Descriptive Writing and the Elements of Thought in Critical Thinking

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a major source for writers, English teachers are often left wondering if critical thinking and original, non-AI-generated written expression still have a place in education. Educators have always faced the challenge of teaching students to think more deeply and to express those thoughts more objectively. This type of thinking has been described as an element of critical thinking.

Elder and Paul define critical thinking as “the process of analyzing and assessing thinking with a view to improving it.”¹ This process of analysis and assessment can be explored through the elements of critical thinking and reasoning: purpose, questions, points of view, information, inferences, concepts, implications, assumptions, and deductive/inductive reasoning. (See Box 1.)

Over the years, exploring the elements of critical thinking has become a major focus in secondary and higher education classes. In many composition classes, argumentative writing is used as the primary mode for teaching critical-thinking skills because argument requires students to analyze and evaluate thinking, and to write objectively. Counterargument requires consideration of another point of view, and based on that point of view, assumptions are formed and proved or disproved with facts. Moreover, argument and counterargument require critical thinking, since the writer must look beneath the surface for a deeper meaning.

Descriptive Writing and Critical Thinking

Although critical thinking is often associated with argumentative writing, it is not the only mode of writing that requires critical thought. Descriptive writing can also be used to teach critical-thinking skills. According to Kirszner and Mandell, “When you write description, you use language to create a vivid impression for your readers.”² When appealing to the senses, the writer (and subsequently, the reader) is challenged to look beneath the surface for deeper meaning. Specific word choice assists the writer and the reader in drawing conclusions and conceptualizing new ideas. While many writers may not be able to see how the critical-thinking process aids in the transformation from the visual image to the written word, skillful writers are aware that critical thinking is a primary element of descriptive writing.

Purpose
Purpose, an element of critical thinking, is a major characteristic of descriptive writing. A key element of descriptive writing is appealing to all five senses. Let’s say that the writer of a descriptive essay wishes to describe his or her favorite place to relax. The writer’s purpose is to paint a vivid picture of that location so the reader can mentally and emotionally identify with the writer’s feelings while in that place. The best way to accomplish this goal is to appeal to the five senses. Generally, sight is the dominant sense in a descriptive essay. Human beings are able to use their observational skills to describe what they see or feel. “Good observation, always associated with objectivity, is the human endeavor to scientifically describe an object using the five senses.” ³ The purpose of this level of objectivity is to explore critical thought using one’s own judgment. Lack of judgment clouds the meaning the writer wishes to convey. The use of descriptive language enables writers to help their readers “see” what they mean. It can be argued, then, that descriptive writing does involve critical thinking because it enables the writer to accomplish his or her desired purpose.

Deductive and Inductive Reasoning
Deductive and inductive reasoning are two additional elements of critical thinking. Deductive reasoning begins with general information that leads to a specific conclusion, while inductive reasoning uses specific information to arrive at a general conclusion. (See Box 2.) To illustrate inductive reasoning, a teacher may describe having drunk a specific brand of orange juice every morning for the past week. From this description, the students may conclude that this particular brand of orange juice is the teacher’s favorite. However, the teacher may reveal that she drank that brand of orange juice only because she ran out of her favorite brand and had not been able to make it to the store. To exemplify deductive reasoning, a teacher may use the example of parentage. If both a man and woman are Caucasian, any person born of their union will be Caucasian.

Deductive and inductive reasoning can be used to help students explore initial thoughts and come to a conclusion based on the information provided. Descriptive language is a key component in information sharing. When using descriptions in informative writing, writers must use clear and concise wording and avoid subjective expression by using objective language. Their descriptions must be realistic.⁴ Writers must use specific details in descriptive writing, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning.

