INTRODUCTION

In English, there are kind types of text. Such as, descriptive text, narrative text, recount
text, report text and several other types of text. In this teaching material, we will focus on
Descriptive text in detail. Descriptive text usually focuses on describing a single location, object,
event, person, or place. As with all writing genres, we can guide our students on how to best
organize and structure descriptive text effectively.
In teaching, we’ll help student to take a closer look at how to choose a topic for a
descriptive text, prepare an outline, and ultimately produce a well-written descriptive text.
Generally, descriptive texts are narrow in focus. This allows for an in-depth exploration of
the subject. Whether you are choosing a topic for your students, or they are choosing what to
write about them, be sure the topic is something that can sustain their interest, as well as the
reader’s interest. For examples, neighborhood, tourist destination, or famous place around
them. It is easier for us to describe those things we have intimate knowledge of. This is why
memories make such rich fodder for this type of essay. We can imagine in our mind’s what it
was like to experience that memory at the time, making it easier for us to recreate it again in
the minds of our readers. A well-chosen topic can go a long way to kick starting some good
writing by your students.
The purpose of a descriptive essay is also to inform the reader on a particular topic,
event, or experience. However, some topics are extremely broad and without setting out a
clear focus for their writing. To avoid this, it is essential that students narrow down which
aspects of their selected topic their essay will concern itself with. While it can be difficult at
times for students to define their thesis statement for a descriptive text, the following process
should help guide students:
1. Choose an interesting topic
2. Reflect on what you think about this topic
3. Consider the reasons for your point of view
4. Compose a statement that enclose this viewpoint
 KOMPETENSI INTI, KOMPETENSI DASAR DAN, TUJUAN
PEMBELAJARAN

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Sekolah : SMAN 1 MOROSI

Mata Pelajaran : BAHASA INGGRIS
Kelas/Semester : X/Ganjil

A. KOMPETENSI INTI
KI 3: Memahami, menerapkan, dan menganalisis pengetahuan faktual, konseptual,
prosedural, dan metakognitif berdasarkan rasa ingin tahunya tentang ilmu
pengetahuan, teknologi, seni, budaya, dan humaniora dengan wawasan kemanusiaan,
kebangsaan, kenegaraan, dan peradaban terkait penyebab fenomena dan kejadian,
serta menerapkan pengetahuan prosedural pada bidang kajian yang spesifik sesuai
dengan bakat dan minatnya untuk memecahkan masalah
KI 4: Mengolah, menalar, dan menyaji dalam ranah konkret dan ranah abstrak terkait
dengan pengembangan dari yang dipelajarinya di sekolah secara mandiri, bertindak
secara efektif dan kreatif, serta mampu menggunakan metode sesuai kaidah keilmuan

B. Kompetensi Dasar dan Indikator Pencapaian Kompetensi

Kompetensi Dasar Indikator

3.4 Membedakan fungsi sosial, struktur • Menjelaskan struktur teks ungkapan memberi
teks, dan unsur kebahasaan dan meminta informasi terkait tempat wisata
beberapa teks deskriptif lisan dan terkenal.
tulis dengan memberi dan meminta
• Mengidentifikasi unsur kebahasaan dari
informasi terkait tempat wisata
ungkapan memberi dan meminta informasi
terkenal, pendek dan sederhana,
terkait tempat wisata terkenal.
sesuai dengan konteks
penggunaannya
4.4 Teks deskriptif • Menyusun kalimat meminta infromasi terkait
4.4.1 Menangkap makna secara tempat wisata terkenal.
kontekstual terkait fungsi sosial,
• Menjawab pertanyaan tentang tempat wisata
struktur teks, dan unsur
terkenal yang diajukan kepadanya
kebahasaan teks deskriptif, lisan
dan tulis, pendek dan sederhana
terkait tempat wisata terkenal
4.4.2 Menyusun teks deskriptif lisan dan
 tulis, pendek dan sederhana, terkait
tempat wisata terkenal, dengan
memperhatikan fungsi sosial,
struktur teks, dan unsur
kebahasaan, secara benar dan
sesuai konteks

C. Tujuan Pembelajaran

• Siswa mampu mengidentifikasi perbedaan cara pengungkapan dari masing-masing

konteks
• Siswa mampu menjelaskan struktur teks ungkapan memberi dan meminta informasi
terkait tempat wisata terkenal
• Siswa mampu mengidentifikasi unsur kebahasaan dari ungkapan memberi dan
meminta informasi terkait tempat wisata terkenal
• Siswa mampu menjawab pertanyaan tentang tempat wisata terkenal yang diajukan
kepadanya

