

Describing a Place

Do you have a special place you go to think? to relax? to have fun? Some places have a character all their own. They affect the way we feel and act and stick in our memory.

Share your personal picture of a place by writing a descriptive essay. This type of description, in which you express your attitude toward your subject, is called subjective description.

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What are some places that are meaningful to you and that you know well? Think about

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Choose a Place

Also, think about places you can describe in a few pages.

public library, grandmother’s kitchen, school gymnasium

• indoor places

baseball stadium, apple orchard, skate park

• outdoor spaces

the kite store downtown

Dad’s woodworking shop

the baseball stadium

our neighborhood park

the lake

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Choose a Place

Make a list of a few places you could describe well. Which ones would be most interesting to write about and to read about? Choose the one place that seems to stand out.

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Describing a PlacePrewriting: Consider Purpose, Audience, and Tone

• Subjective descriptions are usually written from a first-person point of view (using I, we, us, me, and so on.)

Purpose

Your purpose is not only to describe a place but also to share your thoughts and feelings about it.

Note

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Consider Purpose, Audience, and Tone

Audience

Who is likely to read your essay? Teachers? Classmates? Friends? Family? Think about your audience as you decide what descriptive details to use and how to present them.

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Consider Purpose, Audience, and Tone

• Keep your tone informal and conversational.

Tone

Your tone is the attitude toward your subject that comes through in your writing.

• Let your feelings about the place come across.

• Whatever tone you choose, keep it consistent throughout your essay.

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Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

Use three kinds of details in your description: sensory, factual, and figurative.

• Sensory details are words and phrases that appeal to the five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Make sure to include details from all the senses (not just sight).

my team running onto the field (sight)the crack of the bat (hearing)smooth wooden seats (touch)hot dogs cooking (smell)warm, buttery popcorn (taste)

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

My mother has been taking my sister and me to the ball park since I was a baby. (true statement)

I’ll never forget September 27, 1999, the day the Tigers won the pennant. (date)

The stadium seats about 12,000 people. (number)

• Factual details include names, dates, numbers, quotations, and true statements.

Use three kinds of details in your description: sensory, factual, and figurative.

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

I always take my mitt with me; it’s like a reliable old pal, ready to help me catch a foul ball one fine day.

• Figurative details include similes, metaphors, and examples of personification.

Use three kinds of details in your description: sensory, factual, and figurative.

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

Organize your details in a chart like this one:

Details for a description of the baseball park

Sensory details

Factual details

Figurative details

Thoughts and feelings

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

Finding Details

Details for a description of the baseball park

Sensory details • the roar of the crowd• sticky floors• the sun setting behind the

stands

Factual details • We go to at least five games every season.

• The team has had a winning record almost every year.

• My favorite player signed a baseball for me last season.

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Gather Details

Details for a description of the baseball park

Figurative details • The people piling into the stadium are the blood coursing through its veins; they bring life to the stadium.

Thoughts and feelings • I hope this family tradition stays alive for a long time.

• My mom, my sister, and I would not be as close as we are if it weren’t for all special times we’ve shared at Tigers games.

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Describing a PlacePrewriting: State Your Controlling Impression

Your descriptive details will point you to a controlling impression, the main idea or feeling you want to express.

Keep your controlling impression in mind as you draft your essay. It will help keep you focused.

ControllingImpression

DescriptiveDetails

DescriptiveDetails

DescriptiveDetails

Describing a PlacePrewriting: State Your Controlling Impression

When you state your controlling impression, make sure to clearly convey your perspective, or point of view, about the place you are describing.

Tiger Stadium is a fun and exciting place to be. All the good times we’ve had there have strengthened our special family bonds.

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Describing a PlacePrewriting: Organize Your Details

Arrange your details using either spatial order or order of importance.

Organize details according to their location. You can describe a place

Spatial Order

• from top to bottom

• from left to right

• from far away to close up

Describing a PlacePrewriting: Organize Your Details

Arrange your details using either spatial order or order of importance.

Organize details

Order of Importance

• from least important to most important

• from most important to least important

OR

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Describing a PlacePrewriting: Practice and Apply

Using the information in this presentation, choose a place to describe. Then, gather details and organize them in a logical way.

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