DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

Inilah penjelasan dan contoh descriptive text untuk sobat yang sedang dan masih menempuh perjalanan panjang belajar bahasa Inggris. Tidak usah ragu untuk membaca tulisan descriptive text di bawah ini, semakin sering kita membaca semakin bisa kita memahaminya. Dan alangkah baiknya jika tidak saja paham, tapi juga bisa menulis descriptive text sendiri.

Mungkin sobat sudah "bosan" mempelajari narrative text, karena itu sekarang saatnya kita membahas descriptive text agar kepala kita tidak melulu berisi dongeng. Tidak lupa pula penjelasan mengenai descriptive text ini disertai contoh menarik tentang teks deskriptif yang semoga saja membantu sobat semua untuk bisa menulis descriptive text dengan baik.

Berikut adalah daftar materi tentang descriptive text yang bisa sobat pelajari :

1. Pengertian Descriptive Text 
2. Generic Structure dalam Descriptive Text 
3. Contoh Descriptive Text
4. Contoh Descriptive Text - Ibuku
5. Contoh Descriptive Text - My House
6. Contoh Descriptive Text - My Family
7. Contoh Descriptive Text - My Cat
   
8. Contoh Descriptive Text - Teman Kelas
9. Contoh Descriptive Text - Provo
10. Contoh Descriptive Text - Gitar 

Pengertian Descriptive Text

Dalam artian luas, Description, seperti dijelaskan oleh Kane (2000: 352), diartikan seperti pada kalimat di bawah ini :

Description is about sensory experience—how something looks, sounds, tastes. Mostly it is about visual experience, but description also deals with other kinds of perception.

Jadi, jika disimpulkan dari penjelasan Kane di atas, tulisan deskriptif bermakna teks yang menjelaskan tentang pengalaman yang berhubungan dengan pancaindera, seperti apa bentuknya, suaranya, rasanya. Kebanyakan teks deskriptif memang tentang pengalaman visual, tapi nyatanya pengalaman selain dari indera penglihatanpun bisa digunakan dalam descriptive text.

Namun secara khusus, descriptive text adalah, "...... 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." [teks yang menjelaskan gambaran seseorang atau benda. Tujuannya adalah mengambarkan atau mengungkapkan orang, tempat atau benda tertentu]

Jadi, bisa dikatakan bahwa descriptive text ini adalah teks yang menjelaskan tentang seperti apakah orang atau suatu benda dideskripsikan, baik bentuknya, sifat-sifatnya, jumlahnya dan lain-lain. Tujuan (purpose) dari descriptive text pun jelas, yaitu untuk menjelaskan, MENGGAMBARKAN atau mengungkapkan seseorang atau suatu benda.

Generic Structure dalam Descriptive Text

Ketika menulis descriptive text, ada beberapa susunan umum / generic structure (sebenarnya tidak wajib) agar tulisan kita dianggap benar. Susunan tersebut adalah :

1. Identification : berisi tentang identifikasi hal / seorang yang akan dideskripsikan.
2. Description : berisi tentang penjelasan / penggambaran tentang hal / seseorang dengan menyebutkan beberapa sifatnya.

Ketika kita menulis descriptive text, hal yang wajib kita ketahui adalah cara kita menyampaikan deskripsi tulisan kita tersebut. Oleh karena itu pemahaman tentang adjective (kata sifat bahasa Inggris) wajib kita kuasai.

Selain adjective, beberapa struktur bahasa Inggris yang berfungsi sebagai adjective pun harus kita pahami agar penulisan descriptive text kita terlihat tidak kaku.

Contoh Descriptive Text

Banyak sekali contoh descriptive text yang tersebar di dunia maya. Cara mudah mendapatkan contoh descriptive text dalam sebuah situs yaitu dengan melihat about us sebuah situs. Mengapa demikian, karena suatu situs biasanya terdapat penjelasan atau gambaran tentang keberadaan mereka dalam dunia maya.

