UNIT 2

DESCRIPTIVE
Meeting 2-3

Social Purpose
Descriptions focus our attention on the characteristic features of a particular place or
thing using facts, eg Toby the Mongrel (as opposed to information reports, which deal
with a general class of things, eg hunting dogs).

The subject might be a person, eg Grandpa, a place, eg our house, or a thing, eg

my favourite toy.

While descriptions can occur as ‘stand alone’ texts, they are often part of a longer text,
such as the description of a character or setting in a story or biography. Although they
might not always be seen as a distinct text type, it is felt that the ability to describe
someone or something in detail is an important skill that can contribute to a number of
different text types.

Generic Structure
Descriptions are usually organised to include:
1. Identification: An introduction to the subject of the description;
2. Description: Characteristic features of the subject, eg physical appearance, qualities,
habitual behaviour, significant attributes.
3. There may also be some optional evaluation interspersed through the text and an
optional concluding comment.

Linguistic Features
Common grammatical patterns of a description include:
1. Use of particular nouns, eg my teacher, the Opera House, our cubby;
2. Use of detailed noun groups to provide information about the subject, eg It was a
large open rowboat with a tall front and a tall back (like a Viking boat of old), and it
was of such a shining sparkling glistening pink colour;
3. Use of a variety of types of adjectives, eg opinion, factual, numbering, classifying;
4. Use of relating verbs to provide information about the subject, eg My mum is really
cool;
5. Use of thinking and feeling verbs to express the writer’s personal view about the
subject, eg Police believe the suspect is armed, or to give an insight into the subject’s
thoughts and feelings, eg My friend Amanda adores chocolate ice-cream;
6. Use of action verbs to describe the subject’s behaviour, eg Our new puppy nips at
our heels and wrestles with our slippers;
7. Use of adverbials to provide more information about this behaviour, eg Our new
puppy always nips playfully at our heels;

EXAMPLE OF DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Bali (Indonesian)
Bali is an island and province of Indonesia. This island is considered as the most
beautiful Island in Indonesia. The province includes the island of Bali and a few
smaller neighboring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa
Ceningan. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands,
between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Its capital of Denpasar is located
at the southern part of the island. With a population of 3,890,757 in the 2010
census, and 4,225,000 as of January 2014, the island is home to most of
Indonesia’s Hindu minority. Commented [U1]: IDENTIFICATION

According to the 2010 Census, 83.5% of Bali’s population adhered to Balinese

Hinduism, followed by 13.4% Muslim, Christianity at 2.5%, and Buddhism
0.5%.Bali is a popular tourist destination, which has seen a significant rise in
tourists since the 1980s. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including
traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and
music.

The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Bali. Bali is part of
the Coral Triangle, the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species. In this
area alone over 500 reef building coral species can be found. For comparison, this
is about 7 times as many as in the entire Caribbean. There is a wide range of dive
sites with high quality reefs, all with their own specific attractions. Many sites can
have strong currents and swell, so diving without a knowledgeable guide is
unadvisable. Most recently, Bali held the 2011 ASEAN Summit, and the 2013
APEC. Commented [U2]: DESCRIPTION

Linguistic Features

1. Use of particular/specific nouns (participant): the island of Bali

2. Use of detailed noun groups to provide information about the subject: It is located
at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the
west and Lombok to the east.
3. Use of a variety of types of adjectives: smaller, significant, traditional, modern, wide
4. Use of relating verbs to provide information about the subject: Bali is an island
and province of Indonesia.
5. Use of thinking and feeling verbs to express the writer’s personal view about the
subject: This island is considered as the most beautiful Island in Indonesia
6. Use of action verbs to describe the subject’s behaviour: Most recently, Bali held
the 2011 ASEAN Summit, and the 2013 APEC.
7. Use of adverbials to provide more information about this behaviour: . Many sites
can have strong currents and swell, so diving without a knowledgeable guide
is unadvisable.

READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS PROVIDED BY

YOUR TEACHER!

Way Kambas National Park

Way Kambas National Park is a national park for elephant sanctuary located in Lampung precisely in
the Labuhan Ratu sub district, East Lampung, Indonesia. Way Kambas National Park, established in
1985, is the first school for elephant in Indonesia. In the beginning of its establishment, Way Kambas
National Park was named the Elephant Training Center / Pusat Latihan Gajah (PLG), but the last
few years this name was changed into Elephant Conservation Center / Pusat Konservasi Gajah
(PKG), which is expected to become a center for elephant conservation in taming, training, breeding
and conserving elephants. Until now, this PKG has trained for about 300 elephants which ha ve been
deployed to all over the country.

In Way Kambas National Park, there are some endangered animals such as Sumatran Rhinos,
Sumatran elephant, Sumatran tiger, Mentok Rimba, and Buaya sepit. There are also so some plants
which are mostly found there such as Api-api, Pidada, Nipah, and Pandan. On the marshy coasts of
Way Kambas National Park is often found various species of birds, such as, Lesser Adjutant,
Pheasant Blue, Kuau Raja, Pependang Timur, and some other birds.