Descriptive Text
A descriptive text is a type of text that aims to convey detailed characteristics, traits, or
qualities of an object, person, place, event, or situation. The goal is for the reader to visualize
what is being described, using their senses to create a clear and complete mental image.
1. Introduction (Introducción)
• Topic Sentence: Introduce el tema o el objeto de la descripción. Presenta
una visión general o una idea principal sobre lo que se va a describir.
• Thesis Statement (opcional): Si es necesario, puedes incluir una tesis que
resuma brevemente lo que se destacará en la descripción.
2. Body (Cuerpo)
• Sensory Details (Detalles sensoriales): Usa los cinco sentidos (vista,
oído, olfato, tacto, gusto) para describir el tema. Organiza la
información de manera lógica.
o Visual Details (Detalles visuales): Describe la apariencia física,
colores, formas, tamaños, etc.
o Auditory Details (Detalles auditivos): Describe los sonidos
relacionados.
o Olfactory Details (Detalles olfativos): Describe los olores que puedan
estar presentes.
o Tactile Details (Detalles táctiles): Describe cómo se siente al tacto.
o Gustatory Details (Detalles gustativos): Si es relevante, describe los
sabores.
• Spatial Order (Orden espacial): Organiza la descripción según el
espacio. Por ejemplo, de arriba hacia abajo, de lo general a lo
específico, o de lo cercano a lo lejano.
• Chronological Order (Orden cronológico): Si describe un proceso o
evento, organiza la información en el orden en que ocurrió.
3. Conclusion (Conclusión)
• Summary of Key Points (Resumen de los puntos clave): Recapitula las
características más importantes mencionadas en la descripción.
• Final Impression (Impresión final): Ofrece una reflexión o comentario
final que encapsule la esencia de la descripción.
• Use of adjectives and nouns: To express qualities and characteristics.
• Static verbs: Such as “to be,” “to have,” etc.
• Verb tenses: Predominantly present and imperfect past tense.
• Denotative or connotative language: Depending on whether the text is objective or
subjective
• Language: Can be denotative (literal) or connotative (figurative), depending on
whether the text is objective or subjective.
Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They provide more
information about a person, place, thing, or idea, specifying qualities like size, shape, color,
quantity, and more. Adjectives usually answer questions like What kind?, Which one?, How
many?, or How much?
Types of Adjectives:
• Describe the characteristics or qualities of a noun.
o Beautiful: She wore a beautiful dress.
o Tall: The tall building dominated the skyline.
o Bitter: The coffee had a bitter taste.
o Sunny: It was a sunny day.
o Ancient: They visited an ancient castle.
• Indicate the quantity of the noun.
o Several: Several people attended the meeting.
o Few: He has few friends.
o Many: Many students passed the exam.
o All: All the cookies were eaten.
o No: There were no tickets left.
• Point out specific nouns.
o This: This book is mine.
o That: That car is expensive.
o These: These apples are fresh.
o Those: Those shoes are stylish.
4) :
• Show ownership or possession.
o My: My house is big.
o Her: Her cat is adorable.
o Their: Their project won the competition.
o Our: Our team played well.
o His: His car is fast.
• Used to ask questions about nouns.
o Which: Which color do you prefer?
o What: What time is it?
o Whose: Whose bag is this?
Description of adverbs (and examples):
Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide
additional information about how, when, where, or to what extent something
happens. Unlike adjectives, which modify nouns, adverbs give context and detail to
actions or qualities, often answering questions like How?, When?, Where?, How
often?, and To what extent?.
Types of Adverbs and Examples:
1. Adverbs of Manner (How?)
o Describe how an action is performed.
▪ Quickly: She runs quickly.
▪ Carefully: He drove carefully in the rain.
▪ Easily: The puzzle was solved easily.
▪ Silently: They entered the room silently.
▪ Bravely: The soldier fought bravely.
2. Adverbs of Time (When?)
o Indicate when an action takes place.
▪ Now: She is leaving now.
▪ Yesterday: They visited us yesterday.
▪ Soon: The meeting will start soon.
▪ Later: I'll call you later.
▪ Recently: She has recently moved to the city.
3. Adverbs of Place (Where?)
o Specify where something happens.
▪ Here: Come here immediately.
▪ There: She looked there but found nothing.
▪ Everywhere: We searched everywhere for the keys.
▪ Outside: The kids are playing outside.
▪ Upstairs: They went upstairs to their rooms.
4. Adverbs of Frequency (How often?)
o Describe how often something occurs.
▪ Always: She always wakes up early.
▪ Sometimes: He sometimes forgets to call.
▪ Never: They never go to bed late.
▪ Often: We often go for a walk in the evening.
▪ Rarely: He rarely eats fast food.
5. Adverbs of Degree (To what extent?)
o Express the intensity or degree of an action, adjective, or another
adverb.
▪ Very: She was very happy.
▪ Quite: The movie was quite interesting.
▪ Extremely: It’s extremely cold outside.
▪ Too: The coffee is too hot to drink.