Oke, mari kita lihat contoh descriptive text yang belum pernah anda baca (mungkin) :

Contoh Descriptive Text tenang Ibu

My mother is a beautiful person. She is not tall but not short, and she has curly hair and brown. Her eyes color are like honey and her color skin color light brown, and she has a beautiful smile. Her weight likes 120 lbs.


She is a very kind person. She is very lovely, friendly, patient, and she loves to help people. I love my mom, because she is a good example to me. She loves being in the Church, and she loves sing and dance too.

She is a very good child, wife and mother. She always takes care of her family. She likes her house to be clean and organized. She a very organized person, and all things in the house are in the right place. She doesn't like messes.

She always has a smile on her face. She is so sweet and lovely. I like when I am going to sleep or went I wake up or when I am going to go to some places, she always give me a kiss, and when the family have a problem she always be with us to helps us and to give us all her love.

Bagaimana membuat Descriptive Text Keindahan Shangri-La? Indahnya....

Contoh Descriptive Text tentang Yuta, Teman Kelas

Yuta is one of the 150 International students at the ELC of Brigham Young University. He is from Japan. He grew up in Japan, and he is 19 years old. There are six people in his family, a father, a mother, three sisters and himself. He is the youngest in his family. He is also the only boy in his family, but now he is in Provo, Utah, studying English. Yuta likes the United States very much and he thinks everything is cheap. Yuta thinks his English classes are excellent and the teachers are professionals. Yuta thinks someone in his class is noisy so he doesn't like that. In his free time he spends too much time sleeping, so it seems that he has a sleeping sickness.

Contoh Descriptive Text tentang Provo

I have been in Provo for almost eleven months. I have seen winter, spring, summer, and fall. Provo's winter is so beautiful. The mountains are covered with a lot of snow. They look like many beautiful brides wearing wedding dresses, and veils. In spring, Provo doesn't have many trees; when the snow melts the mountains are bald as strong bald men. Summer in Provo is very hot in the daytime. Last summer when I was walking under the sky, it was like walking in an oven; the sun was like a fire that burned my skin. In spring and summer the weather was always clear. I never used my umbrella. Provo was like a huge clothes dryer; it is very dry in spring and summer. In the fall the weather in Provo is very strange. One late September morning when I woke up, the mountaintops was covered with snow. Provo is a lovely and strange place. I love it very much.

Contoh Descriptive Text tentang Gitar

written by Jeremy Burden 


My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to play. 

It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. 

No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it.

Bagaimana? sudah tahu tentang Descriptive Text? dan ingin mencoba menulis descriptive text sendiri?

Baca Juga 

Contoh Descriptive Text tentang Indonesia
 

Referensi :

Kane, Thomas. S. 2000.The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. New York: Barkley Books.

Reported Speech

Tags: direct speech, reported speech
trackback Terkadang kita perlu mengatakan apa yang telah dikatakan oleh orang lain. Ada dua cara untuk melakukan ini dalam bahasa Inggris, yakni direct speech dan reported speech.
Direct speech
Direct speech menyatakan ulang secara persis apa yang telah dikatakan oleh orang lain. Contoh:

• Jane said, “I’m so happy today”.
• The president said, “I need a vacation”.

Reported speech
Reported speech secara tidak langsung melaporkan apa yang dikatakan orang lain. Contoh:

• Jane said she was so happy today.
• The president said he needed a vacation.

Reported speech menggunakan bentuk lampau dari direct speech. Jadi jika direct speech dalam bentuk present tense, maka reported speech dalam bentuk past tense. Contoh:
Direct Speech - I said, “She is in her office.”
Reported Speech - I said she was in her office.
Apabila direct speech dalam bentuk past tense, maka reported speech menggunakan bentuk past perfect.
Direct Speech - I said, “She was in her office at lunchtime.”
Reported Speech - I said she had been in her office at lunchtime. atau - I said she was in her office at lunchtime.
Dalam bahasa Inggris moderen, bentuk past perfect sering tidak diperlukan untuk reported speech bentuk lampau, kita cukup menggunakan past simple tense.
Berikut beberapa bentuk kata kerja umum dalam direct dan reported speech

