Whatdoesdescribemean?Thisiseasytodefine:Togiveanaccountorrepresentationofaplace,apersonoranevent,realorimagined.Ifyouareaskedtodescribesomething,makeyourdescriptionasclearandasvividaspossible.Part1:WritingAboutPlacesLookatthisexampleofanactualstudents’work.Thisfirstdescriptionisofaplace:IwasbornonasmallislandintheCaribbeanbetweentwoFrenchislands.ThelandisnamedDominica,itisasmallmountainousislandcoveredwithlushrainforestsowhenthehotCaribbeansunshoneonitthewholeislandglowedapassionatemixtureofdarkandlightgreens.Thisiswhymostofthelocalscalledit‘DegreenjemofdeCaribbeanman.’Ilivednotclosetothebeach,Ilivedhighupinthemountainouspartsoftherainforestwhereitstayedcoolandmoist.Thisfirstextractisbothclearandvivid.Trytothinkabouthowthishasbeenachieved.Thefollowingshouldgetyouthinking.ThesettingisestablishedclearlyinthefirsttwosentencesPreciseadjectives–‘smallmountainous’,‘lush’,‘hot’–telluswhatwewanttoknowMoreinteresting,colourfullanguageisusedtocreatespecialeffects–‘apassionatemixtureofdarkandlightgreens.’Theuseoflocaldialect(likekling-klingsinElectricityComestoCocoaBottom)makesitsoundmoreauthenticandreal.Isthereanythingelsewhichyouthoughtworkedwell?Addyouownideas/examplestothelistabove.Whilstthisisagoodexampleofdescriptivewritingtherearesomepunctuationerrors.Canyouspotthem?Isthereanythingyoudon’tlikeaboutthewriting?Howdoyouthinkitcouldbeimprovedupon?Nowwearegoingtolookatsomefurtherexamplesofgooddescriptivewriting,thistimefromaccomplishedwriters.Inthisextractfromhisbook‘MyFamilyandOtherAnimals’GeraldDurrellhasusedalotoffigurativelanguagetocreatesetting.Theolivesseemedweigheddownundertheweightoftheirfruit,smoothdropsofgreenjadeamongwhichthechoirsofcicadaszithered.Intheorangegroves,amongthedarkandshinyleaves,thefruitwasstartingtoglowredly,likeablushspreadingupthegreen,pittedskins.Uponthehills,amongthedarkcypressandheather,shoalsofbutterfliesdancedandtwistedlikewind-blownconfetti.Thegrasshoppersandlocustswhirredlikeclockworkundermyfeet,andflewdrunk