A display apparatus is provided, which includes a receiver configured to receive a writing trace performed on a remote controller, a detector configured to extract a character that corresponds to the writing trace, a display configured to display the character and at least one item that corresponds to the character, and a controller configured to, if a user's operation is performed in one direction on the remote controller, automatically execute a function that corresponds to the at least one item that is positioned in the direction in which the user's operation is performed.