Tenses	Direct / Reported Speech
Simple present:	I said, “She is busy”. - I said she was busy.
Present continuous:	I said, “I am working now”. - I said I was working now
Simple past:	I said, “She was here this morning”. - I said she was here this morning. ATAU I said she had been here this morning.
Past continuous:	I said “She was studying all yesterday” - I said she was studying all yesterday. ATAU I said she had been studying all yesterday
Present perfect:	I said, “She has worked here for 5 years.” - I said she had worked here for 5 years.
Past perfect:	I said, “She had worked here for 5 years.” - I said she had worked here for 5 years.
Future:	I said, “She will work here from July.” - I said she would work here from July.
Future continuous:	I said, “We’ll be living here for 6 months.” - I said we would be living here for 6 months.
Can:	I said, “She can play the piano well.” - I said she could play the piano well.

That
Reported speech sering diberikan sebagai bagian dari klausa-that, khususnya dalam bahasa tertulis dan bahasa yang lebih formal. Contoh:

• He said that he would arrive at 10.00.
• He said he would arrive at 10.00.

Kedua kalimat ini bermakna sama, dan that bisa dihilangkan tanpa ada perubahan makna.
—
Rujukan:
http://www.1-language.com/englishcourse/unit59_grammar.htm

Report Text - Penjelasan & Contoh

Secara umum, report text adalah salah satu jenis teks yang masuk kategori  "factual texts." Teks jenis ini sering dikatakan sebagai "saudara kembar" descriptive text sehingga wajar banyak siswa "bingung" cara membedakan kedua teks tersebut.

Sebelumnya, secara singkat dan sederhana, sudah memberikan penjelasan aneh mengenai perbedaan keduanya [baca: bingung report text atau descriptive text]; lagi-lagi itu cuma perbedaan kecil dan hampir semua siswa bisa mencerna. Oleh karena itu, untuk mendalami apa itu report text, yuk kita simak bersama-sama keterangan di bawah ini:

• Pengertian Report Text
• Generic Structure Report Text
• Ciri-Ciri Report Text
• Contoh Report Text : Thanksgiving Day
• Contoh Report Text : Venice

Pengertian Report Text

Istilah report text sering juga dikenal dengan sebutan informational report. Report, dalam Concise Oxford Dictionary Edisi 10, diartikan sebagai 1) an account given of a matter after investigation or consideration. 2) a piece of information about an event or situation. Jika disimpulkan, secara bahasa report text adalah teks yang berfungsi untuk memberikan informasi tentang suatu peristiwa atau situasi, setelah diadakannya investigasi dan melalui berbagai pertimbangan.

Definisi report text ini juga hampir mirip dengan apa yang sering disebutkan dalam berbagai buku bahasa Inggris di tingkat menengah, "Report is a text which present information about something, as it is. It is as a result of systematic observation and analyses." [Report adalah sebuah teks yang menghadirkan informasi tentang suatu hal dengan apa adanya. Teks ini adalah sebagai hasil dari observasi dan analisa secara sistematis.]

Dengan demikian, sebenarnya teks report dan descriptive mempunyai perbedaan yang cukup jelas, meski nampak keduanya dikatakan sebagai "saudara kembar" sekalipun.

Intinya, dalam report text itu biasanya berisi dengan fakta-fakta yang bisa dibuktikan secara ilmiah, Oke..

Generic Structure Report Text.

Seperti halnya dengan descriptive text, Report text juga hanya memiliki dua struktur umum [generic structure] yaitu :

1. General Clasification; Pernyataan umum yang menerangkan subjek laporan, keterangan, dan klasifikasinya. 
2. Description: tells what the phenomenon under discussion ; in terms of parts, qualities, habits or behaviors; Pada bagian ini biasanya memberikan gambaran fenomena-fenomena yang terjadi; baik bagian-bagiannya, sifat-sifatnya, kebiasaannya, ataupun tingkah lakunya. Intinya adalah penjabaran dari klasifikasi yang disajikan dengan ilmiah.

Ada juga beberapa keterangan mengenai generic structure report text, yang meliputi :

1. General information
2. Bundles of Specific Information

General information adalah bagian yang menyebutkan informasi umum dari tema tulisan yang. Sedangkan Bundles of specific information, adalah penjabaran dari informasi umum tersebut.

