Text Descriptions and Expository Writing Techniques

Posted on Apr 23, 2025 in Social Anthropology

Understanding Text Descriptions

Defining Description

Text description aims to represent reality using words. Any description involves three basic activities related to reality:

  • Name: Define the elements of reality based on perceived traits of similarity and difference to others.
  • Locate: Specify the place occupied by a person or object in space and time.
  • Rate: Attribute certain characteristics to what is being described.

Classes of Descriptions

There are different classes of descriptions:

1. Technical Descriptions

These descriptions are objective. They provide a thorough understanding of the subject being described. The referential function dominates, and they are usually found in expository texts. We can find:

  • General descriptions: Encompassing a class of objects.
  • Particular descriptions: Limited to a specific object.
Linguistic Features of Technical Descriptions
  1. Use of a monosemic lexicon (words with single meanings).
  2. Use of concrete nouns.
  3. Use of specific adjectives.
  4. Use of simple and attributive sentences.
  5. Use of spatial connectors to describe in order.
  6. Precision in information.
  7. Few direct references to the receiver, resulting in a low personal character of the text.
  8. Presence of formal elements like scripts and other graphic symbols.

2. Literary Descriptions

The author expresses their feelings and tries to arouse the feelings of the receiver, transmitting the impression that reality produced in them. The author’s subjectivity prevails over objective accuracy. The author emphasizes features that can move, incite, and provoke states of mind in the reader. Description serves as an expansion of the story and can have different functions:

  • Imprint a certain pattern onto the narration.
  • Decorate the discourse.
  • Report on the psychology of the characters.

According to the theme, there are various descriptions:

  • Descriptions of landscapes.
  • Descriptions of people.
Types of People Descriptions
  • Prosopography: Describes physical features.
  • Etopeya: Describes the character.
  • Portrait: Describes both physical features and character.
  • Caricature: Exaggerates characteristic features for humorous or critical purposes.
Linguistic Characteristics of Literary Descriptions
  1. Rich literary language: metaphors, comparisons, antithesis, anaphora, hyperbaton.
  2. Use of adjectives and nouns that enhance the main noun.
  3. Use of enumeration, either with plenty of links (polysyndeton) or without links (asyndeton).
  4. Variety of subordinate clauses.
  5. Frequent use of the present and imperfect indicative tenses.

Characteristics of Expository Texts

Defining Expository Texts

Expository or explanatory texts aim to inform and present concepts in a way that is understood by an ideal recipient. The sender uses strategies to provide specific knowledge to the receiver, selecting information based on the recipient’s assumed knowledge.

Types of Expository Texts

  • Outreach: When the information provided can be understood by any recipient with an average cultural level.
  • Specialized: Requires specific knowledge about a particular subject to be understood. This format is often found in scientific treatises, encyclopedias, exams, etc.

Structure and Organization

Expository texts typically have a basic structure:

  1. Presentation of the subject.
  2. Development of the topic.
  3. Conclusion.

Common Organizational Structures

Most explanatory texts follow one of these organizational structures:

  1. Problem-Solution: Presents a problem, analyzes its components, and then provides possible solutions.
  2. Cause-Effect: After presenting an event or situation, explains the reasons that caused it.
  3. Comparison-Contrast: Notes the similarities and differences between two ideas or events.
  4. Process or Sequence: Describes a series of events in a temporal order that cannot be altered.
  5. Description: Lists the characteristics of a subject or object.

Linguistic Features of Expository Texts

  1. The vocabulary is precise and descriptive. Subject-specific vocabulary terms are developed and do not lend themselves to different interpretations. Literary figures are generally not used.
  2. Regarding verb usage, indicative tenses predominate, especially the present and the past. To give greater objectivity, verb forms in the 3rd person are commonly used.
  3. From a syntactic point of view, these texts aim for standard sentence syntax (subject before the predicate, complements before nuclei). Declarative sentences predominate.
  4. In their written presentation, note the division into numbered paragraphs, the use of capital letters, the placement of titles and captions, the use of underlining, and changes in font (italics, bold).