| Write a descriptive essay on the following topic: A place you connect with positive feelings. |
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| This place can be a childhood home, as in Grandma’s House. Or it can be a favorite hang-out place, |
| such as the beach or a favorite room in your house. It could even be a particular moment at a specific |
| location, like “Happy Hour” at Smoky Joe’s, or an airport terminal on a busy day. |
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| The essay is to be about your own personal experience. In other words, this is not material to be |
| researched; it must come from your own experience or recollection of a place that you, personally, |
| have experienced. Remember to describe fully, both visually and emotionally. Place your audience |
| in that spot/moment. What do you see, hear, touch, smell, and taste? Use the senses! Remember to |
| show rather than tell. Don’t just say there was “a big tree in the yard.” Describe the tree: did it tower |
| endlessly toward the sky? Did it take up half of the yard? Say things in a way that the reader can |
| visualize your special place. Use figurative language (simile and metaphor) to describe that which is |
| difficult to put into words. |
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| The introduction should grab your audience’s attention and provide any necessary background information. So if |
| your special place is in Timbuktu, give basic information on where this place is, or mention something important |
| this place is known for. Remember—the introduction is where you prep the reader for the full body of the essay. |
| Also, limit the introduction to a paragraph and include a one-sentence thesis statement that lets your audience know |
| what you will be describing, as well as the “mood” (dominant impression). |