D. Deskripsi
Pada kesempatan ini kita akan mempelajari materi tentang Descriptive Text: Place
yang terdiri dari definition, social function, generic structure dan language feature
serta contohnya. Sebagai referensi pembelajaran untuk memperdalam materi, berikut
beberapa materi yang bisa gunakan:
• http://britishcourse.com/descriptive-text-definition-generic-structures-
purposes-language-features.php
• https://www.ef.co.id/englishfirst/kids/blog/descriptive-text-dalam-bahasa-
inggris/
• https://www.mediainggris.com/2018/12/descriptive-text.html
• https://freeenglishcourse.info/what-is-descriptive-text/
• https://www.literacyideas.com/how-to-write-a-descriptive-text
 DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE?

Descriptive Text is a kind of text with a purpose to give information. The context of this kind of
text is the description of particular thing, animal, person, or others, for instance: our pets or a
person we know well.

It differs from Report which describes things, animals, persons, or others in general.
The Social Function of Descriptive Text is to describe a particular person, place, or thing.

(Linda Gerot, Peter Wignell,

'Making Sense of Functional Grammar',1994)

GENERIC STRUCTURE

The Generic Structure of Descriptive Text consists of Identification and Description.

Identification: Identifies phenomenon to be described.

Description: Describes parts, qualities, characteristics, etc.

(Jenny Hammond
English for Special Purposes', 1992)

LANGUAGE FEATURES

Descriptive often uses 'be' and 'have'. Tense which is often used is Simple Present Tense.
However, sometimes it uses Past tense if the thing to be described doesn't exist anymore.

Significant Grammatical Features:

- Focus on specific participants
(My English teacher, Andini's cat, My favourite place)
- Use of Simple Present Tense
Use of Simple Past Tense if Extinct.
- Verbs of being and having
“Relational Processes'.
(My mum is really cool, She has long black hair)
- Use of descriptive adjectives
(strong legs, white fangs)
- Use of detailed Noun Phrase to give information about the subject.
 (a very beautiful scenery, a sweet young lady, very thick fur)
- Use of action verbs 'Material Processes'
(It eats grass, It runs fast)
- Use of adverbials to give additional information about behavior
(fast, at tree house)
- Use of Figurative language
(John is as white as chalk.)
(Jenny Hammond
'English for Special Purposes', 1992)

A. 1. My cat is black. It is not fierce.

Is your cat also black?
2. There are two cats under the bed. Both are black.
Are they yours?

S + (to) be I + am
He/She/It + is
You/We/They + are

B. 1. I have a cat. I do not have a dog.

Do you have a dog?
2. Rini has a dog.
She does not have a cat.
Does your sister like dogs?
My sister likes dogs very much.
Who has a dog?
Rini does.

S + V1(-s/-es)
(+) I/You/We/They + V1
(-) I/You/We/They + do + not + V1
(?) Do + I/You/We/They + V1

(+)He/She/It + V1-s/-es
(-) He/She/It + does + not + V1
(?) Does he/she/it + V1

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

A. 1. Pussy was the name of my cat.
It was a beautiful cat.
It was not boring at all.
Unfortunately, it was dead yesterday.
 2. There were two cats on the roof.
They were hungry.
Were they happy?
B. My brother kept a cat last year.
My brother did not keep a dog.
Did your brother keep a cat?
Yes, he did. / No, he did not.
Who kept a cat ?
My brother did.

S + was/were
I + was
He/She/It + was
You/We/They + were

(+) S + V2
(-) S + did + V1
(?) Did + S + V1

Example 1:
Example 2:

Sanur Beach (Pantai Sanur)

Language features Have you ever spent text structure

your holiday in Bali? If
Focus on specific yes, you must know
participants (eg, sanur Sanur. It has a very
Identification
beach) beautiful beach. It is
Located in the Eastern
Use of Simple Present side of Bali. Sanur
Tense (eg, It has a very beach is easily
beautiful beach) reachable from
Denpasar as it is only a
Use of descriptive 5 to 10 minutes drive
adjectives (eg, white away.
sandy beach)

