PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Introduction

The introduction should name the item being described, describe its primary physical characteristics, and establish the importance of the item.

"A car is a large, heavy machine used to transport people from place to place." Based on this sentence, paragraphs should be developed that focus on the shape and size of item. A paragraph describing the item's mechanical parts and its use to transport people should also be developed. "Modern civilization could not function without the car." If this sentence were found in the introduction, then a paragraph explaining this strong statement would have to be developed.

Summary

A conclusion should be placed in a concluding paragraph and summarized within the summary paragraph. A formal summary contains no new information. The item should be named and its primary physical characteristics reestablished.

Body

Since your primary purpose is to describe and explain, examine the following and decide what are the primary physical characteristic of the item, then decide what are the secondary characteristics. Bear in mind that humans are very much visually oriented, though the visual would not always be a primary characteristic of the item. Perfume, for instance, could not be very effectively described in terms of appearance.

Usual Primary Physical Characteristics

Shape
Size
Color
Capacity
Weight
Use

Usual Secondary Physical Characteristics

Location
Construction
Make and Model
Durability
Cost
Texture
Material
Sound
Smell
Taste
Relationship of the Whole to Components
Relationship of the Components to the Whole

When developing the body, establish your viewpoint, then proceed logically from that viewpoint. It would be illogical to describe a building floor-by-floor by beginning at the 13th floor, jumping to 10th, then going to the 2nd.