English Language Writing Skills

By Danso Kwasi Nti Samuel (DAS). Study the complete course source, examine every model and practise alongside Professor Jarvis.

Course printed page 154 PDF page 160 of 505

For tables, matching columns, IPA and original formatting, open the course PDF above.

Group study descriptive paragraphs

Teacher: Good morning, everyone. Today, we’re going to talk about descriptive paragraphs.

Can anyone tell me what makes a descriptive paragraph special?

Student 1: I think it’s the details. Descriptive paragraphs use lots of details to paint a picture

in the reader's mind.

Teacher: Exactly! Descriptive writing is all about creating a vivid picture using sensory

details. What are some examples of sensory details we might use?

Student 2: Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

Teacher: That’s right. Each of these senses helps to create a more immersive experience for

the reader. Let’s break it down a bit. First, what’s a topic sentence in a descriptive paragraph?

Student 3: It’s the first sentence that tells the main idea of the paragraph.

Teacher: Correct. The topic sentence sets the stage for what the paragraph will be about.

For example, if we’re writing about a soccer game, our topic sentence might be, “Soccer is an

exciting sport enjoyed by millions around the world.” What would the major supporting

sentence do?

Student 4: It provides a reason or fact that supports the topic sentence.

Teacher: Exactly! In our soccer example, a major supporting sentence could be, “The game

is not only physically demanding but also requires strategic thinking and teamwork.” Now,

what do supporting details do?

Student 5: They give more information and examples to further explain the main idea.

Teacher: Yes. Supporting details help to paint a complete picture. For instance, describing

how players run, pass, and communicate adds depth to our paragraph about soccer. Let’s

look at another example. How about describing Ghana’s history?