Point of View
Descriptive writing must consider another element of critical thinking: point of view. Point of view is loosely connected to perception. In argumentative writing, the writer uses his or her critical-thinking skills to convince the reader to consider an opposing position. Descriptive language is often used in the argument. Sometimes, word choice is employed to manipulate the reader’s thinking (e.g., through the use of propaganda, gaslighting, or exploitation). In argument, one method is known as pathos. One may tell a story using powerful adjectives to describe people and events, make an appeal to the reader by using powerful terminology to stimulate thought, or use visual images to evoke strong emotion. The use of these strategies in descriptive writing requires teaching tools other than textbooks, and can include authentic audio, visual, and printed materials.⁵

Effectively using descriptive words or phrases to shape what a person sees or hears can change a reader’s perspective. A simplified definition of critical thinking is to rethink one’s thinking. Effective use of descriptive words may cause readers to distance themselves from preconceived notions based on prior experiences and help them consider another person’s point of view.

One way to get students to consider another person’s point of view is by encouraging them to use visual strategies in their writing. These strategies work well in descriptive writing because they help students think critically and use problem-solving skills to formulate and share ideas with one another. According to Scane, “Students employ visual literacies, that ability to comprehend and compose through visual media, in concert with critical literacy skills as they negotiate, communicate, and (hopefully) thrive across our dynamic global community.” ⁶ In persuasion, the writer is asked to avoid preconceived notions, but instead draw conclusions based on fact rather than opinion.

Descriptive writing is often used in arguments to sway the reader’s thoughts. For example, when it is constantly reported that something is “the best,” more people are prone to believe this, even though there may be contrary evidence. The challenge in teaching descriptive writing is to show students how to use language to encourage readers to draw their own conclusions. Instead of saying something is “the best,” the writer can describe the positive and negative attributes and let the reader formulate his or her own thoughts and beliefs. In this situation, the writer will still use descriptors, but the descriptors are concrete rather than abstract. Instead of using adjectives such as pretty (which imply a value judgment about the object), the writer may use colors and other neutral words to describe the place or thing. As suggested by Scane, it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure students have the proper vocabulary to describe things that are observable.⁷ The use of these types of words leads to a more critical thought process that allows each person to draw his or her own conclusions based on the information received.

Descriptive Writing and Visual Communication

A teacher may use visual communication to further develop students’ critical thinking skills through descriptive writing. Visual communication does not just affect what one sees, hears, or feels but also what one thinks or values. In order to correctly read and understand an image, one has to have a relationship with it.⁸ When writing, one may draw on this relationship based on his or her perception. Critical thinking requires the writer to challenge this perception.

One way to challenge readers’ perceptions and to engage in critical thinking is through the use of visual illusions that can be used to provide insight into the process of perception. When a person looks at a picture and is asked to describe what he or she sees, the response may be very general based on a cursory glance; however, upon closer inspection, the observer can detect what may not be obvious to the naked eye. An example of a visual illusion is the picture of the duck/rabbit in Figure 1. When looking at the outline of the picture one way, one sees a duck’s head with a beak pointing to the left, but when observing the shape from a different angle, he or she perceives a rabbit’s head pointing to the right with the ears pointing to the left.

The same phenomenon occurs when creating a picture with words. Based on the writer's word choices and the background knowledge and assumptions of the reader, different readers will have different perspectives. “Visual illusions offer an excellent way to turn a mirror on our own process of perception and be surprised at what we see.” ⁹ Willingness to alter one’s perception can produce different perspectives and affect one’s point of view.

Effective Use of Background Knowledge

Critical thinking requires the use of background knowledge in the formation of thoughts and opinions about persons, places, things, or ideas; however, specific language makes it possible to better analyze existing background knowledge. Based on Paul and Elder’s intellectual standards, clarity is a part of that process.¹⁰ Descriptive writing helps clarify information and facilitates problem solving. An important aspect of problem solving is observation. The observation process uses the five senses to collect and understand data and interpret meaning.¹¹ Descriptors are used to clarify what happened, when it happened, and where it happened. Once language transitions from vague to specific, decision making can become more informed. Critical thinking requires students to consider facts when drawing conclusions, forming opinions, making assumptions, or defining purpose.

