Descriptive Text

1. Definition

•  Descriptive text is the text in written or spoken form which is including some description about something, such as particular person, animals, places/areas, etc.

2. Purpose

• To describe the significant information about a particular person, place or thing.

3. Generic Structure

• Identification: identifies phenomenon to be describe
• Description: describes part, qualities, characteristics

4. Significant Grammatical Features

• Focus on specific Participant
• Use of attributes and identifying Processes
• Frequent use of Epithets and Classifiers in nominal groups
• Use of simple present tens

Natural Bridge National Park

 

Natural Bridge National Park is 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 Numimbah 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 one-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, barbeque, shelter sheds, water and fireplaces; however, overnight camping is not permitted.

Giraffe

Identification:

• One of the most interesting animals in the zoo is the giraffe. This is the giraffe we saw at the zoo. It is male and is about six meters tall.

Description:

• The giraffe has big brown eyes. They are protected by very thick lashes. This giraffe has brown spots on the skin. This coloring helps protect the giraffe. It also has two short horns on its head.
• Like a camel, it can go for long time without drinking water. One source of water is the leaves which is eats from trees. It is tall, so the giraffe can reach the tender leaves at the top of a tree
• The giraffe has two methods of self protection. If something frightens an adult giraffe, it can gallop away at about fifth kilometers per hour or stay to fight with its strong legs

Introductory "It"

 

1. When the subject is a clause

• When the subject is a clause, the sentence usually begins with it. So instead of saying ‘That he was once a communist is true’, we say, ‘It is true that he was once a communist’. 
• It does not matter whether he comes or not. (Whether he comes or not does not matter.)
• It is required that he should pay the fine. (That he should pay the fine is required.)
• It is clear that he overheard our conversation. (That he overheard our conversation is clear.)
• It is clear that you are not interested in this offer. (That you are not interested in the offer is clear.)
• It cannot be denied that they tried their best to help him. (That they tried their best to help him cannot be denied. )
• It doesn’t matter whether we buy it now or later. (Whether we buy it now or later does not matter. )

2. Introductory it with seem, appear and look

• Introductory it is also used with seem, appear and look when the subject is an infinitive phrase, a phrase with a gerund in it or a clause. 
• It looked doubtful whether she would come
• It seemed strange that she should behave like that.
• It seems possible that she may quit the job.
• It appeared unwise to offend him.
• It does not seem much good going on with the work.

3. Introductory it as an object

• It is sometimes used as the object of the verbs think, feel, deem, count, consider etc. 
• Don’t you think it dangerous to drive so carelessly?
• I consider it a privilege to have this opportunity of welcoming you.
• I think it odd that she doesn’t write to me these days.
• I think it a pity that she could not win.
• We think it improper that he should be so dictatorial.
• He made it clear what he wanted.
• I find it difficult to talk to him.

4. Introductory it in questions

• The introductory it is sometimes used in questions. 
• Who was it that broke the window?
• It is Peter who broke the window.
• Why was it that he stole the bread?
• It was because he was poor that he stole the bread.
• When was it that the manager came? 
• It was at 10 am that the manager came.

Passive Voice

1. When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence 
• The finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• The subject of the active sentence becomes by Agent in the passive sentence (or is dropped)
• Only active sentence containing object which can be changed into passive form
• The two forms should have the same tenses

2. Agent

• In a passive clause, we usually use a phrase beginning with by if we want to mention the agent - the person / thing that does the action, or that causes what happens.

EXAMPLES:
MY MOTHER MAKES THE SANDWICH EVERY MORNING.
SUBJECT VERB1+S/ES O C (ADV. OF TIME)

THE SANDWICH IS MADE BY MY MOTHER EVERY MORNING.
SUBJECT O BE+V3 AGENT C (ADV. OF TIME)

WHAT ABOUT OTHER TENSES?
PRESENT CONTINUOUS : [ S + TO BE + BEING +V3 (PAST PARTICIPLE)
PRESENT PERFECT: [ S + HAS/HAVE + BEEN + V3 (PAST PARTICIPLE)
Here are the examples:
A young boy is catching a butterfly.
A butterfly is being caught by a young boy.
Yano has returned the book to the library.
The book has been returned to the library by Yano.