Saya sendiri lebih cenderung setuju dengan generic structure kedua; karena hal ini bisa membuat siswa lebih paham akan cara menulis report text.

Tujuan Report Text

Setiap tulisan pasti memiliki tujuan mengapa tulisan itu ditulis. Begitu juga dengan report text. Beberapa pakar menyebutkan bahwa tujuan teks report adalah :

Its social purpose is presenting information about something. They generally describe an entire class of things, whether natural or made: mammals, the planets, rocks, plants, countries of region, culture, transportation, and so on. 

Jika disimpulkan, tujuan report text adalah untuk menyampaikan informasi hasil pengamatan dan analisa yang sistematis. Informasi yang dijelaskan dalam report text biasanya bersifat umum, baik itu alamiah ataupun buata seperti binatang mamalia, planet, bebatuan, tumbuh-tumbuhan, negara bagian, budaya, transportasi, dan lain sebagainya.

Pola Tata Bahasa dalam Report Text

Setiap tulisan pasti memiliki ciri bahasa tersendiri; jika recount text dan narrative text cenderung memiliki ciri menggunakan simple past, lalu bagaimana dengan report text? Oke berikut adalah pola grammar yang umum digunakan dalam teks report, yang meliputi :

• Use of general nouns, eg hunting dogs, rather than particular nouns, eg our dog;
• Use of relating verbs to describe features, eg Molecules are tiny particles;
• Some use of action verbs when describing behaviour, eg Emus cannot fly;
• Use of timeless present tense to indicate usualness, eg Tropical cyclones always begin over the sea;
• Use of technical terms, eg Isobars are lines drawn on a weather map;
• Use of paragraphs with topic sentences to organise bundles of information; repeated naming of the topic as the beginning focus of the clause.

Keterangan :

• General nouns, maksudnya adalah, suatu benda (baik itu hidup atau mati) yang bersifat umum. Coba bandingkan : Hunting dogs >< My dog. Hunting dogs bersifat umum; sedangkan my dog bersifat khusus. 
• Relating verbs, dalam grammar disebut juga dengan linking verbs. Seperti to be [is, am, are: present], seem, look, taste dan lain sebagainya. 
• Timeless present tense adalah salah satu penanda waktu dalam simple present seperti "often, usually, always" dan lain-lain. 
• Technical terms, maksudnya adalah istilah-istilah yang meliputi teks report tersebut. Misalnya tentang "music" maka, istilah-istilah musik harus ada.

Contoh Report Text : Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and the attempt of Native Americans. It is usually celebrated in late autumn. 

In the past, Thanksgiving was celebrated for their rich harvest in New England. In North America, however, it was originally held to thank God for their survival in the new land which was not easy for them. However, in Canada, it had been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving now is celebrated in United States of America and in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every fourth Thursday of November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is usually celebrated in four to five days in the North America and for three days in Canada.

It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the main dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held. In Thanksgiving homes are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. Lamps are lighted to brighten the environment. Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to mark the occasion.

Contoh Report Text : Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy. It is the capital of region Veneto. Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area. Venice has been known as the “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Bridges”, and “The City of Light”. The city stretches across 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.

Venice is world-famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of 117 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by about 400 bridges. In the old center, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is on water or on foot.

You can ride gondola there. It is the classical Venetian boat which nowadays is mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Now, most Venetians travel by motorised waterbuses (“vaporetti”) which ply regular routes along the major canals and between the city’s islands. The city also has many private boats. The only gondolas still in common use by Venetians are the traghetti, foot passenger ferries crossing the Grand Canal at certain points without bridges.

You can see the amusing city’s landmarks such as Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, Saint Mark’s Cathedral or villas of the Veneto. The villas of the Veneto, rural residences for nobles during the Republic, are one of the most interesting aspects of Venetian countryside.

They are surrounded by elegant gardens, suitable for fashionable parties of high society. The city is also well known for its beautiful and romantic view, especially at night.

