Objective Description

Definition of Objective Descriptions

An objective description is a type of description.

People describe things around them constantly. Description is an especially useful tool for writers; it's how they communicate the apearance of things to the audience. What makes an objective description different from other kinds of description is that it is factual.

Purpose of Objective Descriptions

The purpose of objective description is to create an accurate mental representation of the subject in the reader’s mind. If you want a reader to know the rubber duck is green, you describe it as green. Then, the reader will imagine a green rubber duck, instead of the yellow rubber duck most people might imagine.

Fig. 1 - A green duck is unusual, so an objective description is helpful for the audience to picture it.

Objective descriptions thrive when they act as clarification, and when they contrast with the expectations of readers. You might not need to describe springtime grass as green, since most people imagine it that way, but if the springtime grass of an alien planet is purple, you will likely describe that in order to clarify its appearance.

You will find objective descriptions everywhere you read. In nonfiction passages, objective descriptions will clarify real-world objects, characters, and settings in order to contextualize the place and time.

In fiction passages, objective description will help you to understand foreign and fictional worlds. In action scenes, objective descriptions will help you understand the movement of the characters and their results. Wherever you find an objective description, the goal is always accurate. The question is, how accurate can you get?

Difference Between Objective Description and Subjective Description

An orchid has wide leaves. Is this an objective description? Not strictly, because what does “wide” really mean? Wide in relation to what other type of leaves? The term “wide” is subjective because there is no quantifiable measurement or classification that correlates to "wide."

Yet intuitively, calling “wide” subjective in this context seems fussy. If terms like big, small, wide, and bumpy are subjective, then objective descriptions would consist purely of verifiable measurements. For example, you would have to describe an orchid leaf as being 2.4 inches wide, instead of just "wide," in order for it to be an "objective" description. This seems silly when the purpose of an objective description is to create an accurate mental representation of the subject in the reader’s mind.

To give another example, you would probably be better served calling a pea pod “bumpy” than laboriously charting out its curvature using math. The former would give the reader an idea of what it looks like; the latter would mean nothing to most readers.

So, how objective should you be?

The key is your audience. If you are writing a scientific paper for biology class, you should probably use highly objective descriptions. If you are writing a creative story for composition class, you should probably use modestly o21bjective descriptions.

A highly objective description creates a quantifiably accurate mental representation of the subject in the reader’s mind. A modestly objective description creates a casually accurate mental representation of the subject in the reader’s mind.

So what’s the difference between a modestly objective description and a subjective description, then?

The answer lies in the intent. A modestly objective description is intended to be simple. It is lightly interpretable.

On the other hand, a subjective description is intended to be complex. It is interpretable.

It is far easier to draw a tree that objectively has many flowers than a tree that is objectively "gorgeous." At least "many" is a counting term! A modestly objective description isn’t really intended to be open-ended, the way a subjective description often is. A modestly objective description is just a simple, good enough way to describe something in a casual or artistic context.

How to Create Objective Descriptions

If you are writing an argumentative essay or a scientific paper, you will get a lot of use out of highly objective descriptions. To determine if your description is highly objective, consider its specificity. Let’s start with an example of a non-specific description, and then develop it into a more specific description.

What kind of big trees? Cedar trees? No, redwood trees. Let’s specify that.

Cedar trees are big, too. That big? No, redwood trees are much bigger than cedar trees. To be more specific, let’s include a height.

This is a highly objective description, although it could be better, depending on your audience. If your audience is not very familiar with trees, something like this would strengthen your description of the redwood tree:

Using multiple quantifiable details, you have now objectively described how big a redwood tree is. Well done!

Fig. 2- A redwood tree is beautiful; which is a subjective description.

Whether highly or modestly objective, no objective descriptions are completely a matter of personal opinion, unlike many subjective descriptions. When writing an objective description of any kind, avoid polarizing claims. Avoid anything you recognize as personal preference or personal opinion. Stick to what is more or less obvious!

How Many Objective Descriptions to Include

Because our audience wasn’t familiar with the heights of trees, remember how we used the common cedar tree to help contextualize the awesome size of the redwood tree? This is using objective description to describe a foreign concept.

The more foreign your concept, the more you will need to describe it. Say you are a science fiction or fantasy writer. You will need to use a lot more description to bring your setting to life than a general fiction writer whose story takes place on Earth in the modern-day. Because your fantasy world is very foreign, it will take more effort to create an accurate representation of it in your reader’s mind.

In fact, it will probably take too much effort. This is why many writers rely on modestly objective, vague, and subjective descriptions to get their images across. Although more is left up to the reader, it takes less time to write and is less work for the reader. Besides, leaving more up to the reader is a good habit to develop as a story writer:

As far as objective description, only use an amount that suits your pacing, your medium, and your audience. Too much description of any kind can slow down a story and even an essay.

When to Include Objective Descriptions in Your Essay

When writing an essay, use descriptions only when necessary. While it is important to keep your reader well-informed, you don’t want to slow down the exploration of your thesis. When contextualizing the height of a redwood tree, it is helpful to describe the height of a common tree, but it is not helpful to describe the height of the ten tallest trees in North America. One takes part in a sentence. The other could take a paragraph.

Examples of Objective Descriptions

If you need examples of objective descriptions, here is a variety of them across multiple genres. In each example, the objective description is underlined.