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glossaries, or subheadings, and even what a paragraph looks like. Each text structure has its own conventions, and they are culturally specific.
For example, the text structure of an informal letter is different from a letter of recommendation, a science article in a journal, or an editorial
in the newspaper.
”
15
From some experts’ ideas above, they have the same factors of problems in understanding texts. It can be said that those factors complement
each other. Recognizing those factors may help students to be aware and to minimize the problems in understanding texts.
B. Descriptive Text
1. The Definition of Descriptive Text
As general, people always describe everything in their life. It can be what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Describing is not only delivered
by spoken form, but also it is delivered by written form. The form of writing developed by details is a descriptive writing. Descriptive writing is same as
factual description which is this term used by Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson. According to them, a factual description describes the parts of a
particular person, place, or thing without containing individual view.
16
In additional, it gives a picture in words that appeal directly to the senses. It is
emphasized by Pharr and Buscemi’s statement that good descriptive writing
will develop reader ’s interest to form sensory acts from all five senses.
17
In additional, Pharr and Buscemi propose some ways to evoke the senses. They are:
a. Sight: “The mountain rose, green, and verdant, above the white,
sandy beach below.” b.
Hearing: “The quail burst out of the thicket with an explosion of pounding wings.”
15
Kristin Lems, Leah D. Miller, and Tenena M. Soro, Teaching Reading to English Language Learners, New York: The Guilford Press, 2010, p. 179-180.
16
Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, Sydney: Macmillan, 2003, p. 26.
17
Donald Pharr and Santi V. Buscemi, Writing Today, Contexts and Options for the Real World, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005, p. 136.
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c. Touch: “Weathered by almost a century, the old man’s arm felt as if
it were covered with elephant skin.” d.
Taste: “My slice of apple pie tasted the way I expected it to until I noticed a hint of raspberries.”
e. Smell: “The part of the cave where the bear had nested had a sharp,
earthy, almost rank scent.”
18
In descriptive writing, the writer has to writes the description of something or someone or a place which contains clear information as real as
possible. It makes the readers easy to conceive what the text tells about. It means that as the readers are reading, they are forming the descriptive details
of subject matter become real to them. Based on the explanation above, descriptive text is description of
someone or something or a place that described into words. It includes details as real as possible which make the reader easy to imagine what the text is
being described.
2. The Features of Descriptive Text
a. Purpose
Generally, the purpose of descriptive text is to present the description of a person, a place, or an object for the readers. It is also supported by
Anderson that its goal is to say something about the subject by describing its details without containing individual view.
19
On the other hand, Dietsch divides three general purposes of descriptive text. They are:
1. To create imagery, a mood, or an aura of a place. 2. To stimulate understanding and convince.
3. To urge the listener to action
20
From those purposes, they can guide the emotional expressions of readers by describing details that create a dominant impression
of readers’ main idea.
18
Ibid., p. 137.
19
Anderson, op. cit., p. 26.
20
Betty Mattix Dietsch, Reasoning and Writing Well: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook , New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006, p. 140.
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b. Linguistic Features
Descriptive texts usually include the linguistic features. According to Anderson, the linguistic features as below:
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1. Verbs in the present tense
2. Adjectives to describe the features of the subject
3. Topic sentence to begin paragraphs and organize the various
aspects of the description On the other hand, there are some additional linguistic features belong
to Busecemi. They are: 1.
Using concrete and proper nouns 2.
Using effective verbs 3.
Including specific details
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c. Schematic Structures
Generally, description text has an opening paragraph introducing the subject of the description. Then, it is followed by a series of paragraphs each
describing one feature of the subject. The last is a final concluding section that signals the end of the description. The following is the more explanation
about the constructions that the writer takes from Anderson’s book:
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1. A general opening statement in the first paragraph
This statement introduces the subject of the description to the audience.
It can give the audience brief details about the when, where, who or what of the subject.
2. A series of paragraphs about the subject
Each paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence. The topic sentence previews the details that will be contained
in the remainder of the paragraph. Each paragraph should describe one feature of the subject.
21
Anderson, loc. cit.
22
Santi V. Buscemi, A Reader for Developing Writers, Fifth Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002, p. 263-264, 267.
23
Anderson, op. cit., p. 26-27.