Demikian penjelasan dan contoh singkat mengenai "Report Text", untuk keterangan lebih lanjut: MENYUSUL...

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CONTOH TEXT DESCRIPTIVE

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel is one of the beautiful place I ever visit. It is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt along the Nile about 290 km southwest of Aswan. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of "Nubian Monuments" which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae.

The larger temple at Abu Simbel, generally known as the Temple of Ramses II, is dedicated to Ra-Harakhty, Ptah and Amun, Egypt's three state deities of the time. It features four large statues of Ramses II in the facade. The smaller temple, referred to as the Temple of Nefertari, is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, personified Ramesses's most beloved wife Nefertari ( the pharaoh had some 200 wives and concubines total).

The Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. The facade is 33 meters high, and 38 meters broad, and guarded by four statues, each of which is 20 meters high. They were sculptured directly from the rock in which the temple was located before it was moved.

All statues represent Ramses II, seated on a throne and wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statue to the left of the entrance was damaged in an earthquake, leaving only the lower part of the statue still intact. The head and torso can still be seen at the statue's feet.

Several smaller figures are situated at the feet of the four statues, depicting members of the pharaoh's family. They include his mother Tuya, Nefertari, and some of his sons and daughters. Above the entrance there is a statue of a falcon-headed Ra-Harakhte, with the pharaoh shown worshipping on both sides of him. Below the statue there is an ancient rebus, showing the prenomen or throne name of Ramesses: Waser-ma'at.

The facade is topped by a row of 22 baboons, their arms raised in the air, supposedly worshipping the rising sun. Another notable feature of the facade is a stele which records the marriage of Ramesses with a daughter of King Hattusili III, which sealed the peace between Egypt and the Hittites.

The interior of the temple has the same triangular layout that most ancient Egyptian temples follow, with rooms decreasing in size from the entrance to the sanctuary. The first hall of the temple features eight statues of the deified Rameses II in the shape of Osiris, serving as pillars. The walls depict scenes of Egyptian victories in Libya, Syria and Nubia, including images from the Battle of Kadesh. The second hall depicts Ramesses and Nefertari with the sacred boats of Amun and Ra-Horakthy.

The sanctuary contains four seated statues of Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, Amun and Ramesses. The temple was constructed in such a way that the sun shines directly on all four statues during two days of the year, February 20 and October 20. These dates are allegedly the king's birthday and coronation day respectively, but there is no evidence to support this. Due to the displacement of the temple, it is widely believed that this event now occurs one day later than it did originally.

The Temple of Nefetari is located north of the Great Temple of Ramses II. It was carved in the rock by Ramses II and dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of love and beauty, and also to his favorite wife, Nefertari, for "whose sake the very sun doeth shine." The façade is adorned by six statues, four of Ramses II and two of Nefertari. Most unusually, the six are the same height, which indicates the esteem in which Nefertari was held.

The entrance leads to a hall containing six pillars bearing the head of the goddess Hathor. The eastern wall bears inscriptions depicting Ramses II striking the enemy before Ra-Harakhte and Amun-Ra. Other wall scenes show Rameses II and Nefertari offering sacrifices to the gods.

Beyond this hall, there is another wall with similar scenes and paintings. In the farthest depths of the temple is the holy of holies, where a statue of the goddess Hathor stands. This is, indeed, a most awesome sight to the visitor; for here one finds the great artificial dome that bears the man-made mountain behind the Temples of Abu Simbel. It shows the great work of Ramses II.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - GUNUNG KILIMANJARO

Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/Kibo Peak).

Kilimanjaro rises from its base, and approximately 5,100 m (16,732 ft) from the plains near Moshi. Kibo is capped by an almost symmetrical cone with scarps rising 180 to 200 m on the south side. These scarps define a 2.5 km wide caldera. Within this caldera is an inner crater, the Reusch Crater. This inner crater was named after Dr. Richard Reusch. The name was conferred by the government of Tanganyika in 1954 at the same time it awarded Reusch a gold medal on having climbed Kilmanjaro for the 25th time. Reusch climbed Kilimanjaro 65 times and helped to establish the exact elevation of the crater. Within the Reusche Crater lies the Ash Pit. The Reusche Crater itself is nearly surrounded by a 400 feet (120 m) high dune of volcanic ash.

