descriptive essay topics for class 8 icse

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ICSE English Compositions: Understanding the 5 Types

by AlmondBooks Support on Sep 27, 2022

ICSE English language examination test students on five different composition types , which includes  descriptive , narrative , argumentative , story writing , and  picture composition . In this post, we'll describe all these essay types in more detail so students can clearly understand the comparison between them and compose better essays in their ICSE exams.

Please read the following extract from the most recent ICSE syllabus before we study the essay types.

Types of Essays in ICSE

• Descriptive
• Argumentative

Story Writing

• Picture Composition

Descriptive Essays

A Descriptive Essay provides a detailed description of a specific subject. The purpose of such an essay is to evoke an image in our minds by appealing to our senses. As a result, a descriptive essay engages at least one of our five senses (touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight).

One should have a clear picture of the subject after reading a descriptive essay, whether it’s a historical episode, a geographical location, or a work of art.

Narrative Essays

A Narrative Essay, like a descriptive essay, it asks you to share an experience rather than advance an argument or provide evidence to support an opinion. This experience can be personal and real from your own life (for example, telling the story of your first big achievement), or it can be imagined (for example, telling the story of how you would face a situation).

A narrative essay allows writers to share their personal experiences. It is similar to a short story; the only difference is that it has a proper structure. A good narrative essay also progresses to a meaningful conclusion that goes beyond a list of events and details.

Argumentative Essays

An Argumentative Essay is a type of writing that uses facts and logic to persuade the reader of a particular point of view. Even though many types of essays try to get the reader to agree with a certain point of view, argumentative essays use a lot of hard evidence to show that their argument is the best.

The goal of argumentative essays, like persuasive essays and other types of essays, is to persuade the reader of a particular point of view. The method of persuasion is what distinguishes an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay uses factual evidence and unarguable logic to demonstrate that its thesis is correct.

The idea is that an argumentative essay disproves or invalidates opposing theories to prove that its thesis is correct. As a result, argumentative essays discuss other opposing points of view as well as the writer’s own thesis. It’s difficult to declare one viewpoint “true” while ignoring all others.

Story Writing is a type of fictional writing that is written in a more straightforward manner and has its own natural flow. Character (typically a Protagonist and Antagonist), setting, plot, conflict, and theme are the five elements of story writing. Through story writing, you share the experience of characters in a physical setting with a plot that makes it story-worthy, a conflict that causes a riff or character relationship core, and finally, the theme of the story as in what the story wants to share. The story has to be original and must not be an imitation of any novel or movie.

Picture Compositions

Picture Composition, in general, fosters perception expertise in students and improves their capacity to dissect and expound on a given image. Students get ideas by observing the image, and they express their ideas through all-around shaped sentences.

A picture essay (or composition) is usually divided into three parts in which a student is asked to describe the picture, make a story out of it, or express and elaborate on the thoughts and feelings implied by the picture. A picture can be a photograph, a scene from an action movie, a quote written over a picture or a sketch of a famous person. The things shown in the picture should not be itemized.

You must be able to distinguish between different essay types in your ICSE English exam to pick the right topic and organize your thoughts and ideas correctly. With this list of 25 trending essay topics , you can practice the most important ICSE English essay topics.

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50 Descriptive Essay Topics

Make your reader see, smell, hear and feel with these inspirational descriptive essay topics ! We’ve collected 50 descriptive essay topics to sprout some flowery language. Our descriptive essay topics are designed to spark creative thinking and can be modified for students in elementary, middle and high school. They are grouped by topic for easy student and teacher reference. Feel free to print the entire list for plenty of inspiration for your next descriptive essay assignment!

Descriptive Essay Topics: Place

• Describe your favorite place.
• Describe your ideal bedroom.
• Describe the house in which you grew up.
• Describe what the first house on the moon would look like.
• Describe some of your favorite places in your hometown.
• Describe a peaceful place that you’ve visited.
• Describe a place that exists only in your imagination.
• Describe a friend’s or family member’s house where you enjoy spending time.
• Describe your perfect fantasy vacation destination.
• Describe your favorite store.
• Describe your favorite teacher’s classroom.
• Describe a museum that you’ve visited recently.
• Describe a place you have dreamed about that doesn’t exist in real life.
• Describe a place where your pet likes spending time.
• Describe an outdoor place that you know well.

Descriptive Essay Topics: People

• Describe your favorite person.
• Describe each of your family members.
• Describe a famous person that you would like to meet.
• Describe one of your friends.
• Describe one aspect of someone that you like (for example: laugh, style of dress, words that the person likes to use, etc.)
• Describe yourself to someone who has never met you.
• Describe the average human to an alien who has never before seen a person.
• Describe your pet.
• Look at some old family photos and describe an older family member as he or she was when at your age.
• Describe someone whom you miss.

Descriptive Essay Topics: Objects

• Describe an object that is special to you.
• Give a tour of one room in your house by describing the most important objects in that room.
• Describe one of your favorite outfits.
• Describe your favorite toy as a child.
• Describe how you get around (for example: a bicycle, skateboard, sneakers, your parents’ car, the school bus).
• Describe your favorite piece of furniture where you like to spend time and relax.
• Describe something that you would bury in a time capsule to tell people about what life is like today.
• Describe an object that has been in your family for a long time.
• Choose a piece of food to eat; then, write a description of it that includes the way it looks, smells and tastes.
• Describe a smartphone to a time traveler from the 1900s.