Use of detailed Noun Sanur is beautiful place

Descriptions
Phrase to give information to watch the sun rise
about the subject (eg, the over the water and to
sun rise over the water see boats anchored at
and to see boats) the shore. Its white
sandy beach is perfect
for swimming or
relaxing.
 Let’s practice!
1. Check your grammar: true or false – the present simple
Circle True or False for these sentences about the present simple.
1. We use it for talking about permanent states or situations. True / False
2. We use it for things happening at the moment. True /False
3. We use it for general facts (e.g. scientific facts). True / False
4. We use it for talking about timetables (e.g. bus or lesson time tables). True / False
5. We use it for future plans. True/ False
6. We use it for routines (e.g. things we do every day or week). True /False
7. We use it for talking about likes and dislikes. True /False
8. We use it for giving opinions (e.g. with the verbs think / believe). True/ False

2. Check your grammar: multiple choice – the present simple

Analyze the sentences below by underlying the best word to build a complete idea.
1. Jack go / goes to a film club on Wednesdays.
2. I love / loves reading in my free time.
3. They don’t / doesn’t usually see each other during the week.
4. The train leave / leaves at 6.30.
5. Do / Does Ollie play chess?
6. Daisy like / likes most sports.
7. We always get up / gets up at 7 o’clock.
8. What do / does you think of their new album?

3. Check your grammar: gap fill – the present simple

Write the word in the correct form to fill the gaps.
1. Alfie ________________ in London. (live)
2. ________________ you go swimming a lot? (Do)
3. Sophie ________________ in Thailand today. (be)
4. We ________________ go to the same school. (do not)
5. I ________________ old black and white films. (hate)
6. She ________________ as a travel writer. (work)
7. My dad ________________ breakfast before us. (have)
8. They ________________ taekwondo on Tuesdays. (do)
 EXAMPLES OF DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

1. SAFARI PARK

Safari Park or Taman Safari is a quite unique zoo. It lies about 90 kilometers from Jakarta. It
lies in Cisarua, Bogor, about two kilometers from Puncak. This zoo reminds us of the similar
park in Kenya, Africa. Although it is not as large as the one in Kenya, we can still enjoy the park
which is about one hundred hectares. In conventional zoos, the animals are in cages, but not in
the Safari Park; they wander freely. Visitors are in buses or cars. They are not allowed to get off
the cars or buses. Visitors who don't have cars can use the touring buses available at the park.

2. BARONG DANCE

Barong dance-drama is one of the most popular dances in Bali.

The dance enacts a battle between good and evil. The dancers appeal to the spirit world during
performances. The barong dance-drama is believed to exorcise evil spirits from the village. The
Barong dance-drama depicts a struggle between the witch Rangda and the barong, a mythical
and benevolent beast.

3. NATURAL BRIDGE NATIONAL PARK

Natural Bridge National Park is a luscious tropical rainforest. It is located 110 kilometers
south of Brisbane and is reached by following the Pacific Highway to Nerang and then by
travelling through the Numinbah Valley. This scenic roadway lies in the shadow of the
Lamington National Park. The phenomenon of the rock formed into a natural arch and the
cave through which a waterfall cascades is a short 1 kilometer walk below a dense rainforest
canopy from the main picnic area. Swimming is permitted in the rock pools. Night-time
visitors to the cave will discover the unique feature of the glow worms. Picnic areas offer
toilets, barbecues, shelter sheds, water and fire places; however, overnight camping is not
permitted.
Let’s Practice!

Preparation
Write the correct word in the boxes below thepicture.

surfing kayaking water-skiing swimming horse riding

1. Check your understanding: multiple selection
Circle the things Alex writes about.
The weather in Newquay Places to visit in Newquay Things to do in Newquay

Food in Newquay History of Newquay Where Newquay is

located

2. Check your understanding: true or false

Circle True or False for these sentences.
1. Newquay is in the north of England. True /False
2. Newquay is near the coast. True /False
3. Newquay is a good place to go surfing. True /False
4. Alex loves to do outdoor activities. True /False
5. Coasteering is similar to surfing. True / False
6. There is a zoo in Newquay. True /False

3. Discussion
- What is your town like?
- Why is your town deserved to visit?
- What can people do when visiting your town?
let's check your understanding of Deskriptif text!
In order to be sure that you have understand of the Descriptive text, do the following exercises.
1. Determine a historical place or tourist spot in your city.
2. Make a draft of writing descriptive text based on the structure of the text.
3. Write the key words in each section of the draft.

