EXPLANATIONS TEXT

An explanation tells how or why something occurs. The purpose of an explanation is to describe each
step of the process (the how) and/or to give reasons (the why).

Explanation text answers the following questions:

 How something happens or occurs
 Why something happens
 Why something is the way it is
 Why things are alike or different
 How to solve a problem

Explanations usually include the following grammatical features:

 Cause and effect sentences (use of temporal connectives and causal connectives)
 Use of timeless present tense
 Use of passive voice
 Use of Noun Phrase and complex sentence

Generic Structure of Explanation Text:

a. General Statement
 It introduces the topic
b. Sequenced Explanations
 It tells the process and explanations of how and why something occurs
c. Cosing/ Summary
 It gives closing or conclusion

Examples of Explanation Text

How Does the Body React to Heat?

When the human body is exposed to very hot conditions,
one of the results can be heatstroke. This is often the case General Statement
for athletes and people who have to work outside in summer.
Heatstroke is a sudden, uncontrolled rise in body
temperature. It is the reaction that results from the human
body not being able to replace fluid lost through perspiration.
If the lost fluids are not replaced then deydration occurs and
this leads to a decrease in blood.
In this situation, the body must ddecide whether to give Sequenced Explanations
the blood to the main organs (liver, kidneys, brain, and so on)
or to skin. Because the main organs are more important, they
will receive the blood.also, as a consequence of the drop in
fluids, the body loses its ability tosweat. The situation
becomes critical. The body now cannot produce sweat.
Therefore, itcannot cool itself. Excess heat cannot be
released throughthe skin as a result of the loss of blood
supply to the part of the body. The lack of blood supply and
the inability to sweat simultaneously cause the body to Closing
overheat.
Heatstroke can cause permanent injury if not treated
properly. It is one way of how the body can react to heat.