NGURAH RAI EXPANSION

What is Descriptive Text?

The Definition and Purpose of Descriptive Text

Descriptive text 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. It provides a vivid description of a person, place, thing, object, experience, memory, etc. in the way the reader can easily get its physical realization. The effect produced on the reader is achieved mainly through the author’s detailed descriptions and observations.

The Generic Structure of Descriptive Text
1. Descriptive text has structure as below:
2. Identification; identifying the phenomenon to be described.
3. Description; describing the phenomenon in parts, qualities, or/and characteristics.

The Language Feature of Descriptive Text
• Using attributive and identifying process.
• Using adjective and classifiers in nominal group.
• Using simple present tense

There are several methods one may choose to describe something descriptive essays:

* usage of vivid, fresh and varied language
* usage of bright examples
* usage of interesting comparisons
* usage of variety of terms
* usage of images that appeal to senses
* usage of senses
* transition of something ordinary into extraordinary
* effective usage of time
* free play of feelings and emotions
Example:

Don’t Steal My Precious Tuban!
[Descriptive Essay]

Ngurah Rai International Airport is one of the important and influential places in Bali. Located in a small village named Tuban, Ngurah Rai International Airport becomes the first and the final place for people who want to enjoy Bali’s cultural and art heritage. Why so? Because it is placed strategically 2.5 km north closes to the famous tourism object, Kuta and less than 30 minutes to reach the new developed tourist destination, Nusa Dua. By Tuban’s community, Ngurah Rai Airport is not just a huge building stands stoutly among the tiny ones. It is regarded as a fertile field which offers prosperity for those who involved in it. Considering its importance, in 2007, Ngurah Rai airport has been expanded to be more than 3,600 meters length. This expansion influences significantly to Tuban’s space arrangement and the customs of its local people. There is a big changing of how people enjoy the existence of the airport before and after the expansion. How does the expansion of the airport influence the other local places? How do the people’s ways of life seem different?

Ngurah Rai Airport, which expands its new main road, damages people’s home stay. Five years ago, before realization of this new road, on the same land, stood housing complex called Perumahan Angkasa Pura I. This housing is simple but captivating. Each house had the same size but painted in various colors and well-maintained; very nice. At the back side of the housing, there was a mini-park surrounded by shade trees, lots of flowers also equipped by kinds of playing items like swings, dumping cart, etc that enabled kids and adults play together. On the left corner side of the complex, faced the Kuda Kencana statue on the north, there were five tabernacles for five religions. Hindus’ temple is the biggest one. Christian’s became the neighbor of Buddha’s, and Moslem’s was stated on the third position after Christian’s and Buddha’s. It is interesting when families in different religions walked together to the tabernacles. Tourists love watching this and taking some photographs for this special moment. But now, this housing has disappeared together with its beautifulness. There is only a long large road which is hot, less trees in which the big Ngurah Rai Statue under the fountain feels inconvenient standing alone in the middle of the road.

The same bad treatment happens to the larches park beside the main gate. Larches are rarely found in low land as in Tuban. These special trees can only be found in the mountain range or in the small park on the left side of the airport’s new gate. So, it is reasonable for people call this park Kebun Cemara. Like any normal park, in Kebun Cemara there are some lounges spread among two larches. Near the lounges there is a net which usually used by local people to play volleyball. On Sunday, this park is mostly full of people doing many kinds of activities like chatting, playing games, or just taking a little rest while enjoying the nice view. Kebun Cemara is also beneficial for food seller. They build some temporary stalls for selling any kinds of food. I love visiting this place because of this reason. But, we are not allowed to enjoy it again. Angkasa Pura I as the owner of this place decided to use this park as an expansion of the parking lot. The view and the fresh air due to the larches cannot enter to my breath anymore. There will be only vehicle gasses and poisonous air chase me when passing the road.