Descriptive Essay Topics: Memories

• Describe your oldest memory.
• Describe your best summer vacation.
• Describe a memorable concert you attended.
• Describe a memorable trip you took.
• Describe a special time that you and your family had together.
• Describe the first time you met one of your friends.
• Describe a time you met someone famous.
• Describe one of your happiest memories.
• Describe one of your saddest memories.
• Describe a time that you felt scared.
• Describe a time that you felt excited.
• Describe a time that something totally unexpected happened.
• Describe a memory of someone whom you miss.
• Describe one of your most memorable first days of school.
• Describe one of your most embarrassing moments.

Looking for more essay topics? Compare and Contrast Essay Topics Cause and Effect Essay Topics Narrative Essay Topics Persuasive Essay and Speech Topics

Question and Answer forum for K12 Students

Descriptive Essay Topic – A Visit To A Historical Place

A Visit To A Historical Place. You can find Previous Year Descriptive Essay Topics asked in ICSE board exams.

Introduction: India has a rich historical past, reminisced from the majestic and imposing monuments like the Taj Mahal.

• Preparation for the journey and arrival at Agra
• Description of the Taj Mahal
• Description of the surroundings; Its magnificence in the moonlight

Conclusion: Beauty that could inspire poets

India perhaps is amongst few countries of the world which is blessed with a rich historical past. Some glimpses of its glorious history, can be reminisced from the majestic and imposing monuments spread across the length and breadth of the country. One of these monuments, which also finds place in the UNESCO list of ‘wonders of the world,’ is the Taj Mahal at Agra. This was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his loving wife Mumtaz Mahal, more then three hundred and fifty years ago.

I had always wished to see this monument and was thrilled to learn, that my class was going on an excursion trip to Agra in the Dusshera vacations. There were thirty boys in the group accompanied by three teachers. Early morning we set forth from Delhi by bus for the four hour drive to Agra. The journey was a memorable experience with chorus, dance and music. Our enthusiasm was contagious for even the sober teachers joined in the merriment. On reaching Agra, after light refreshment we were back again in the bus for our tryst with the Taj Mahal.

Leaving the bus in the parking slot, we trudged along on foot towards the ticket counter. By the time we got the tickets it was late afternoon. The entrance was through a majestic gate made of red stone. The glowing white Taj Mahal viewed from here presented a magnificent sight. The monument stood on a raised and square platform at the farthest end of the complex. In front was a large lush green garden, which had four pools, which reflected the majestic monument in all its glory. In the centre was the driveway on either side of the pool, lined with fountains. The river Yamuna flowing behind it gave it a divine look. Slowly winding our way through the milling crowd we reached the monument, made of pure white marble, which sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight.

On the four comers of the monument, were four tall graceful, slender minarets, on which were embedded precious gems and stones for decoration and calligraphy. The main structure comprised the central dome flanked by four subsidiary dome chambers. Beneath the central dome were the two gravestones of marble around which we moved. The actual graves of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaj Mahal lay beneath them in the basement. The walls of the main structure and the dome had exquisite carving done on marble, with precious stones embedded in them. Seeing them closely one could not help wonder the great mastery of the artesan who had created them.

The imposing structure was indeed a noble gesture of an emperor expressing his love for his beloved wife. It was however moving to learn that these master artesans had their hands amputated, so that they could not create a similar structure elsewhere. It was late evening and we therefore decided to wait a little longer to see the Taj Mahal in the moonlight.

As luck could have it there was a clear sky. A sigh escaped my lips as I watched the milky monument in moonlight. I was speechless for a moment and could not help recall the words of the famous English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”

Assignments

• You and your friends decide to visit the Red Fort at Delhi. Write about the preparations you made and what impression this monument left on you.
• Describe one frightening incident that you and your family found really nightmarish.

Exercise 2 Narrative Essay

Write about a memorable experience that taught you an important life lesson. What happened, and how did it impact you?

A Lesson in Friendship

It was a bright and sunny day during my summer break before entering 8th grade. My best friend, Sam, and I had planned a day of adventure at the amusement park. Little did I know that this day would become an important moment in my life, teaching me a vital lesson about friendship.

Excitement bubbled within us as we arrived at the park, eager to conquer every thrilling ride. We started with the roller coasters, screaming and laughing as we zoomed through loops and twists. Our joy was infectious, and the day seemed perfect.

As we wandered through the park, we stumbled upon the Ferris wheel—a ride I had always found a bit intimidating. Sam, however, was determined to conquer it. Despite my hesitations, I agreed to join him in the colorful, swaying capsule.

Midway through the ride, my fear kicked in, and I began to feel queasy. I tried to hide it, but my discomfort was evident. Alex, being the perceptive friend he was, noticed my unease. Instead of dismissing it, he suggested we get off the ride and find something else we both could enjoy.

In that moment, I learned a crucial lesson about true friendship: understanding and compassion. Sam didn't mock my fear or push me to continue; instead, he prioritised my comfort over his own desires. It made me realize that a genuine friend is someone who cares about your well-being and is willing to adjust plans to accommodate each other.

Sam’s kindness and consideration made me appreciate the value of a friend who truly understands and supports you. It taught me that friendship is not just about shared adventures but also about being there for each other through challenges, big or small.

From that day forward, our friendship deepened, and I carried the lesson with me into 8th grade and beyond. I became more attuned to the feelings of others and made an effort to be a supportive friend just like Sam was to me.

• Ensure to keep excitement going as you write the narrative essay.
• Choose characters and anecdotes with respect to the question.
• It is not a story but a reflection of the incident/happening.
• Write it in the right order of events and highlight the key points.

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