How to Write a Descriptive Essay?

A descriptive essay allows a writer to describe an experience, a memory, a place, a person, an object etc. The writer of a descriptive essay acts like a camera that records and reports an event through observations by also stating personal feelings and interpretations.

Sample descriptive essay topics: A nightmare, a holiday, a best friend, a famous person, a room, a restaurant etc. 

General organization of the essay: A descriptive essay is comprised of an introduction paragraph, body part and a conclusion paragraph. The body may involve 2-3 paragraphs. It is always a good idea to write main ideas for each body paragraph and write at least 3 supporting details for each major idea. A general organization might be like:

Introduction

Body 1 (Main idea 1, supporting details 1-2-3)

Body 2 (Main idea 1, supporting details 1-2-3)

Body 3 (Main idea 1, supporting details 1-2-3)

Conclusion

Sample essay topic: First day at work

Introduction 

Body 1 (Main idea 1; colleagues, supporting details; first impression, physical appearance and character.)

Body 2 (Main idea 2; working environment, supporting details; building, offices and cafes.)

Body 3 (Main idea 3; office equipments, supporting details; tables, computers, chairs.)

Conclusion

Writing the introduction paragraph: The introduction paragraph tries to call reader's attention to the essay. It is up to the writer to design the introduction paragraph as there is no fixed style. The introduction paragraph should involve the topic sentence of the essay and it should briefly state the 3 main ideas of the essay. A sample introduction paragraph with three briefly mentioned main ideas (colleagues, working environment and office equipments) and a topic sentence at the end would be like:

There are important moments in a person's life and starting a new job is definitely one of them. I started my new job two years ago and I cannot forget my first day at work. I had a lot of first impressions and feelings regarding my new job. Let me tell you about my first day at work with my dear colleagues, the lovely working environment and the office equipments.

Writing the first body paragraph: The first body paragraph covers the first main idea (colleagues) and the supporting details (first impression, physical appearance and character) of the first main idea. The writer simply describes the first main idea in its details. A sample first body paragraph:

The first thing I was curious about was my colleagues. Who were they and what were they like? There were 5 people in our unit. My first impression about my unit coordinator was good. He was a tall and handsome man with a smiling face and a warm welcome. He looked like an outgoing person. The other employees shared the traits of him. Everyone was at least 1.80 metres tall and all of them were slim. They were outgoing and fun. I had no problems with them and a perfect start. 

Writing the second body paragraph: The second body paragraph covers the second main idea (working environment) and the supporting details (building, offices and cafes) of the second main idea. The writer simply describes the second main idea in its details. A sample second body paragraph:

The second important thing was the working environment. The building was modern and looked really nice. The offices were clean and neatly organized. The offices were big enough to hold at least 10 people but at most 6 people worked in an office. But the most impressive things were the cafes in the building. They had an awesome style and the drinks offered were fantastic. I had a big trouble to get myself out of the cafes on my first day. 

Writing the third body paragraph: The third body paragraph covers the third main idea (office equipments and the supporting details (tables, computers, chairs) of the third main idea. The writer simply describes the third main idea in its details. A sample third body paragraph:

The third important thing was the office equipments. It was really important for me because in my previous workplace I had tons of problems with them. The tables were big and they were at least 2 metres away from each other. The computers had high software and connection speed. This was really effective while working on things. The office chairs were comfortable. All in all, I liked the equipments in general. 

Writing the conclusion paragraph: The introduction paragraph should restate the topic sentence of the essay and it should briefly mention the 3 main ideas of the essay. A sample conclusion paragraph with three briefly mentioned main ideas (colleagues, working environment and office equipments) and the restatement of the topic sentence:

All in all, I had a positive day on my first day. The people at my office were kind and warm. The working environment was fantastic with its many aspects. The office equipments were quite effective. I had a wonderful first day at start in terms of my colleagues, working environment and the equipments. 

This is a sample organization of a descriptive essay. It should be noted that descriptive essays vary in their style. They might have many more paragraphs or just one body paragraph. There is no fixed style to write them. The important thing is to describe clearly and report personal feelings in a suitable way.