Describing a person or character is difficult for even the most successful authors. It requires a balance of words to make sure they shine through without the language being too heavy. In this article, we’ll look at how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person, share some examples, and talk about different strategies.
Brainstorming is crucial to any writing process. It’s the process in which you think of ideas for what you’d like to write about. In this case, you’re writing a descriptive paragraph about a person. It’s important to use adjectives to describe the features or characteristics you want to focus on.
One way to come up with ideas for a descriptive paragraph about a person is to go through the five senses. Use the questions below to get some ideas for what you want to highlight about your person.
Smell: How does the person smell? Do they wear perfume? Are they doing an activity that would make them have a certain smell?
Taste: Do you associate a certain food with this person? Does it make you think of a specific taste? Can you taste something due to a certain smell they have?
Sound: Do they have a unique voice or laugh? Are they doing an activity that has distinctive sounds?
Sight: What prominent features do they have? For example, think about their dressing style, their smile, or their surroundings. What do you see them doing in your mind when you see a photo of them? What memories do you have of this person? Does this person remind you of something or someone?
Touch: What textures do you see? For example, imagine their skin or clothing. How does it feel if you hug them?
2. Begin With a Short and Snappy Sentence
Like with any type of writing, you want to hook your reader so that they want to continue reading. In this case, you can use a topic sentence, if appropriate, to introduce your reader to the person. For example:
Or, if you want to be more creative, you can reel them in with a short and snappy sentence about this person. This is called a writing hook. This sentence should focus on a stand-out detail or characteristic about the person you’re describing. For example:
Now, this is the hard part. But, if you’ve brainstormed plenty of ideas and know which ones you want to focus on, it will be easier. Let’s look at some examples to get a better idea of how to write a descriptive paragraph about a person using the prompt “describe a person you admire.”
Example 1:
Comments: This paragraph is pretty typical of most students. It gives lots of visual details of the person and uses a simile or two (“Her eyes are like the color of honey” and “Her smile shines like the sun”). While this strategy gets the job done, it’s not very exciting to read. In fact, it can be quite boring!
Let’s look at how we can rewrite this to make it more exciting.
Example 2:
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Comments: In this example, we focused on one defining characteristic of the person we are describing — her laugh. This strategy places more focus on the person you’re describing, rather than the adjectives you use to describe them.
Example 3:
After you write your descriptive paragraph, be sure to read it over. Read it out loud. Read it in a funny voice. Doing this will help you to hear the words and identify which parts do not work or sound awkward.
● Avoid using too many descriptive words.
● Remember to show the reader, not tell.
● Appeal to the reader’s five senses – smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound.
● Focus on a striking or defining characteristic.
● Use contrasting details from other people or surroundings for emphasis.
● Use literary devices (metaphors, similes etc.) sparingly and with intention.
● Use a hook to reel your reader in.
● Use a variety of short and long sentences.
● Practice creative writing exercises to improve your descriptive writing skills.
● Always edit and revise your writing.
If you need more help with writing a descriptive paragraph or essay, send your work to us! Our experts will proofread your first 500 words for free!
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