4. Compose the key words into simple sentences.

5. After that arrange the sentences into a descriptive text simple by using descriptive
linguistic elements of text.
6. You can add a picture or photo to complement your description.
FIND OUT
READING AND WRITING ACTIVITY

READING
Read the text carefully, and then answer the questions!

Jakarta, formerly Batavia, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Indonesia. It is
located on the northwest coast of Java Island at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. Jakarta
dominates Indonesia's administrative, economic, and cultural activities, and is a major
commercial and transportation hub within Asia. The climate is hot and humid. Rainfall occurs
throughout the year. The heaviest rainfall occurs from November to May. The city lies on a flat
and low plain. That is why flood disaster often happens during the periods of heavy rainfall.
Jakarta is a magnet for migrants from other areas of Indonesia; during the late 1980s an
estimated two hundreds and fifty migrants arrived daily
At the 1990 census, DKI Jakarta had a population of 8,259,266. The 1997 population was
9,341,400. These figures do not include seasonal residents who may number more than1
million.
Answer the following questions based on the text.
1. One of the following statements is the identification of the text.
a. Jakarta, formerly Batavia, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Indonesia.
b. Jakarta is located on the northwest coast of Java Island.
c. Jakarta lies on a flat and low plain.
d. Jakarta is a magnet for migrants from other areas of Indonesia.
2. How is the climate in Jakarta?
a. cool and fresh
b. hot and fresh
c. hot and humid
d. cool and humid
3. Heavy rainfall possibly takes place in Jakarta on ….
a. December, January, February
b. April, May, June
c .May, June, July
d. June, July, August
4. Flood often happens in Jakarta, because ….
a. Jakarta is located on the northwest coast of Java Island. B
. Jakarta is the capital city.
c. Jakarta is high populated.
d. Jakarta lies on a flat low plain.
5. The city lies on a flat and low plain. The closest meaning to the underlined word is ….
a. mountain
b. land
c. river
d. climate

WRITING
I. Complete with suitable words.
Mr. Supriyadi is a … (1) teacher at our school. He is about 45 years …. (2) Most of his
hair has turned white. By seven o'clock in the morning he is always in the school …
(3) and ready to teach. A cap on his … (4) accompanies him when teaching. He is
also known as a good … (5) because he is really good at cooking.
II. Rearrange the jumbled words to make a good sentence.
carefully - car - Mr. Supriyadi - his - drives - very - always.

III. Rearrange the jumbled sentence to make a good paragraph.

1. One is for teachers and the other one is for students.
2. It lies on Jalan Pagumenganmas Karangdadap Pekalongan.
3. SMP 1 Karangdadap is the school where I study.
4. It has two parking lots.
 SUMMARY
√Definition of Descriptive Text
Descriptive Text is a text which says what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to describe
and reveal a particular person, place, or thing.
√Generic Structure of Descriptive Text:
• Identification
• Description
√Purpose of Descriptive text (social function):
– To describe person, thing or place in specific
– To describe a particular person, thing or place.
√Language Feature of Descriptive Text:
- Focus on specific participants
(My English teacher, Andini's cat, My favourite place)
- Use of Simple Present Tense
Use of Simple Past Tense if Extinct.
- Verbs of being and having
“Relational Processes'.
(My mum is really cool, She has long black hair)
- Use of descriptive adjectives
(strong legs, white fangs)
- Use of detailed Noun Phrase to give information about the subject.
(a very beautiful scenery, a sweet young lady, very thick fur)
- Use of action verbs 'Material Processes'
(It eats grass, It runs fast)
- Use of adverbials to give additional information about behavior
(fast, at tree house)
- Use of Figurative language
(John is as white as chalk.)
 References
• http://britishcourse.com/descriptive-text-definition-generic-structures-
purposes-language-features.php
• https://www.ef.co.id/englishfirst/kids/blog/descriptive-text-dalam-bahasa-
inggris/
• https://www.mediainggris.com/2018/12/descriptive-text.html
• https://freeenglishcourse.info/what-is-descriptive-text/
• https://www.literacyideas.com/how-to-write-a-descriptive-text
• https://mmursyidpw.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/modul_descriptive.pdf
• https://smazapo.sch.id/UKBM/6.%20UKBM%20BHS%20INGGRIS%20WAJIB
%20KLS%20X/3.4%20DESCRIPTIVE%20TEXT.pdf