A display apparatus and a method for controlling the same are provided. The method for controlling a display apparatus includes sensing a first touch input on a display screen; determining a first pattern based on the sensed first touch input; determining a second pattern based on a second touch input if the second touch input is sensed in a predetermined threshold time after the first pattern is determined; performing a zoom in or a zoom out of content that is displayed on the display screen based on the first and second patterns; and displaying the content that is zoomed in or zoomed out according to the performing.