Descriptive text

The aim of descriptive text:to describe the characteristics of particular person, thing, or place.

A descriptive text has two parts,the Description and the identification.

The social function : to describe a particular person,place or thing
The language use the daily languages.

Generic structure
Identification : identifies phenomenon to be described.
Description : describes parts qualities characterizations

Significant Lexicogrammatical features.
- Focus on specific participants
- Use of attributes and identifying processes
- Frequent , use of epithets and classifiers in nominal groups.
- Use of simple present tenses

Example of Descriptive Text:

Natural Bridge National Park
Natural bridge national park is a luscious tropical rainforest.
It is located 110 kilometers south of Brisbane and is reached by following the pacific Highway to nerang and then by traveling through the Numinbah 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 is a waterfall cascades is a short 1 kilometers walk below a dense rainforest canopy from the main picnic area. Swimming is permitted in the rock poles.
Night time visitors to the cave will discover the unique feature of the glow worms.

Picnic areas ofter toilets,barbecues,shelter sheds,water and fireplaces : however,overnight camping is not permitted.

Modals in the past form

Modals
Present Past
*Can -Could
*Will -Would
*Shall -Should
*May -might

Could to offer possibilities or suggestion. It us to express suggestions or possibilities.
Example : A : my pen’s lost
B : well,you could use mine if you want.

Example :
to indicate that the ability existed in the past but doesn’t exist now.
Mia : Grandpa, what could you do when you were younger? Grandpa : When I was younger, I could swim across the big river very well and faster.

to express polite requests

Example:
Could I borrow your pencil (please)?
Could you lend me your jacket now?
Could you please close the door?
Could you pass the salt?
Coulde you help me?
Could I use your book?

Would + Verb base
or an action that was repeated regularly in the past

Example:
When I was a child, I would visit my grandparents every weekend.
On Sundays, when I was a child, we would all get up early and go fishing.
-I would wacth a concert every year
-I pass the new year in bali every year.

• insert rather into the pattern and use this expression to express preferences :

example :
-I would rather drink coffee and tea.
-I would rather eat banana abd guava

Angel : Which country would you rather visit?
Maria : I would rather visit Italia than Somalia.

• To express polite requests

Example:
Andi : Would you mind cycling with me, Kala?
Kala : No, not at all. It would be nice.

Finite verb

A finite verb is a verb that is inflected for person and for tense according to the rules and categories of the languages in which it occurs. Finite verbs can form independent clauses, which can stand by their own as complete sentences.

Every grammatically correct sentence or clause must contain a finite verb; sentence fragments not containing finite verbs are described as phrases.

Some interjections can play the same role. Even in English, a sentence like Thanks for your help! has an interjection where it could have a subject and a finite verb form (compare I appreciate your help!).

In English, as in most related languages, only verbs in certain moods are finite. These include:

* the indicative mood (expressing a state of affairs); e.g., "The bulldozer demolished the restaurant," "The leaves were yellow and stiff."

* the imperative mood (giving a command).

* the subjunctive mood (expressing something that might or might not be the state of affairs, depending on some other part of the sentence); nearly extinct in English.

A verb is a word that expresses an occurrence, act, or mode of being. Finite verbs, sometimes called main verbs, are limited by time (see tense), person, and number.

The finite verbs are highlighted in the following sentences:

The bear caught a salmon in the stream.

Who ate the pie?

Stop!

A nonfinite verb form - such as a participle, infinitive, or gerund - is not limited by by time (see tense), person, and number.

Verb forms that are not finite include:

* the infinitive

* participles (e.g., "The broken window...", "The wheezing gentleman...")

* gerunds and gerundives

In linguistics, a non-finite verb (or a verbal) is a verb form that is not limited by a subject; and more generally, it is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person. As a result, a non-finite verb cannot generally serve as the main verb in an independent clause; rather, it heads a non-finite clause.