In contrast, before 2004, when the airport is not really well known, Balinese people use the airport as place for relaxing. When I was a teenager, the airport was not so big. It still used grass as the runway and it opened for all Balinese people mostly the Tuban’s community. There were so many big trees in each side of Jalan Ngurah Rai lama (the first road to reach the previous main gate of the Airport). When we passed the road without wearing jacket, we might feel the wind touched our skin softly until the calm and peace feeling appeared. It was very enjoyable. On the left side of the road in front of Cargo office, stood a huge banyan trees by local people called “Kepuh” and it was still kept there until now. On the holiday, under or near the tree would be fulfilled by many families mostly from out of Tuban who just came to see the planes. It was strategic position because on the opposite side of the tree people could clearly see the plane taking-off and landing. People who came with good preparation would provide themselves with a big pan of gerang asem and completed with tipat. This kind of activity at that time allowed people interlaced togetherness for each other.

Those are the influences of Ngurah Rai Airport expansion to the Tuban’s space arrangements and its local customs nowdays. Tuban’s as a small village which unfortunately stands near the central of tourism objects should accept any changing happen. The park, the five sacred places, and the togetherness feeling while enjoying the fresh view and plane should be killed because of tourism demands. The calm wind while passing Jalan Ngurah Rai Lama cannot obsess my soul anymore. There is only large barren road with Ngurah Rai Statue in the middle of it as if saying “take me back to my real land!”

Principles Of A Descriptive Essay:

* it makes clear dominant impression
* it can be either objective or subjective
* its purpose is to make the reader represent clearly the things being described

Points To Consider:

* stick to a clear structure of your descriptive essay, it should consist of introduction (working from general to specific, containing a thesis statement), main body (having several paragraphs in which your topic is described) and conclusion (in which you restate your thesis in other words and conclude your thoughts)
* try to select some extraordinary traits of the subject described, pick something unusual to capture the reader’s attention
* give as much details as possible, describe everything as if you hear and see it yourself
* use the words that appeal to the reader’s senses
* focus your descriptions on sight, sound, smell, touch and taste
* firstly, plan your descriptive essay, then draft and revise it
* move the reader through space and time chronologically
* use a then-and-now approach to show things in their developing or fall

The Differences between Report and Descriptive Text

Some text types are quite difficult to differ. Such report and descriptive text have the similarity in the social function and generic structure. However if they are analyzed carefully, the slight difference between the two text types will reveal.
The purpose of the two texts are to give the live-description of the object/participant. Both the report and descriptive text try to show rather than tell the reader about the factual condition of the object. Readers by themselves will catch the impressive point of the object through that showing writing style. What make different, between report and descriptive text, is the scope of the written object. If we talk about, eg: bicycle, it belongs to report text. It will talk about bicycle in general; its parts, physical strengh, function for certain people or other general characters of bike. In the other hand, descriptive text will convey more focus, for example "my bicycle" with its specific characters; colour, lengh, wheel style, etc.
In short, report text describes the way of certain things and frequently refer to phenomenon of nature, animal and scientific object. Mostly, report is written after getting careful observation. This scientific and technical sense make clearer difference from descriptive text. The way of descriptive text in showing thing is based on the objective fact of the thing. It describe the specific thing simply as the thing is.

Below I'll give you an example of simple descriptive text. your task is to analyze what are the generic structure and the language features that you found on the text!
Don't be hesitate to express your opinion...all are respected.

Example:
Borobudur Temple

Borobudur is Hindu - Budhist temple. It was build in the nineth century under Sailendra dynasty of ancient Mataram kingdom. Borobudur is located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.

Borobudur is well-known all over the world. Its construction is influenced by the Gupta architecture of India. The temple is constructed on a hill 46 m high and consist of eight step like stone terrace. The first five terrace are square and surrounded by walls adorned with Budist sculpture in bas-relief. The upper three are circular. Each of them is with a circle of bell shape-stupa. The entire adifice is crowned by a large stupa at the centre at the centre of the top circle. The way to the summit extends through some 4.8 km of passage and starways. The design of borobudur which symbolizes the structure of universe influences temples at Angkor, Cambodia.

Borobudur temple which is rededicated as an Indonesian monument in 1983 is a valuable treasure for Indonesian people.

Analyzing the Text
Generic Structure Analysis
1. Identification; .............
2. Description; ..........

Language Feature Analysis
1. ........
2. ..........

Be creative and don’t forget the basic rule of descriptive essays: SHOW, DON’T TELL!

Descriptive Essays

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Description

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