Cultivate Awareness of Precise Language

Precision is also imperative in the critical-thinking process. Paul and Elder suggest asking the following questions to help students achieve greater precision in their writing: “Could you be more specific? Could you give me more details? Could you be more exact?”¹² Who, what, when, and where questions in descriptive writing encourage this precise thinking. For example, if the student writes that a dress was found at the scene of a crime, this does not provide enough information for the reader to identify the person who was wearing the dress. However, if more specific details are included, such as the color, the designer, the size, or the style of the dress, one can start to draw some conclusions or make some inferences about the wearer of the dress. Precision is needed in the critical-thinking process, and specific details are elements of precision. Because descriptive writing requires clarity and precision; it can be used to encourage critical thinking.

Once the reader or writer has acquired precise information, he or she is able to share it. In Paul and Elder’s critical-thinking definition, accuracy is determined by asking the following questions: “How could we check on that? How could we find out if that is true? How could we verify or test that?”¹³ Writers often need to conduct research to find information to support their arguments. One part of the research process is writing an abstract, a short description of the relevant information that will be included in their essay, paper, or article. Writers must learn to use appropriate descriptors to explain their argument, and readers need training to enable them to look for descriptors that enable them to better understand what is being argued. Adverbial conjunctions such as instead and nevertheless indicate there are other ideas to research. These conjunctions are used in descriptive writing and in the critical-thinking process to lead the reader from abstract to concrete ideas.

Both descriptive writing and critical thinking require the writer to follow a defined process. In descriptive writing, the writer moves from general vocabulary to specific word use, while in critical thinking, the thinker moves from general ideas to concrete thoughts. Descriptive writers can use the how and why of critical thinking to analyze the what, when, and where of descriptive writing. Well-developed writing skills, coupled with the critical-thinking skills, produce more effective writing, which leads to deeper analysis. “[Critical thinking involves] analytical thinking, generalization, and synthesis in problem solving, which involves features such as the scientific way, critical thinking, decision making, and reflective thinking.”¹⁴ Problem solving is an integral part of the critical-thinking process, and visualization is a problem-solving skill.

Descriptive words are needed to create visual images, so descriptive writers are taught to use words to create a picture. This exercise teaches the writer to explore emotions, add details and facts, and improve vocabulary.¹⁵ Using precise words and phrases helps the writer to not only describe what, when, or where something happened, but to also discuss reasons why or how this happened. This descriptive writing process encourages critical thinking.

Conclusion

The elements of critical thinking are used in both argumentative and descriptive writing. The descriptive writer must identify his or her purpose and use words to clearly describe that purpose to the reader. This can be done through inductive and deductive reasoning. These two types of reasoning help the writer determine whether the description is informative, entertaining, believable, and accurate. Once this is determined, the writer uses critical-thinking skills to challenge the reader’s thinking. Descriptive language is needed to help the reader and writer use their critical-thinking skills to move from the abstract to the concrete. Through observation and using the five senses, descriptive writers must write with precision and accuracy. Although descriptive writing appeals to the five senses, it should not be ignored as a critical thinking tool through which the writer and the reader can delve beneath the surface to analyze the writer’s and the reader’s thought processes.

This article has been peer reviewed.

Kayla F. Gilchrist-Ward

Kayla F. Gilchrist-Ward, EdD, is Associate Professor of English and Foreign Languages at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A., where she teaches freshman composition, world literature, and professional writing. Dr. Ward has presented at several education conferences on teaching strategies in the English classroom, creative writing, and book publishing for young writers. An educator for 25 years—18 years as a full-time English teacher for grades 9-12 and seven years as a college professor―she is also the founder of Breindel Reese Consulting Firm, an education consulting firm that assists private and nonprofit organizations with grant writing, program planning, and curriculum design.

Karen Tucker

Karen Tucker, MEd, MS, is Associate Professor of English at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A., where she has taught for more than 30 years. Professor Tucker holds two Master’s degrees in education and science from Alabama A&M University. She considers her many years of teaching not just a profession but also a ministry and believes that teaching English at an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) is a privilege and an opportunity to Help Build Character Ultimately.