UCD Writing Centre
What’s the Difference Between Descriptive and Analytical Writing?
What does it mean when you receive feedback from a lecturer which says that your essay is “too
descriptive” and “needs to demonstrate more analysis”?
What about when you have an essay title that asks you to “critically analyse” a particular idea,
phenomenon, or theory?
Analytical writing is the cornerstone of academic writing, and your assignments are often designed
to encourage critical engagement and analysis. Knowing how and when to write analytically - and
how to avoid writing too descriptively - can help strengthen your essays.
The first step is learning the key defining characteristics and purposes of each type of writing.
Descriptive Writing
Descriptive writing is expository and informative. It seeks to present the facts or details to the
reader, but not interpret their meaning. In other words, descriptive writing states ‘who’, ‘what’,
‘where’ - but does not evaluate the ‘why’, ‘how’, or ‘so what?’
• The defining characteristics of Descriptive Writing are…:
• States facts or recounts events
• Gives an overview of a particular topic
• Observes and reports the characteristics of a person, place, thing, or phenomenon
• Explains a theory or idea
• States the ‘what’, ‘who’, or ‘where’- but not the ‘why’, ‘how’, or ‘so what’
• The purposes of Descriptive Writing are…:
• To provide context or background information
• Informative: provides factual detail
• Expository: explains something
• Examples: newspapers, reviews, summaries, synopses, popular journalism
Analytical Writing:
Analytical writing is evaluative and critical. It seeks to go beyond the descriptive presentation of
facts or details to the reader, and instead evaluates and investigates their significance. In other
words, analytical writing demonstrates the ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘so what’, interpreting the significance
and meaning of the ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘where’.
• The defining characteristics of Analytical Writing are…:
• Engages with and applies theoretical concepts
• Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of ideas
