Descriptive Writing – Grade 7
Descriptive writing creates a clear picture in the reader’s mind. Instead of just telling what
something is, you show it using details, adjectives, and the five senses.
In IGCSE, good descriptive writing is judged on:
Content (clear picture, relevant details)
Language (varied vocabulary, imagery, sentence structure)
1️⃣ What Is Descriptive Writing?
Descriptive writing:
Focuses on people, places, or objects
Uses sensory details (what you see, hear, smell, feel, taste)
Uses figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification)
Has a clear mood or atmosphere
❌ Weak description
The house was nice.
❌ Strong description
The house was warm and welcoming, with golden light glowing through its round windows.
2️⃣ Key Features of Strong Descriptive Writing
❌ a) Use the Five Senses
Ask yourself:
What can I see?
What can I hear?
What can I smell?
What can I feel?
What can I taste?
Example:
The air smelled of fresh grass and baked bread, and soft laughter drifted from nearby homes.
❌ b) Use strong Adjectives
Avoid boring words like nice, big, good.
Instead of:
big → spacious, wide, enormous
nice → peaceful, charming, cosy
Example:
The cosy hobbit hole felt safe and peaceful.
❌ c) Use Figurative Language
Simile: like / as
The hills rolled like gentle waves.
Metaphor
The village was a sleeping dream.
Personification
The fire crackled happily in the hearth.
❌ d) Vary Your Sentences
Use:
Short sentences for impact
Longer sentences for detail
Example:
Smoke curled from the chimneys. Slowly, lazily, it drifted into the evening sky.
3️⃣ Planning Descriptive Writing (IGCSE Tip)
Before you write, plan quickly:
Paragraph 1: Overall setting
Paragraph 2: Specific details (houses, nature)
Paragraph 3: Sounds, smells, atmosphere
Paragraph 4: Mood and feelings
4️⃣ Applying Descriptive Writing to The Hobbit
🏡 Describing a Hobbit House (Bag End)
Example Paragraph
The hobbit house was hidden beneath a soft green hill, as if the earth itself was protecting it. A
perfectly round door stood at the entrance, painted a deep, cheerful green with a shining brass
knob in its centre. Inside, the air was warm and smelled of polished wood and freshly baked
cakes. Soft yellow light filled the rooms, and the crackling fire made the walls feel alive and
welcoming.
🌿 Describing the Hobbit Village (The Shire)
Example Paragraph
The village lay quietly in the gentle valley, surrounded by rolling green hills and winding
paths. Round windows peeked out from grassy mounds, and thin trails of smoke rose lazily
from the chimneys. Birds sang from the hedges, and the sound of distant laughter floated
through the air. Everything felt calm and safe, as if time itself moved more slowly in the Shire.
5️⃣ Full IGCSE-Style Descriptive Writing (Model Answer)
The Shire was a peaceful place, resting beneath wide blue skies and soft, rolling hills. Neat
hobbit holes were scattered across the landscape, their round doors glowing warmly in the
afternoon sun.
Inside the village, life moved gently. The smell of fresh bread drifted through the air, and the
quiet chatter of neighbours mixed with the songs of birds. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys,
dancing like grey ribbons above the hills.
The hobbit houses felt alive and welcoming. Fires crackled softly, wooden floors gleamed, and
every corner seemed filled with comfort and warmth.
As evening fell, the village grew even calmer. Golden light spilled from windows, and the Shire
settled into a deep, contented silence, safe and untouched by the troubles of the outside world.
Homework Practice Task
✍️ Write 3–4 paragraphs describing:
The Shire early in the morning
🔹 Use at least 3 senses
🔹 Include one simile
🔹 Create a calm, peaceful mood