CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
B. The Concept of Descriptive Paragraph
Description is writing that creates a clear and vivid impression of the topic.10 In other word Descriptive is writing about describing a thing or an
10 Susan Anker, Real riting with Readings Paragraphs and Essays for Colledge, Work, and Everiday Life, (New York: Boston, 2010), p.155.
object, whether its shape, its colour, or its size and the context is particular thing, animal, person, place or others in general.
Descriptive paragraph aims to present details to a reader as clearly as possible.11 It means descriptive paragraphs describe the parts, forms, and circumstances of an object described in the descriptive paragraph.
Effective description creates images in the reader’s mind by using specific details12 In other words, descriptive paragraphs to cultivate the reader's imagination of how an object is in that paragraph, by explaining the details of an object.
Description is about sensory experience-how something looks, sounds, tastes.13Descriptive paragraphs are written based on experiences that have been felt physically, about how they look, what color they are, what size they are, how many, or how the other physical shape. When grading papers, writing teachers sometimes assign points for each writing skill.
They often use rubrics, in each rubric the left column shows the maximum number of points possible for each item. Teachers may duplicate these forms to use when scoring students’ work.
11 Carol Hegarty, Writing English in Contex, (United states of America, 2000), p.34.
12 Gayle Feng Checkett and Lawrence Checkett, The Write Start Sentences to Paragraphs with Professional and Student Readings, (United States of America, 2010), p.160.
13 Thomas S Kane, The Oxford Essential Guide To Writing, (New York: Barkley Books, 2000), p.351.
2. The Generic Structure of Descriptive Paragraph
The generic structure of descriptive paragraphs consists of identification, description, and conclusion.:14
a. Identification
Identification (introduction) is a general opening statement in the first paragraph or the first sentence that introduces the subject of the description to the audience. Besides, it can give the audience brief details about the when, where, who, or what of the subject described.
b. Description
Description is a series of paragraphs about the subject where each paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence. The topic sentence previews the details that will be contained in the remainder of the paragraph. Moreover, each paragraph should describe one feature of the subject and all paragraphs build the description of the subject. The description can be physical appearance of the subject, the qualities of the subject like degree of beauty, excellence or value, and other characteristics of the subject which is like the unique of the special aspects that the subject has.
c. Conclusion
The last part of the descriptive text is optional. In this part, the writer concludes the text or restates the identification or description.
A conclusion is not absolutely necessary; however, it is often very
14 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, (Australia: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd, 1998), p.26-27.
helpful to the reader because it usually concludes signals the end of the text. In addition, it reminds the reader of the important point or in other word it is to emphasize the reader to imagine the subject.
3. The Characteristic of Descriptive Paragraph
There are some characteristics about descriptive paragraph. The following characteristics of descriptive paragraph as follows:
a. Using imaginative language, interesting comparisons and images that appeal to the reader’s senses.
b. Using specific and concrete vocabulary to describe details.
c. Involving the reader enough so he/she can actually visualize or picture the things, person or people being described.
d. Considering the purpose and audience of the paragraph.
e. Using variety of words. It means that use of variety of adjectives, nouns, adverbs, and phrases to suggest colours, movements, expressions and feeling.
f. Using any details. If anyone want to describe an object. They should not describe just its physical features but also its habit, its characteristics and its relationship.
4. Types of Descriptive Paragraph
There are two types of descriptive paragraph.15 They are objective description and subjective description.
15 Gayle Feng Checkett and Lawrence Checkett, The Write Start Sentences to Paragraphs with Professional and Student Readings., p.160.
a. Objective Description
Objective description relies on factual detail without much embellishment. For example:
“The snowman consisted of three round balss stacked one pn tof of the other. It stood five feet high. Its eyes were round stones, with a carrpt serving as a nose. A baseball cap sat atop its head.”
From this objective description, you can picture the snowman.
However it is difficult to recognize what emotion or impression the writer wants us to feel.
b. Subjective Description
Subjective description creates easly identifiable emotion or impression. For example:
“The snowman’s body consisted of three plump balls of fluffy, white snow stacked liked an ice cream cone. Its eyes were made from brightly colored stones, with a squiggly, pigtail, orange carrot serving as nose. A fuzzy, red baseball cap with a crooked bill sat cockeyed on his head.”
From this subjective description, it is clear that the writer wants the snowman to evoke a funny or happy emotion. Objective description tells what the writer actually sees. Subjective description shows how the writer feels.