procedural, such as telling someone how you built
something
personal, such as a family holiday or your opinion on a
subject. biographies and autobiographies
newspapers or the television news
letters and postcards
textbooks
conversations with friends
WHAT IS IT LIKE?
The details in a recount can include:
what happened, who was involved, where it took place, when it happened and why it occurred WHAT FOR?
to tell us about a story or an event. HOW?
usually given in the order
that the event occurred STRUCTURE
A well-structured recount includes details of the event or topic
and personal opinions.
Written recounts often start with a heading or title. Letters and
journal entries do not usually have a title. Oral recounts might have a title if you are giving a presentation. If you are just talking with friends a title is not usually needed. GENERIC STRUCTURE
The introductory paragraph, or
orientation
The sequence of events.
The conclusion, or re-orientation
T H E I N T R O D U C T O RY PA R A G R A P H , O R O R I E N TA T I O N
introduces the topic or event
(who, what, where, when, why and possibly how). t h e s e q u e n c e o f e ve n t s . ( T H E B O DY O F THE TEXT)
where the recount is told in
chronological order (the order that the events happened). THE CONCLUSION, OR RE- O R I E N TA T I O N
where the writer or speaker can give personal
opinions about the topic or event. The writer or speaker may also comment on how this event or topic may affect other things in the future. You may also include other people's opinions or quotes on the topic or event. LANGUAGE FEATURES
Written in the past tense because
they tell about something that has already happened. Use action verbs. The factual information in a recount must be accurate. Recounts can also include the speaker's or writer's personal thoughts on the event or topic. EXAMPLES