Given a descriptive essay, what should a literature teacher ask?

• A. What is the main argument?
• B. How could the subject be characterized?
• C. What is the plot?
• D. What is the theme?

Answer: (B)

Descriptive writing aims to create a vivid image of a subject through precise details and sensory language. So the best question for a literature teacher asks how the subject could be characterized. This centers attention on identifying the defining features, qualities, and attributes that shape how readers picture and understand the subject. By focusing on characterization, students practice selecting concrete details, organizing them around different aspects (appearance, behavior, mood, function), and using language that conveys what makes the subject distinctive. The other prompts pull in directions for different kinds of writing: asking about a main argument fits argumentative or persuasive tasks, asking about the plot fits narrative storytelling, and asking about the theme moves toward uncovering the work's underlying message, which are not the primary aims of a straightforward descriptive essay.