In the late 1880s the summit of Kibo was completely covered by an ice cap with outlet glaciers cascading down the western and southern slopes, and, except for the inner cone, the entire caldera was buried. Glacier ice flowed also through the Western Breach.

An examination of ice cores taken from the North Ice Field Glacier indicate that the "snows of Kilimanjaro" (aka glaciers) have a basal age of 11,700 years. A continuous ice cap covering approximately 400 square kilometers covered the mountain during the period of maximum glaciation, extending across the summits of Kibo and Mawenzi. The glacial ice survived drought conditions during a three century period beginning ~2200 BCE.

The period from 1912 to present has witnessed the disappearance of more than 80% of the ice cover on Kilimanjaro. From 1912-1953 there was ~1% annual loss, while 1989-2007 saw ~2.5% annual loss. Of the ice cover still present in 2000, 26% had disappeared by 2007. While the current shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice fields appears to be unique within its almost twelve millennium history, it is contemporaneous with widespread glacier retreat in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate, Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and 2033.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - AIR TERJUN VICTORIA

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders, and note that the 'i' is silent) is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

It is claimed to be the largest. This claim is based on a width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), forming the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The falls' maximum flow rate compares well with that of other major waterfalls.

For a considerable distance upstream from the falls, the Zambezi flows over a level sheet of basalt, in a shallow valley bounded by low and distant sandstone hills. The river's course is dotted with numerous tree-covered islands, which increase in number as the river approaches the falls. There are no mountains, escarpments, or deep valleys which might be expected to create a waterfall, only flat plateau extending hundreds of kilometres in all directions.

The falls are formed as the full width of the river plummets in a single vertical drop into a transverse chasm 1708 metres (5604 ft) wide, carved by its waters along a fracture zone in the basalt plateau. The depth of the chasm, called the First Gorge, varies from 80 metres (260 ft) at its western end to 108 metres (354 ft) in the centre. The only outlet to the First Gorge is a 110 metres (360 ft) wide gap about two-thirds of the way across the width of the falls from the western end, through which the whole volume of the river pours into the Victoria Falls gorges.

There are two islands on the crest of the falls that are large enough to divide the curtain of water even at full flood: Boaruka Island (or Cataract Island) near the western bank, and Livingstone Island near the middle — the place that David Livingstone first saw the falls from in Zambia. At less than full flood, additional islets divide the curtain of water into separate parallel streams. The main streams are named, in order from Zimbabwe (west) to Zambia (east): Devil's Cataract (called Leaping Water by some), Main Falls, Rainbow Falls (the highest) and the Eastern Cataract.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - GIZA PYRAMIDS

The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the modern world. They are some of the oldest sacred sites in our index and certainly among of the most impressive. (The Great Sphinx of Giza has a separate article.)

Although it is clear the pyramids were used for the burial of pharaohs, the construction, date, and possible symbolism of the Giza pyramids are still not entirely understood.

This mystery only adds to the attractiveness of these ancient wonders and many modern people still regard Giza as a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been offered to explain the "mystery of the pyramids," one of which is summarized below.

Giza is the most important site on earth for many New Age followers, who are drawn by the pyramids' mysteries and ancient origins. Since 1990, private groups have been allowed into the Great Pyramid, and the majority of these have been seekers of the mystical aspects of the site. But even the most skeptical visitor cannot help but be awed by the great age, grand scale and harmonic mathematics of the pyramids of Giza.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - BUKIT PASIR SOSSUSVLEI

The sand dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert are often referred to as the highest dunes in the world. Various arguments are laid out to support this claim, but all miss the point, which is that Sossusvlei is surely one of the most spectacular sights in Namibia. Located in the Namib Naukluft park, the largest conservation area in Africa, and fourth largest in the world - the sand dunes at Sossusvlei are just one excellent reason to visit Namibia.

