Introduction of Presentation:

*genre:

a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content*

*http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genre

TEXT TYPES (genre)

NarrativeRecount

Analytical ExpositionDiscussi

on

ReportHortatory Exposition

*EXPLANATION

Descriptive

Spoof

News Item

Procedure

ReviewAnecdote

EXPLANATION TEXT

is kind of text which is more complex than instructions. It is usually used to explain processes or sequences of activity. One of the main things that makes it different from instruction is the focus on CAUSE and EFFECT. It is one thing to describe what you see when you watch a scientific process or experiment, but another thing to make and to speculate about how one thing has led to another.

Why do things happen? How do things work?

There are two types of explanation:

WHY DO THINGS HAPPEN?Why did we go to war in 1939?Why does the moon seem to change shape?Why do we pay tax?Why was there an earthquake in Haiti?Why do we count in the way we do?Why are there 60 seconds in 1 minute?

HOW DO THINGS WORK?How does a plane fly?How does a car engine work?How does a pigeon find its way home?How do you fly a hot air balloon?How is honey made?How do they print bank notes?

Explanation Text

*Social Function

to explain the process involved in the formation and working of natural or socio-cultural phenomena

GENERIC STRUCTURES

A general statement to position the reader

A sequence of explanations of why or how something occurs

Closing /Concluding Statement (Optional)

It describes or identifies the phenomenon

They tell how or why the feature or process changes.Words should show Cause and Effect or TimeIt sums up the explanation and talks about its application; may also give examples

General Lay Out:INTRODUCTION (general statement about the topic)EXPLANATION (series of explanatory statements)Statements are written in sequential order to

explainHOW something works

WHY something happens

CONCLUSION (summary or comment)

what it is used for

what each part does

how the parts work togetherhow to use it

how and why it startswhat happens after that, why

what happens next, why

what happens finally, why

A summary or recommendationA general comment about use or history

Explanations Texts can be found in: Text-booksguides and manualsHistory books

Significant Lexicogrammatical Features (LANGUAGE FEATURES)*

Use mainly of material and relational processes

Use mainly of temporal and causal circumstances and conjunctionsSome use passive voice to get it right

Focus on non-human participants

Use technical words and noun phrases

Use action verbs and impersonal style

Use the present tense, except for events in history

Use paragraphs to give different reasons in process

Body of Presentation:

Recycling Glass Bottles

New glass bottles are made mainly of silica sand. The sand is melted in a furnace, at a very high temperature. Recycled glass bottles are made in a very similar way, but cost less and use up fewer natural resources

INTRODUCTION (general statement)

Recycling Glass Bottles

The process begins when people take their used bottles and jars to a bottle bank. Next, the bottles and jars are taken by lorry to the recycling plant. At the plant, bottle tops and lids are removed. After that, the glass is crushed into small pieces.

BODY (sequence of explanation)

The crushed glass is then sent by lorry to a bottle factory. Here, it is mixed with a small amount of silica sand. It is then melted in a furnace, at a lower temperature than new glass.

Finally, the hot liquid glass is drawn out of the furnace and fed into machinery that makes it into bottles.

What happens to the old glass bottles?

Where does the crushed glass go?

How are the new recycled bottles made?

Recycled glass is as pure and as strong as new glass. Glass can be recycled many times without losing its quality.

CONCLUSION

*sources: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk

another sample:

let’s analyze this one ….

INTRODUCTION

How Kites Fly?

A kite is an object made from a

light material stretched over a

frame. When a kite is tilted into

the wind it will lift off the ground

and fly.*non human participant

*material process

*temporal and causal circumstances

BODY

A kite uses wind to make it fly because it is heavier than air.Wind travelling over the surface of the kite is split into two streams of air. One stream of air goes over the kite while the second stream of air goes under the kite.

The upper stream creates an area of low pressure above the kite. The lower stream hits it at a shallow angle and creates an area of high pressure.

The high pressure area has a pushing effect while the low pressure area has a pulling effect. The combination of push and pull creates enough force to lift it into the air.

*technical words*impersonal style

*passive voice

*present tense

*noun phrase

*action verb

• diff

eren

t p

arag

rap

h to

sta

te r

easo

ns in

pro

cess

CONCLUSION

Kites have been around for thousands of years and are used for military or scientific purposes and for leisure.

* passive voice

•parallel structure

* conjunction

* complex sentence

Conclusion of Presentation:

Explanation text is usually used to explain processes or sequences of activity. One of the main things that make it different from instruction is the focus on CAUSE and EFFECT.

It is part of explanation text, with generic structures: general statement, sequence of explanation and conclusion.

Its function is to explain the process involved in the formation and working of natural or socio-cultural phenomena.

This text has several dominant language features, such as: simple present tense, passive voice, cause-effect conjunctions, etc. as have been revealed previously.By teaching this text, hopefully leads the students to understand various kinds of texts presented and written in English as applicable passages which are found in students’ daily lives.

why do people yawn?

what makes

it happen

?

how it happens?

I wonder …..

… then convert them in the passage!

*visual and active learning resources

What is this animal called?What is the connection of it with honey?How could it produce honey?Why does it suck nectar from flower?

How do Bees Make Honey?

Topic:

General Statement (name of the thing):

Explanation (what does it look like?):

Explanation (how does it work?):

Conclusion:

*FLOWCHARTand form of paragraph

*identify features, according to the models shown

can you figure it out, what’s the connection among them?

*CAUSE - EFFECT

Honey is produced by bees after sucking the flower’s nectar.

Sucking the flower’s nectar, bees produce honey in return.

*Vocabulary Supply

(especially technical terms)

obtain polle

nnectar

HIVEcolon

y honeycomb

abdomen

STING

Features of Explanation WritingDoes it have a title to tell you what the writing is about?Is there a general opening statement?Is it written in a series of logical steps?Do the steps continue until the explanation is complete?Is it written in simple present tense?Does it use time connectives?e.g. then, next, after a while, etc.Does it use causal connectives?e.g. because, so, this causes, this results in, therefore… etc.Are there diagrams or illustrations to help with the explanation? (Optional)

CH

EC

KLIS

T:

EX

PLA

NA

TIO

N

*BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ferdianti, Dina. Intensive Learning English. Jakarta: PT Setia Purna Inves. 2005

Nimmo, Robert. Reach For the Stars. Singapore: Pearson Education Ltd., 2003

Jacobs, George. Grammar in Use Workbook. Singapore: Seng Lee Press Ltd., 2001

Garnett, Sue. Exploring Writing Workbook. Singapore: Learners Publishing Ltd., 2002

Smalley, Regina L. Focus on Writing. Singapore: Learners Publishing Ltd., 2002

Ruetten, Mary K. Developing Composition Skills 2nd edition. Singapore: Learners Publishing Ltd., 2004

… the ending of my presentation