CERMIN HATI

Example for Descriptive Text  about famous people

(source: Mulyono.2010. English Alive. Yudhistira: Jakarta.)

Description are the text which are used to describe a particular place, person, or thing. The generic structure of a descriptive text:

a) Identification: identifies the phenomenon to be described.

b) Description of features: describes features in order of importance:

The generic features of descriptive text:

1) Use of Simple Present Tense.

2) Frequent use of epithets and classifiers in nominal groups.

3) Use of “be”: is, are, was, and were for the identification and showing qualities.

4) Use “have”: have, has, had to give detailed description of the object’s features.

5) Use of action verbs related to the topic, especially when describing behavior or personalitites (for persons).

6) Use of adjectives in describing especially the qualities.

A) Example 1, Descriptive: Mrs. Debby Magdalena

                Mrs. Debby Magdelena is one of the successful carrier woman. She is the new sales manager for Jakarta sales office of Le Meridean Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort.

                Mrs. Debby Magdalena holds her new position as from Marc 2^nd, 2009. Prior to her assignment at Le Meredian Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort, she was the sales manager at Novotel Nusa Dua’s Jakarta sales office. Prior to that, she worked at a number of reputable hotels such as Radison Hotel Jakarta, Aston Hotel Jakarta, and Novotel Nusa Dua Bali.

                Born in Jakarta, she is a graduate of BPLP Bandung majoring hotel management and of Dwipa Wacana University in majoring management. With her strong background in reservations, front office and sales she will be a valuable asset to Le Meridian Nirvana Golf and Spa Resort. As the sales representative in Jakarta, she will be based at Le Meridian Jakarta Hotel.

(adapted from the Jakarta Post, April 7, 2009 with necessary changes)

B) Example 2 for Descriptive text: Irene Kharisma Sukandar

                Irene Kharisma Sukandar is to be the most successful woman chess player in Indonesia. Just in her age of 17, she has become champions in many tournaments. She has got many trophies and medals from both national and international titles. She is the first Indonesia’s Woman Grand Master (WGM).

                First she was drawn to play chess by her elder brother, Kaisar Genius Hakiki. Although she begins to play chess at relatively senior age of 7, her talent becomes evident early on.

                For Irene, playing chess is something good to do. She disagrees with many Indonesian people who associate chess with a lack of productivity, for example as a game for the unemployed. She proves that she earns many things from that game. By playing she received Rp 500 million in bonus prize money for her contribution to her province at the national games.

                Irene, who is still noted as a student at Nusantara Senior High School Jakarta, enjoys reading, swimming, and learning Mandarin Language. She does those activities when she is not notching up international chess titles.

C) Example 3 for Descriptive text about famous people: Steven Spielberg

                Steven Spielberg is an American film director, screen writer, and producer. He is one of the most talented and successful film makers today.

                Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 8^th, 1946. His full name is Steven Allan Spielberg. He is son of Leak Adler, a computer engineer. Spielberg is very interested in reading, studying films and television show and talking with other film makers. He, however, dislikes parties. He says that whenever he comes to a party he will be guy at the corner.

                Steven Spielberg has four luxurious houses in different place: in Pacific Palisades- California, in New York, in East Hampton-New York, and in Naples-Florida. Forbes magazine places his net wealth at  3,1 billions.

                Steven Spielberg married Kate Captshaw and they have seven children in their home. Besides, there are several pets, including dogs, in his house. One of them is Mikhaila that started in several of his films.

                For Spielberg, success came early. When he was only twenty  years, he was given seven year contract with a movie studio after directing a twenty two minutes movie called Ambin about a boy and a girl hitchhiking in the desert. He has made even seven movies since he signed that contract, some of them the biggest money makers of recent years. His most famous films are: Jaws and Jawas (1975 and 1978), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Last Ark (1981), and E. T. (Extra Terrestrial) (1982).

                Steven Spielberg success does not come without hard work. When he is directing a film, he often works a hundred hours a week. When the film is finished, he gets depressed because he misses the people he worked with people that Steven Spielberg regards as his “family”.