Descriptive Text

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

The aim of descriptive text is basically to give information. The social context of this text is to describe a specific thing, animal, or human being ( certain thing, our pets or someone we know well), it is different from report text which describes something in general ( for example a specific of animal species, an architect of certain era, and so on).

We use the descriptive text to describe a particular person, place or thing. It focuses on specific participants. The description includes parts, qualities and characteristics.

The relation between the writer/the author and the readers in a descriptive text is as the authority and the unknown readers/listeners. The medium of a written descriptive text can be an encyclopedia, scientific magazines, text books, and history texts.
The generic structure of a descriptive text is as follows :
• Classification or Definition
• Description of features in order of importance.

The vocabularies often used in a descriptive text are the words which are related to names of places : locations, destinations, the functions, the appearances and the evidences if needed (for building). For animals, the words are used to describe the classification, the physical appearances, habitats, behaviour, life cycles, and the function. The language is neutral or objective.

Descriptive Text often uses the form of be : present or past and one of have form. The present tense is often used in this kind of text, but sometimes we can also use the past tense to describe a certain thing which is extinct or not available nowadays. The passive form is also often used here.

The language functions, the grammar and also the words which are often used in a descriptive text are :

• Defining : a/the .......was a .....
• Describing features (properties) : adjectives
• Expressing cause and effect : because, so, as a result

Descriptive text is often equipped with photos, diagrams, maps and so on.