Descriptive Essay Outline 20

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You can engage your readers right from the start through a number of tried and true ways.

Posing a question, defining the key term, giving a brief anecdote, using a playful joke or emotional appeal, or pulling out an interesting fact are just a few approaches you can take.

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will connect with the reader on a deeper level.

Many have felt crushing loss in their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency.

You don't want to fall into the trap of what writers call "chasers" that bore your readers (such as "The dictionary defines....").

The introduction should make sense and "hook" the reader right from the start. Typically, just three or four sentences are enough to set the stage for both long and short essays.

You can go into supporting information in the body of your essay, so don't tell the audience everything all at once.

Your first draft may not have the best opening, but as you continue to write, new ideas will come to you and your thoughts will develop a clearer focus.

Summary: The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes.

Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.