The best time to view Sossusvlei is close to sunrise and sunset; the colours are strong and constantly changing, allowing for wonderful photographic opportunities. The midday heat is intense and best spent in the shade while sunset also offers excellent photo opportunities at Sossusvlei.

'Vlei' is the Afrikaans word for a shallow depression filled with water, and the name 'Sossusvlei' should strictly only be applied to the pan that lies at the place where the dunes close in, preventing the waters of the Tsauchab River from flowing any further - that is, on the rare occasions that the river does flow as far as this. During exceptional rainy seasons, Sossusvlei may fill with water, causing Namibians to flock there to witness the grand sight, but normally it is bone dry. This particular 'vlei' is actually a more-or-less circular, hard-surfaced depression that is almost entirely surrounded by sharp-edged dunes, beyond which lies a formidable sea of rolling sand, stretching in unbroken immensity all the way to the coast. However, the name 'Sossusvlei' nowdays applies to the whole area - an area that encompasses the great plain of the Tsauchab River together with the red dunes that march along like giant sentinels to south and north of the plain.

The second attraction of the area is Sesriem Canyon, which is only a few kilometres from the campsite, the entrance gate, and main Nature Conservation office. The canyon derives its name from the fact that early Afrikaner trekkers had to use six ('ses') leather thongs (a thong is a 'riem') so that their buckets could reach the water far below. The canyon begins as an almost imperceptible but nevertheless deep cleft in level, stony ground, and then widens until it finally flattens out onto the plain. Because it is so deep and sheltered, it often holds water well into the dry season - an invigorating sight in such a barren and stark environment.

CONTOH DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - TEBING FISH RIVER

The Fish River Canyon in Namibia is reputedly the second largest canyon in the world (the larges being the Grand Canyon). There is a lot of debate as to whether or not this is indeed the second largest canyon in the world, most of the arguments seem to hinge on how one actually measures the 'size' of a canyon. Regardless of its ranking in the world of big canyons the Fish River is absolutely magnificent and breathtaking in its immensity. The Fish River Canyon probably formed about 500 million years ago. However was not only created by water erosion, but through the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the earth's crust.

The canyon is part of a nature conservation park. The gate to this park is at Hobas campsite and from here it is a further 10 kilometres to the main viewpoint for the canyon which offers a stunning views. When you arrive at the canyon, as you have no idea it is there. It drops vertically by half a kilometre, out of a flat arid plateau without any warning. As with most rivers in Namibia the Fish River is generally dry however in the raining season (January to April) the river can become a raging torrent.

Selesai !!!! Sebenarnya masih banyak obyek wisata indah lainnya di Afrika; namun setidaknya dengan 6 contoh descriptive text tempat-tempat Indah di Afrika di atas, kita jadi mengerti bahwa keindahan harus tetap dilestarikan.....

Contoh Teks diambil dari Abu Simbel, Egypt, Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, Giza Pyramids, Sossusvlei, Fish River Canyon

Report Text Versus Descriptive Text

Saya heran ternyata masih banyak pelajar yang bingung dan ribut masalah perbedaan report text dengan descriptive text.

Saya coba menyajikannya lebih simple agar adik-adik lebih mudah dalam memahami teks tersebut. Sejatinya, teks Descriptive dan report itu tidak terlalu berbeda. Yang membedakan hanyalah pada tataran Apa yang dijelaskan. bukan Bagaimana teks tersebut menjelaskan. Banyak siswa yang masih bingung karena di sekolah diberikan teori yang tidak praktis. Siswa menyadari perbedaan Teks Decriptive dan Report itu sama dengan perbedaan Khusus dan Umum. Descriptive = Specific dan Report = Umum. Tapi Bagaimana cara membedakannya? 

Biasanya, perbedaan Umum dan Khusus ini bukanlah pada tataran bagaimana Teks tersebut menjelaskan, tapi Pada Apa yang dijelaskan. Eventhough the text explain it specifically and using the scientific terms about a phenomenon which is classified into a general thing, it can be classified into Report text. Remember, it is not about the way the text explains, but more on what is explained.