Next,
If you want to change an active sentence which has two objects into its passive forms, there are two ways:
Make its indirect object into the subject of the passive sentence.
Make its direct object into the subject of the passive sentence

FOR INSTANCE:
John is giving his girl-friend a bunch of flower.
indirect object direct object
Passive: The indirect object as the subject
John’s girl-friend is being given a bunch of flower

or

Passive: The direct object as the subject
A bunch of flower is being given to John’s girl-friend

how about the negative and interrogative?
Take a look at the followings:
People don’t use bikes anymore
Bikes are not used anymore

Did the students play the cards in the class yesterday?
Were the cards played in the class yesterday?

SOME EXAMPLES (SIMPLE PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE)
Some students open the book silently during the examination (active)
The books are opened silently by some students during the examination. (passive)

 Ku Klux Klan killed many innocent people.
 Many innocent people were killed by Ku Klux Klan

> Sting will perform the 2nd world tour in Indonesia
> The 2nd world tour will be performed by Sting in Indonesia

News Item

 

1. Definition

• News item is a factual text which informs the readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

2. Social Function

• The social function of news item is to inform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

3. Generic Structure

• Newsworthy Event(s): recounts the events in summary form. 
• Background Event(s): elaborate what happened, to WHOM, in WHAT circumstances.
• Sources: comments by participants in, witnesses to, and expert on the event.

4. Significant Grammar Features

• Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline 
• Generally using Simple Past Tense 
• Use of Material Processes to retell the event 
• Using Action Verbs, e.g.: were, run, go, kill, etc. 
• Using Saying Verbs, e.g.: say, tell 
• Focus on Circumstances 
• Use of projecting Verbal Processes in Sources stages

5. Some rules that can help to make newspaper headlines more comprehensible

• The passive voice is used without the appropriate form of “be”. 
• Example: Town ‘Contaminated’
• Complete Sentence: Town is contaminated.

• It is unusual to find complex forms, generally the simple present form is used 
• Example: Fire Destroys over 2,511 acres of Forest in 2003-2004
• Complete Sentence: Fire has destroyed over 2,511 acres of forest in 2003-2004.

• The present progressive tense is used, usually to describe something that is changing or developing, but the auxiliary verb is usually left out. 
• Example: World Heading for Energy Crisis
• Complete Sentence: The world is heading for an energy crisis.

• To refer to the future, headlines often use the infinitive. 
• Example: Queen to Visit Samoa.
• Complete Sentence: The Queen is going to visit Samoa.

• Headlines are not always complete sentences. 
• Example: More earthquakes in Japan. 
• Complete Sentence: More earthquakes happened in Japan

6. Example

Indonesian Wins US Short Movie Maker

An Indonesian filmmaker has won the second “Democracy Video Challenge” competition held by the US State Department, and hopes is work can promote Indonesian democracy to the world.
“ I hope with this movie, the rest e world of the acknowledge Indonesian democracy. Democracy is not just a noun but a process, and there’s something amiss in Indonesian’s democratic processes,” Adhyatmika or Mika, told a press conference at the US Embassy in Jakarta on Friday.
Mika, a graduate from Puttnam School of Film, Lasalle College of the arts in Singapore, called his work as”a dark humor” movie.
“I decided to translate my understanding of Indonesian democracy through a “dark humor” movie because if I tell it in a serious way, people won’t see it,” he said.
US Assistant Cultural Attache Arend C. Zwartjes said the movie reflected the message of the competition.
“We didn’t want to tell the world about democracy according to our own concept, but we wanted the world share many concepts of democracy,” he explained.
Mika won a two-week trip to the US next October together with other winners from Iran, Spain, Colombia, Nepal, and Ethiopia. The group will have an interview at Today’s Show at NBC and are slated to meet the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“What drives me to take part in this competition was the chance for the winner to meet Hillary Clinton, and if I meet her, I’ll have an opportunity to tell her about Indonesian democracy,” Mika said as quoted by Antara news agency. He admitted in making his movie he was influenced by Wes Anderson, an American movie director who was nominated for a 2001 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “ The Royal Tenenbaums”.
Source: September 6,2010 http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/…
 
Did you know?
Newspaper language is not same as the ordinary English. They prefer words that are usually shorter and distinctive.