EXPLANATION TEXT

A. DEFINITION
EXPLANATION TEXT IS A TEXT WHICH TELLS THE PROCESS OF
NATURAL, SOCIAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND CULTURAL PHENOMENA.
EXPLANATION TEXT IS TO SAY “WHY” AND “HOW” OF THE FORMING
OF THE PHENOMENA. IT FEATURES NUMBERED POINTS, TIME
CONECTIVES, DIAGRAMS, PICTURES, LABEL AND CAPTION. IT IS
OFTEN FOUND IN SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY, AND HISTORY TEXT
BOOKS. EX: EARTHQUAKE, LANDSLIDE, RAIN STORM, AND TSUNAMI.

B. PURPOSE
-TO HELP THE RECEIVER UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF WHATS
BEING DELIVERED.
-TO EXPLAIN WHY AND HOW SOMETHING HAPPENS
-TO TELL THE READERS HOW SOMETHING WORKS

C. GENERIC STRUCTURE
1) A GENERAL STATEMENT : STATING THE PHENOMENA OR ISSUES
WHICH ARE TO INTRODUCES OR IDENTIFIES THE SCIENTIFIC OR
TECHNICAL PHENOMENA. IT GIVES THE AUDIENCE A BRIEF
INTRODUCTION TO THE EVENT OR THING AND AN
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TYPE OF TEXT THAT IS TO FOLLOW.

2) A SEQUENCED OF EXPLANATION : STATING A SERIES OF STEPS

WHICH EXPLAIN THE PHENOMENA OR ISSUES. THE EXPLANATION
SEQUENCE SHOULD CONSIST OF A SERIES OF HAPPENINGS,
ACTIONS, CAUSES OR PROCESSES THAT ARE THE FOCUS OF THE
TEXT. THIS CHAIN OF ACTIONS, CAUSES OR EVENTS RESULTS IN
THE PHENOMENON ABOUT WHICH THE EXPLANATION IS
WRITTEN. EVENTS MAY BE RELATED ACCORDING TO TIME OR
CAUSE OR THROUGH BOTH AND SHOULD BE DETAILED AND
ACCURATE, ENSURING THAT ALL ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN
INCLUDED. SEQUENCES OFTEN DEVELOP BY EXPLAINING HOW
THE EVENTS HAPPEN OVER A PERIOD OF TIME: FIRST THIS
HAPPENS AND THEN THIS IS FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT EVENT.

3) CONCLUDING STATEMENT (CLOSING) : AN OPTIONAL CONCLUDING

STATEMENT THAT TIE UP THE EXPLANATION.
D. LANGUAGE FEATURES
1) USING SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE : STATE SOME FACTS.
(SUBJECT + V1 + OBJECT)
(SUBJECT + V1 + S/ES + OBJECT)
EX: EARTHQUAKE IS ONE OF THE MOST DESTROYING NATURAL
DISASTERS.

2) USING ACTION VERBS : TO EXPLAIN CAUSE.

(DO, MAKE, CREATE, FROM, STARTED FROM, ETC)

3) USING ABSTRACT NOUN

EX: EARTHQUAKE, HEAT, ETC.

4) USING PASSIVE VOICE : EXPLAINS THE FOCUS ON THE

PHENOMENA THAT OCCUR RATHER THAN THE SUBJECT.
(TOBE + V3)
EX: EARTHQUAKES ARE USUALLY CAUSED WHEN ROCK
UNDERGROUND SUDDENLY BREAKS ALONG A FAULT.

5) USING TECHNICAL TERMS

EX: SPIDER FALLS INTO THE FAMILY OF ARACHNIDS.

6) USING CHRONOLOGICAL CONNECTORS

(FIRST, SECOND, NEXT, THEN, AFTER, BEFORE, IN ADDITION,
FINALLY, IN THE END)
EX: AFTER A WHILE, THE ROCKS BREAK BECAUSE OF ALL THE
PRESSURE THATS BUILT UP.