Jika adik-adik memang benar belum paham, cobalah baca lagi pelajaran mengenai report text dan bandingkan dengan pelajaran tentang descriptive text. Mudah kan?

Jika malas membandingkan kedua jenis teks tersebut, oke baca saja perbandingan antara descriptiive text dengan report text di bawah ini :

	Descriptive Text	Report Text
Pengertian	Sebuah teks yang memberikan penjelasan hal yang lebih khusus	Sebuah teks yang memberikan penjelasan hal yang lebih umum
Contoh	Music Box Music boxes are small instrument that play tunes by themselves. The music-making parts of a music box are a cylinder and a row of metal teeth of different lengths. A spring or a set of wheels turns the cylinder.	Music Music is sound put into pleasing or interesting patterns. People use music for a part of ceremonies, such as religious services, parades, and weddings. People also use music to show their feelings and ideas.
Tujuan	Untuk memberikan informasi, menggambarkan, atau menjelaskan fenomena khusus tentang berbagai hal, baik masalah lingkungan, pendidikan, sosial, politik, budaya dan sebagainya.	Untuk memberikan informasi, menggambarkan, atau menjelaskan fenomena umum  tentang berbagai hal, baik masalah lingkungan, pendidikan, sosial, politik, buday dan sebagainya.
Struktur Teks	·         Identification: berisi informasi umum beserta klasifikasinya. ·         Description : Penjelasan lebih lanjut tentang sifat, ciri, bentuk dan penjelasan lainnya. ·         Menggunakan simple present	·         Identification: berisi informasi umum beserta klasifikasinya. ·         Description : Penjelasan lebih lanjut tentang sifat, ciri, bentuk dan penjelasan lainnya. ·         Menggunakan simple present

Perbedaan dan persamaan antara descriptive text dan report text di atas saya rangkum dari beberapa buku bahasa Inggris SMP dari pusat perbukuan nasional Departemen Pendidikan. Namun, kesan pertama saya membacanya, saya hanya terkesima, tidak tahu mengapa ada hal-hal yang janggal dalam penjelasan keduanya.

Hal paling aneh yang saya temukan adalah bahwa dalam kedua teks di atas, mengapa harus memaksakan diri bahwa kedua teks tersebut harus menggunakan simple present tense padahal persyaratan ini tidak wajib dalam penulisan paragraf deskripsi atau report. Benarkah? Ya, banyak jenis descriptive text atau report text bukan saja menggunakan simple present tense. contohnya ketika kita menjelaskan sesuatu yang sudah tidak exist lagi. Jika tidak percaya, tanyakan pada guru bahasa Inggris adik. Jika guru adik tidak mau menjawab, sobat lebih baik diam saja... :) Jangan berdebat !!!

Apakah adik adalah seorang pelajar tingkat menengah? SMP atau SMA? Jika benar adik adalah seorang pelajar tingkat menengah, percaya saja pada apa yang guru bahasa Inggris adik jelaskan. Jangan berdebat tentang keanehan report text dan descriptive text yang saya jelaskan, karena nanti "nilai" sobat bisa terancam... :)

Setidaknya, baik contoh "sangat singkat" dari descriptive text dan report text di atas sudah cukup membuat sobat paham akan perbedaan inti dari keduanya. Dan semoga mendapat nilai yang baik ketika disuruh membuat tugas, ulangan ataupun ujian nanti...

REPORT TEXT - Music dan DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - Music Box

REPORT TEXT - Umum dan DESCRIPTIVE TEXT - Khusus

REPORT TEXT - Keluarga dan DESCRIPTIVE TEXT -Ibu

REPORT TEXT - Binatang dan DESCRIPTIVE TEXT -  Kucing

Jelas? Jika mengacu pada dua contoh singkat di atas, pasti jelas... :) Bikin sendirinya yang sulit ya?? :)

Catatan :

Saya sendiri lebih senang menyebut keduanya sebagai Descriptive Writing, pelajaran menulis tingkat tinggi yang tidak bisa diselesaikan hanya di sekolah tingkat menengah saja... saya hanya berharap adikterus belajar bahasa Inggris dan jangan putus asa... Just keep learning....