Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is one of the most important skills you need for the CSSE 11+ exam. When the examiner reads your extended writing task, they want to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel the world you are creating. Great description turns flat writing into vivid, immersive storytelling — and it is one of the fastest ways to pick up marks.

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What Is Descriptive Writing?

Descriptive writing uses carefully chosen words and techniques to create vivid pictures in the reader's mind. Instead of simply telling the reader what happened, you show them — using the five senses, figurative language, and precise vocabulary.

Telling (weak)	Showing (strong)
The garden was pretty.	Roses climbed the old stone wall, their petals soft as silk, and the air hummed with the lazy drone of bumblebees.
He was cold.	His fingers were numb and his breath hung in the air like tiny ghosts.
The food was delicious.	The warm, buttery pastry crumbled on her tongue, filling her mouth with the rich sweetness of cinnamon and apple.

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The Five Senses

The best descriptive writing uses more than just sight. Try to include at least three senses in every descriptive paragraph.

Sense	What to describe	Example
Sight	Colours, shapes, light, shadow, movement	The lake shimmered silver in the moonlight
Sound	Loud, quiet, sharp, soft, rhythmic, sudden	Leaves rustled and whispered overhead
Smell	Sweet, sharp, musty, fresh, rotten	The air was thick with the scent of woodsmoke
Touch	Rough, smooth, cold, warm, wet, prickly	The bark was rough beneath her fingertips
Taste	Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, metallic	Salt spray stung her lips

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Figurative Language Toolkit

Figurative language makes your descriptions more vivid and original. Here are the key techniques to use in the CSSE exam:

Simile

A comparison using like or as.

The stars were scattered across the sky like diamonds on black velvet.

Metaphor

A comparison that says something is something else (without "like" or "as").

The moon was a silver coin, hanging just out of reach.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

The wind whispered through the trees. The old house groaned under the weight of years.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds.

The fire crackled and hissed. Rain pattered against the glass.

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Building Atmosphere

Different settings need different atmospheres. Here is how to create them:

Atmosphere	Word choices	Example details
Mysterious	Shadows, whispers, flickered, crept, hidden	Half-open doors, distant footsteps, mist
Peaceful	Gentle, soft, warm, drifted, golden	Birdsong, still water, sunlight through leaves
Threatening	Dark, sharp, looming, cracked, jagged	Storm clouds, broken glass, silence
Exciting	Raced, pounded, blazed, surged, bright	Fast movement, loud sounds, flashing lights

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A Model Descriptive Paragraph

Prompt: Describe a market.