Observation: Take a Look
On this page, you will find:
- a definition and examples of observation
- tips on using detail in observation essays
- comments from teachers
Most of us are tried-and-true observers. Few of us can sit in a high-traffic area on campus and resist the urge to people-watch, no matter how interesting the book we're supposed to be reading for class. To hang out in the student center and scope the latest fall fashions is to observe; to stare out the window during class at the construction on the building next door is to observe. Anytime we look at something in detail, we're making an observation.
Observation essays are mainly about persons, places, things, or events. You might watch a softball team at practice; you might watch your dog tear up the yard. You might hang out in Dunkin' Donuts for 5 hours and make note of customer and staff behavior. Whatever you choose to observe, you will need to look at it objectively and closely in order to give your readers a sense of what you see.
When writing an observation essay, you will generally view your subject in the here and now. That is, observation essays are not written from memories; rather, you use actual, current real-time experience. Observation essays aren't arguments or personal narratives. In an observation, what you see is what you get, literally: your objective is to relate, through meaningful detail, the sense of the person, place, or thing you have chosen as a subject.
Using Details
The crux of any observation essay is detail. In an observation essay, details are the primary source of information about your subject. Your aim is to convey your impressions to your audience by describing who, where, or what you're observing.
Tips for using details:
Use the 5 senses.
By using sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, you can give your readers a vivid picture of your subject. This allows them to, in effect, observe along with you--they see what you see, hear what you hear, etc. If you're observing a typical day at a local bakery, for instance, you might describe what the rows of cookies look like or how the baking bread smells.
Use metaphor and simile.
When you use metaphor and simile, you're evoking relationships between things. These comparisons connect one thing to another, making the reader think in more concrete terms about what it is you're describing. Saying "The man's nose was red" conveys color. But saying "The man's nose glowed redly, like a pulsating neon 'DINER' sign at 3 in the morning" conveys a much more specific image. Additionally, if you're writing a paper about a man who keeps late hours or who hangs out in diners, you've made a further connection--you've reinforced your topic through description.
Use precise words.
Choose words that convey the most exact sense of your experience. For example, calling a tree you're writing about "big" won't tell us as much as words like "hulking," "gargantuan," or "towering." For more tips, check out our Word Usage and Semantic Field links.
Use caution.
Using details can be tricky. While a lack of specifics most certainly leads to a lackluster observation essay, there's another danger: irrelevant detail, otherwise known as "detail overkill." If your observation essay is about a night in the life of a local bartender, it may not be necessary to talk about the heated pool game in the corner of the club or the twangy guitar band playing next door. Remember to use details that pertain to your subject.
