Descriptive text

A.Purpose

The purpose of a descriptive text is to describe a person, place or thing particularly . It describes the characteristic of a person, animal, place or thing specifically, so that the readers will be able to imagine what kind of a person, animal, place or thing that is described.   

B.  Generic Structure

Generic structure of a descriptive text consists of two elements, they are:

1.      Identification

Identification is an element of a descriptive text which contains about topic and it identities the phenomenon that will be described.

2.      Description

It describes the parts, qualities and characteristics of the topic.

C.Language Features

1.      It uses simple present tense.

2.      It uses various adjectives for describing, numbering and classifying the object.

Examples: tow strong legs, sharp white fangs, etc.

3.      It uses relating verbs to give information about the subject.

Examples: my mum is really cool, it has very thick fur, etc.

4.      It uses adverbs to give additional information about the characteristic of the object.

Example: it is extremely high.

5.      It uses comparatives (-er), superlatives (-est) and the specific forms of comparatives and superlatives.

                                           

Examples                                                      

                                                         Borobudur Temple

               Borobudur is Hindu – Budhist temple. It was build in the nineth century under Sailendra dynasty of ancient Mataram kingdom. Borobudur is located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.
             Borobudur is well-known all over the world. Its construction is influenced by the Gupta architecture of India. The temple is constructed on a hill 46 m high and consist of eight step like stone terrace. The first five terrace are square and surrounded by walls adorned with Budist sculpture in bas-relief. The upper three are circular.
           Each of them is with a circle of bell shape-stupa. The entire adifice is crowned by a large stupa at the centre at the centre of the top circle. The way to the summit extends through some 4.8 km of passage and starways. The design of borobudur which symbolizes the structure of universe influences temples at Angkor, Cambodia.
          Borobudur temple which is rededicated as an Indonesian monument in 1983 is a valuable treasure for Indonesian people.