Here's a breakdown:
What it means:
* Painting a picture with words: Descriptive writing aims to create a strong mental image for the reader.
* Using specific details: It uses precise language and sensory details (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to make the description more vivid.
* Focusing on the "what" and "how": Descriptive writing is more concerned with describing what something is like, rather than explaining why or how it exists.
Examples:
* A descriptive paragraph about a sunset: "The sky blazed with a fiery orange, melting into a soft lavender at the horizon. Cotton-candy clouds, tinged with rose and gold, floated across the canvas of the evening sky. The air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and damp earth."
* A descriptive sentence about a person: "Her eyes, the color of stormy seas, sparkled with mischief and intelligence."
* A descriptive poem about a garden: "Petals, soft as velvet, whispered secrets to the breeze, while bees hummed their drowsy song. Sunbeams danced through emerald leaves, painting the path with dappled light."
Key characteristics of descriptive writing:
* Sensory details: It appeals to the senses, helping the reader experience the subject through their imagination.
* Figurative language: Metaphors, similes, and imagery are often used to create vivid comparisons and associations.
* Strong verbs and adjectives: These help paint a clearer picture and convey the essence of the subject.
* Focus on observation: Descriptive writing often reflects the author's close attention to detail and their ability to capture the essence of a subject.
Beyond writing, "descriptive" can also apply to:
* Descriptive statistics: This branch of statistics uses data to summarize and describe the main features of a dataset.
* Descriptive research: This type of research aims to describe a phenomenon or population, rather than explaining cause and effect.
In short, "descriptive" means focusing on painting a vivid picture with words, using specific details and sensory observations to create a clear and engaging experience for the reader.