Descriptive Writing: How to Get Top Marks

 In Section B of your English exam, you’ll need to write for a specific purpose and format. The examiner will expect you to adapt your tone, style, and language to suit the purpose and audience. Getting these elements right is essential to achieving high marks.

Here’s what this means:

• Tone: The “voice” of the writing should fit the mood of the scene you’re describing.
• Style: Your sentences and the overall structure should be creative and engaging.
• Vocabulary: Choose words that are ambitious and suit the purpose.

Planning your response is crucial. Spend around 10 minutes brainstorming ideas before starting your writing. Below, we’ll explore how to structure your descriptive writing effectively and make it stand out.

 

Structuring Your Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is about observing and capturing a moment. Think of it like describing a scene through the lens of a camera—showing what you “see” without interacting with it. Here’s a six-step structure to guide your writing:

1. Panoramic View:
• Start with a broad description of the scene.
• Set the time, mood, and atmosphere.
2. Zoom In:
• Focus on one small detail or feature that is less obvious.
• Describe it vividly.
3. Single Line:
• Use one powerful line to capture the key feeling of the scene.
4. Shift Focus:
• Move your attention to another part of the scene.
• For example, if you started with the foreground, shift to the background.
5. Another Shift:
• Pick a final detail or something just out of view (e.g., a shadow or distant sound).
6. Pan Out:
• Return to the overall scene, but describe how it has changed—consider changes in mood, light, or time.

 

Key Tips for Descriptive Writing

1. Movement and Action

Your scene should feel dynamic, even if the movement is subtle. For example:

• A strong wind blowing leaves into the air.
• Shadows shifting as the light fades.

 

2. Sensory Language

Make the scene come alive for your reader by appealing to all the senses:

• Sight: Colours, light, and shadows.
• Sound: Chatter, footsteps, distant echoes.
• Smell: Freshly baked bread, salty sea air.
• Touch: The rough bark of a tree or cold metal of a fence.

 

3. Sentence Variety

Use a mix of long and short sentences:

• Short sentences can create tension or focus.
• Long sentences are great for listing details and building a sense of abundance.

 

4. Contrast

Think about contrasts in your scene:

• Light and dark: What is illuminated? What remains hidden?
• Stillness and movement: Is one part of the scene frozen while another is bustling?

 

5. Avoid Clichés

Use original imagery. For example:

• Instead of “as still as a statue,” write, “motionless, as though the air itself had turned to stone.” 

 

Language and Techniques to Include

• Personification: Give lifelike qualities to objects or weather.
  Example: “The wind howled through the trees, clawing at the branches.”
• Similes and Metaphors: Compare objects to create vivid imagery.
  Example: “The moon hung in the sky like a watchful eye.”
• Alliteration: Use repeated sounds for effect.
  Example: “The silent shadows stretched slowly across the square.”
• Imagery: Describe colours, sounds, and textures to build a sensory picture.
  Example: “The market stalls overflowed with the red of ripe tomatoes and the golden sheen of fresh honey jars.”

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Including Dialogue: Descriptive writing focuses on observation, not conversation.
2. Too Much Narrative: Avoid telling a story or giving character backstories.
3. Tense Changes: If you choose past tense or present tense, stick with it throughout.
4. Overusing Adjectives: Be selective—quality is better than quantity.

 

Steps to Success

1. Choose Your Task Wisely:
• Pick the title or scenario you can visualise most clearly.
2. Plan Your Response:
• Use a mind-map or list to organise ideas.
• Include reminders to add sensory details and literary techniques.
3. Write with Focus:
• Stick to your plan, and avoid straying into narrative.
4. Check Your Work:
• Use the final 5 minutes to read your writing carefully and correct any errors.