Commonsense Composition

1.1. Descriptive Essays http://www.ck12.org

TABLE1.5: Below is a table describing the significance of each essay type.

Essay Type Person/People Place Object Event

Significance of Es-

say

Your grandparents

are important to you

because they came

to your graduation.

The central park in

your home town is

important to you be-

cause you graduated

there.

Your diploma is im-

portant to you be-

cause it symbolizes

you maturing into

an adult.

Your graduation it-

self is important be-

cause it was

• the first time
  you saw your
  grandparents
  in ten years


• at the central
  park in your
  home town


• when you
  received your
  diploma

Hence, while in the other descriptive essays you must never let the event overshadow the significance of the person,
place, or object being described, in an event descriptive essay you should focus on how the people, place, and objects
surrounding the event make it important. In this way, an event descriptive essay is a lot like the characteristics person,
place, and object essays. Thus, think of the objects, people, and place of an event as the characteristics that make the
event important to you whenever constructing an event descriptive essay.

Review Questions

1. Write a descriptive essay about a school event that you attended or that you plan on attending in the future.
   Remember to include the people, location, or objects that made, or will make, the event significant.


2. Write a descriptive essay about the 2008 Presidential Election, focusing on why this election was significant
   in the United States.