How to Write Descriptive Essay, Format and Samples

Are you struggling with how to write descriptive essay? Here is all you need to know about How to Write Descriptive Essay, Format and Samples. Essays for you: Expository Essay, Format, How to write and Samples. and Argumentative Essay, How to Write, Format and Samples

A descriptive essay is a form of essay that describes something. In this type of essay, the writers are assigned the task of describing objects, things, places, experiences, persons, and situations. The writer uses sensory information to enable the readers to use their five senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight to understand the essay.
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The following questions contain descriptive elements which may help students who are writing descriptive essay:

Where did it take place?
When did it happen?
What is the weather like (rainy, sunny, moody, etc)?
What are the social conditions like?
What is the landscape like?
What are the special details to add?

Format of a Descriptive Essay

A descriptive essay has the same format with the Expository essay. That is, it has a caption or title, the introduction, the body and the conclusion. A good descriptive essay should contain the following:

A detailed pictorial description of a person, place or thing.
An opening paragraph that grabs the readers’ attention and tell the topic of the essay.
Middle paragraphs that provide details about a different part of the subject.
A closing paragraph that tells what the writer thinks about the topic.
Sensory details and figurative language. Read also: Informal Letter – How to Write Informal letter (Samples)

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Samples of Descriptive Essay

Here are few examples of Descriptive Essay:

Example #1: MY FAVOURITE MEAL

Abacha is my favourite meal. It is a popular delicacy known as African salad. Tapioca, wet or dry is extracted from cassava. I don’t know for any other person, what attract me to this delicacy is the aroma and the manner of garnishment.

The aroma of the local spices like, efuru, ogiri, ugba and ncha made of potassium or palm ashes make it always appetizing and lure people to demand for it. The sauce which is made from these local spices is used in the preparation depending on the locality and the people. For the garnishing, garden eggs, onions, tomatoes, fish (dried or fry), green vegetables, ugba, etc are used. This is the reason this delicacy is irresistible. Like, some people accept the offer not because they eat it but because of the embellishments. Once you turn your back, they pick the meat, fish or the vegetables and dump the real meal (Abacha).

It is not strange to me why some people behave in such manner or why many people avoid this rich and mouth watering delicacy. People like my father avoid it because it causes heartburns and indigestion to them. Others avoid it completed because according to them, it upsets their stomach and purges them. I interviewed a man in a ceremony why he rejected the offer of African salad. He said; “I don’t eat it. It disorganizes my body system.”

I didn’t quite understand what he meant by that but I know everyone understands his or her body working system. I used to be in this category of those who avoid Abacha for one health challenge or the other. I discovered that most of the local spices used in preparing this delicacy clog on the stomach lining. Again, condiments like ugba, okpei are fermented. These could be the reason some experience discomfort as explained earlier.

There is one amazing leaf. We know about it but we are yet to fully utilize its medicinal potent. Utazi leaf also known as Gongronema Latifolium is a super digestant.

It has other health benefits like anti-cancer property, ulcer healing property, antioxidant, etc. If you are avoiding African salad because of the negative things it does in your body system, try this meal again with reasonable quantity of utazi leaf and thank me later.

How to Write Descriptive Essay, Format and Samples

Example #2: THE MAN FOR THE JOB

Years ago, Akpuda was Umudike’s town crier. He made huge income through this mean. He was paid allowances for the job. The problem with Akpuda, the town crier was when to find him at home. There was never a time he was looked for at home and was found. He spent most of his time in a palm wine joint and in the house of his concubines. Even his wood carving occupation, most of the cuttings and shaping were done in his woman-friend’s house.

Akpuda was yet to marry, even though he was approaching fifty. He preferred darting from one widow’s house to another to settling down. He still retained the Panya lifestyle. The man he called his father gave him shelter when he suffered identity crisis. He had been the Umudike’s town crier since the death of his father.

In fact, it was passed down to him just as it was passed down to his foster-father by his ancestors. It was said that the family had been with the position since the inception of the community. There would have been a bridge if not for the sudden appearance of Akpuda. The man’s only son had since travelled to Panya and never returned.

When Akpuda returned to Umudike with no known identity, the old town crier embraced him. The moment the old man heard his Panya story, he claimed he was his grandson. When the man died, the gong remained with the family.

His family was the only people who could do the job well. Those qualities of a town crier were not only found in them, they were created with them. One always wondered where Akpuda hands stopped and the gong began as he beat the gong. The funniest thing was that he did not use the gong stick on the gong. He preferred to use his fist.

Akpuda was stout and visibly strong. He had his two knees knocked together as he walked. When he talked, his voice responded according to his mood. Like he rumbled like a sea when he was annoyed, he roared like a lion when he argued and produced melodious echoes when he disseminated the king’s messages to the six villages at the dead of the night. Talking about a town crier in umudike, he was the man for the job.

(Culled from “Afulenu Finds Her Sons” by Njide Mkparu)

How to Write Descriptive Essay, Format and Samples

Example #3: When a door closes, another opens

Frustration was written all over Akpuda’s face. He had employed all means for that day to pacify the European contractor. He had refused to forgive him. It was his fault. He deliberately flouted the Whiteman’s order; and now; he was paying for it. The rule forbade any labourer to snuff tobacco during working hour. He had committed double offence on that day. While he was snuffing at the working hour, the wind came from nowhere and blew the tobacco substances into the face of the Whiteman who was the chief contractor. This made him to sneeze uncontrollably. Akpuda had worked half-day on that day but he was dismissed without payment. So, today he had been pacing about pleading with the contractor to have pity on him and give him a job to do. It was on this heat that Chief Ugonna, one of the king’s cabinet members arrived at the road construction site looking for Akpuda.

“Akpuda, your presence is needed at the king’s palace. He has message for you to the villagers”. He said without caring about his mood. Initially, the message fuelled Akpuda’s angry mood. As he pondered over the message; he cursed Chief Ugonna in his heart. But his mood lighted on a certain thought and he became pacified. He had remembered his gong allowance. He was the Umudike Town crier. He was to go to the Palace for his allowance for the job. He would go round the whole villages in Umudike community with his gong at night. The road contractors were about to round off the road construction at Amanzu. They would be moving to Umudike in the next two days.

Akpuda was assigned to pass the message to the community and to sensitize the youths and the concerned land owners. Also, those who were yet to harvest their cassava on their lands along the roads were reminded to do so.

He went to the place where he had hung his shirt and trouser. He took his shirt and brought out his snuff box from his breast pocket. As Akpuda snuffed, streams of thought moved in his head. He was absent from the horning and screaming of the caterpillar and the smoother; from the commanding and shouting and away from his disappointment of the wasted day. The day was not really a wasted one. He would still touch another man’s money with his hands before the end of the day. He would proceed straight to the King’s palace for his allowance.

Akpuda was stirred by the approaching caterpillar. He quickly jumped to his feet. He had lots of dusting to do. He dusted his palms of the snuff. He also dusted his nostrils and moustache for snuff particles. He dusted his buttocks because he had sat on the dug clay.

He took down his trouser from where he had earlier taken his shirt. He staggered as he slid both legs into the trouser. It must be the dizzy effect of the snuff. He did not bother to put on his shirt since he had changed his mind of heading to the king’s palace from there. He had decided to go home straight. So, he hanged the shirt on his shoulder and walked home. The day was not really a wasted one for Akpuda. A door had closed, another opened.

(Culled from “Afulenu Finds Her Sons” by Njide Mkparu)

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