By some accounts, a non-finite verb acts simultaneously as a verb and as another part of speech; it can take adverbs and certain kinds of verb arguments, producing a verbal phrase (i.e., non-finite clause), and this phrase then plays a different role — usually noun, adjective, or adverb — in a greater clause. This is the reason for the term verbal; non-finite verbs have traditionally been classified as verbal nouns, verbal adjectives, or verbal adverbs.

English has three kinds of verbals: participles, which function as adjectives; gerunds, which function as nouns; and infinitives, which have noun-like, adjective-like, and adverb-like functions. Each of these is also used in various common constructs; for example, the past participle is used in forming the perfect aspect (to have done).

Other kinds of verbals, such as supines and gerundives, exist in other languages.

Example:

The Crow and the Fox

One day a crow finds a tasty piece of cheese. She picks it up, flaps her wings, and flies to a high branch of a tree to eat it.

Compliment

Compliment is expression that used to give praising to other people.
Some people use compliment to better up somebody or to flatter in order to increase good will.

Expressing :
-What a nice dress?
-You look very nice.
- I really must express my admiration for you.
-Excellent .
-Nice work.
-You look great!
Time to expressing compliment :
On his/her general appearance.
If you notice something new about the person’s appearance.
When other people do their best.

Dialog :
  Ari  : Is it a nice motorcycle! Is it yours?
Indra :Thank you. Yeah, my father bought it for me.

Congratulation

Congratulation is expression that used to said congratulate to someone when get a success.

Expressing :
- let me congratulate you.
- Congratulations on your successful business.
- Congratulations on your success!
- Good
- That’s great!
- Pretty good.
- I’d like to be the frist to congratulate you.

Responding :
- Thank you.
- Thank’s , I needed that.
- It’s vvery kind of you to say that.
- Do you really think so?
- I’m glad you like it. Thank you,it’s nice of you to say to.

Dialog :
Chika : Congratulations ! you’re the winner. We are really proud to you.
Ali : Thank you.

Prepositions of Time: at, in, on

We use:
at for a PRECISE TIME
in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
on for DAYS and DATES

at
PRECISE TIME
at 3 o’clock
at 10.30am
at noon
at dinnertime
at bedtime
at sunrise
at sunset
at the moment

in
MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS

in May
in summer
in the summer
in 1990
in the 1990s
in the next century
in the Ice Age
in the past/future

on
DAYS and DATES
on Sunday
on Tuesdays
on 6 March
on 25 Dec. 2010
on Christmas Day
on Independence Day
on my birthday
on New Year’s Eve

Look at these examples:

I have a meeting at 9am.
The shop closes at midnight.
Jane went home at lunchtime.
In England, it often snows in December.
Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
Do you work on Mondays?
Her birthday is on 20 November.
Where will you be on New Year’s Day?
Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:

Expression -Example
at night -The stars shine at night.
at the weekend -I don’t usually work at the weekend.
at Christmas/Easter -I stay with my family at Christmas.
at the same time -We finished the test at the same time.
at present -He’s not home at present. Try later.

Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:

In
in the morning
in the mornings
in the afternoon(s)
in the evening(s)

on
on Tuesday morning
on Saturday mornings
on Sunday afternoons
on Sunday evening

When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.

I went to London last June. (not in last June)
He’s coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
We’ll call you this evening. (not in this evening)

News Item

News item is factual text which informs the readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy

or important.

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

Generic structure:

v Newsworthy Event(s): recounts the events in summary form

v Background Event(s): elaborate what happened, to WHOM, in WHAT circumstances.

v Sources: comments by participants in, witnesses to and authorities’ expert on the event.

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

There are some rules that can help to make newspaper headlines more comprehensible.

1. The passive voice is used without the appropriate form of “be”.

Example: Town ‘Contaminated’

Complete Sentence: Town is contaminated.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. To refer to the future, headlines often use the infinitive.

Example: Queen to Visit Samoa.

Complete Sentence: The Queen is going to visit Samoa.

5. Headlines are not always complete sentences.

Example: More earthquakes in Japan.

Complete Sentence: More earthquakes happened in Japan.