Description is one of four
rhetorical modes (also known as
modes of discourse), along with
exposition,
argumentation, and
narration. Each of the rhetorical modes is present in a variety of forms and each has its own purpose and
conventions. The act of description may be related to that of
definition. Description is also the
fiction-writing mode for transmitting a
mental image of the particulars of a
story. Definition: The pattern of development that presents a word picture of a thing, a person, a situation, or a series of events.