▪ Almost: The train is almost here.
6. Adverbs of Affirmation and Negation
o Confirm or deny something.
▪ Certainly: She will certainly be there.
▪ Definitely: They are definitely coming to the party.
▪ Absolutely: He is absolutely sure.
▪ Not: I will not do that.
▪ Never: She has never been to Paris.
7. Adverbs of Reason
o Explain why something happens.
▪ Therefore: She was tired; therefore, she went to bed early.
▪ Thus: He didn’t study; thus, he failed the exam.
▪ Because: He left early because he wasn’t feeling well.
▪ Hence: The weather was bad, hence the delay.
▪ Consequently: She didn’t set the alarm, consequently, she was
late.
Cognados y Falsos Cognados
Cognates are words that have the same etymological root in two different
languages, so their meaning is usually similar or identical. They are like linguistic
"friends" that make it easier for us to understand a new language.
False cognates, on the other hand, are words that look very similar in two
languages, but have different meanings. They are like "false friends" that can lead
us to make mistakes if we do not identify them correctly.
Examples
Cognates
•
o Español: interesante - inglés: interesting
▪ Present simple: "El libro es muy interesante." / "The book is
very interesting."
o Español: fácil - Inglés: easy
▪ Simple present: "La tarea fue fácil." / "The homework was
easy."
o Español: posible - Inglés: possible
▪ Simple future: "Será posible viajar a Marte en el futuro." / "It
will be possible to travel to Mars in the future."
•
o Español: imposible - Inglés: impossible
▪ Present perfect: "Ha sido imposible contactarlo." / "It has been
impossible to contact him."
o Español: incomprensible - Inglés: incomprehensible
▪ Ejemplo en pasado continuo: "Estaba siendo incomprensible
durante la explicación." / "He was being incomprehensible
during the explanation."
o Español: inútil - Inglés: useless
▪ Perfect Future: "Habrá sido inútil todo nuestro esfuerzo." / "It
will have been useless all our effort."
•
o Español: similar - Inglés: similar
▪ Simple Present: "¿Son similares estos dos objetos?" / "Are
these two objects similar?"
o Español: actual - Inglés: actual
▪ Simple past: "¿Fue esa la situación actual?" / "Was that the
actual situation?"
o Español: normal - Inglés: normal
▪ Simple Future: "¿Será normal este clima?" / "Will this weather
be normal?"
False cognate
• Positivo:
o Español: constipado - Inglés: constipated (estreñido)
▪ Simple present: "Estoy constipado." / "I am constipated."
(significa que tengo estreñimiento)
o Español: exitoso - Inglés: exit (salida)
▪ Simple Past: "Fue un proyecto exitoso." / "He exited the
building." (salió del edificio)
o Español: largo - Inglés: large (grande)
▪ Simple future: "Será un largo viaje." / "It will be a large room."
(será una habitación grande)
• Negativo:
o Español: embarazada - Inglés: embarrassed (avergonzada)
▪ Present perfect: "Está embarazada." / "She is embarrassed."
(ella está avergonzada)
o Español: simpático - Inglés: sympathetic (compasivo)
▪ Pat continuos: "Era muy simpático." / "He was being
sympathetic." (él estaba siendo compasivo)
o Español: actualmente - Inglés: actually (en realidad)
▪ Perfect futureActualmente estaré en casa." / "Actually, I will be
at home." (En realidad, estaré en casa)
• Interrogativo:
o Español: pretender - Inglés: pretend (fingir)
▪ "¿Pretendes ir a la fiesta?" / "Do you pretend to go to the
party?" (¿Finges ir a la fiesta?)
o Español: realizar - Inglés: realize (darse cuenta)
▪ "¿Realizas la tarea?" / "Do you realize the mistake?" (¿Te das
cuenta del error?)
o Español: eventualmente - Inglés: eventually (finalmente)
▪ "¿Eventualmente irás al cine?" / "Will you eventually go to the
movies?" (¿Finalmente irás al cine?)
Skimming
Skimming is a rapid reading technique that involves scanning a text to get a
general understanding of its content without going into detail. It's like glancing at a
map to get an idea of where you are and where you're going.
Skimming is a very useful tool in a variety of situations:
• When you have limited time: To get a general idea of a long text before
deciding whether it's worth reading in depth.
• To find specific information: When you're looking for a specific piece of
information in a lengthy text, skimming allows you to quickly locate the
relevant sections.
• To review material: When studying for an exam, you can use skimming to
quickly review the main ideas of a chapter or article.
• To select reading material: When you have a list of articles or books to read,
skimming helps you prioritize and choose those that are most relevant to
your interests.
To skim effectively, you can follow these steps:
1. Read the title and subtitles: These elements will give you a general idea of
the text's topic and structure.
2. Look for keywords: Words that are repeated frequently are usually
important.
3. Read the first paragraph: The first paragraph usually contains the main idea
of the text.
4. Read the last paragraph: The last paragraph usually summarizes the main
ideas.
5. Look for bold, italics, and underlines: These elements usually highlight
important information.
6. Read the first sentences of each paragraph: The first sentences usually
contain the main ideas of each paragraph.
Example: Imagine you have to read a newspaper article about a new scientific
discovery. Instead of reading every word, you can use skimming to get a general
idea of the article. You would read the title, subtitles, first and last paragraphs, and
look for keywords related to the discovery. In this way, you could quickly
understand what the article is about without having to read the entire text.
In summary, skimming is a valuable skill that allows you to read more efficiently
and effectively. By mastering this technique, you can save time and get the
information you need more quickly.
SKIMMING Examples
Positive:
• inglés: Climate change is a real and pressing issue.
o español: El cambio climático es un problema real y urgente.
• inglés: Rising sea levels pose a serious threat to coastal cities.
o español: El aumento del nivel del mar representa una grave
amenaza para las ciudades costeras.
Negative:
• inglés: Climate change is not a hoax.
o español: El cambio climático no es un engaño.
• inglés: We cannot ignore the consequences of climate change.
o español: No podemos ignorar las consecuencias del cambio
climático.
Interrogative:
• inglés: Can we reverse the effects of climate change?
o español: ¿Podemos revertir los efectos del cambio climático?
• inglés: What can individuals do to combat climate change?
o español: ¿Qué pueden hacer los individuos para combatir el cambio
climático?
SCANNING
The main objective of scanning is to locate specific information within a text. It's like
searching for a needle in a haystack, but instead of a needle, we're looking for a
word, a date, a number, or any other specific detail.
• Focus on keywords: Instead of reading the entire text, we concentrate our
attention on the keywords we're looking for.
• Rapid eye movement: Our eyes move quickly across the text, jumping
from line to line, until we find what we're looking for.
• Ignoring irrelevant information: As we scan, we ignore most of the
information that is not relevant to our search.
• Consulting a dictionary: When we look up the meaning of a word.
• Looking for a date on a calendar: When we want to know when an event
is.
• Finding a phone number in a phone book: When we need to contact
someone.
• Locating a direct quote in an article: When we want to verify a statement.
In summary, scanning is a rapid reading technique that allows us to find specific
information efficiently. It is a very useful skill in the digital age, where we are
constantly searching for information online.
Positive:
• Inglés: Space exploration has led to many technological advancements.
o Español: La exploración espacial ha llevado a muchos avances
tecnológicos.
• Inglés: Humans have sent probes to explore Mars.
o Español: Los humanos han enviado sondas para explorar Marte.
Negative:
• Inglés: Space exploration is not a priority for many governments.
o Español: La exploración espacial no es una prioridad para muchos
gobiernos.
• Inglés: Space travel is dangerous.
o Español: Los viajes espaciales son peligrosos.
Interrogative:
• Inglés: Will humans ever colonize Mars?
o Español: ¿Los humanos colonizarán Marte alguna vez?
• Inglés: What are the long-term benefits of space exploration?
o Español: ¿Cuáles son los beneficios a largo plazo de la exploración
espacial?
Verb Tenses Commonly Used in Descriptive Texts
In descriptive texts, various verb tenses are utilized to convey information effectively.
The most commonly used tenses are the present simple and the past simple.
● Usage: Describes general truths, habitual actions, or current situations.
● Structure: Subject + base form of the verb (with 's' or 'es' for third person
singular).
● Examples:
○ The sky is blue.
○ She lives in a big house.
○
● Usage: Describes completed actions or events in the past.
● Structure: Subject + past form of the verb.
● Examples:
○ The sunset was breathtaking.
○ They visited the museum yesterday.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
When reading a text, you can achieve various things using modal verbs:
● Can: Indicates ability or possibility.
○ Example: "I can understand the main idea."
● Might: Suggests a possibility but not certainty.
○ Example: "I might find the answer if I look closely."
● May: Indicates a possibility.
○ Example: "You may need to reread the text."
To achieve comprehension, it is important to follow some guidelines:
● Must: Indicates something essential that should be done.
○ Example: "You must pay attention to details."
● Mustn't: Indicates something that should not be done.
○ Example: "You mustn't skip sections of the text."
● Should: Indicates advice or recommendation.
○ Example: "You should take notes while reading."
● Shouldn't: Indicates what is not advisable.
○ Example: "You shouldn't rush through the text."
Descriptive Text Example
The Grand Library
The grand library is a magnificent building located in the heart of the city. Its towering
columns and expansive windows create an awe-inspiring sight. Inside, the spacious
hall is filled with the faint smell of old books and polished wood. Visitors often gather
(present simple verb) to discuss (present simple verb) their favorite reads.
As I walked (past simple verb) through the rows of bookshelves, I noticed the colorful
(adjective) covers of various novels. The library has thousands of books, ranging
from historical texts to fascinating fiction. Some people read quietly, while others
engage in animated conversations.
This library is not just a place for books; it is a quiet oasis for learning and creativity,
making it a beloved spot for everyone.
Adjetive
Present simple
Details
