NARRATIVE

The Social Function / Communicative Purpose:

To entertain or amuse the readers with fairy tales, actual or vicarious experience.

The Generic Structure:

Orientation : introducing the characters or participants of the
story, where it happened, and when it happened.

Complication : the conflict or problem arises ( the peak of the problem ).

Resolution : the solution of the problem.

Reorientatation (optional) : - Ending of the story.

- Coda / Moral value ( message of the story).

RECOUNT

The Social Function:

To retell past events chronologically (about someone’s experience).

The Generic Structure:

Orientation : introducing the characters or participants of the
story, where it happened, and when it happened.

Events : chronological sequence of the events.

Reorientation : - Ending of the story.

- There may be some personal comments on the events.

SPOOF

The Social Function:

To tell events with a twist (unexpected development in the story).

The Generic Structure:

Orientation : introducing the characters or participants of the
story, where it happened, and when it happened.

Events : introducing sequence of the events.

Twist : the humorous, strange, or unexpected ending.

DESCRIPTIVE

The Social Function:

To describe a particular person, place, animal or thing.

The Generic Structure:

Identification : identifying the phenomenon to be described.

Description : describing the parts, qualities, or the characteristics of the person,

place, animal, thing to be described.

REPORT

The Social Function:

To describe the way things are / To describe a general person, place, animal, or
thing based on the systematic observation.

The Generic Structure:

General Classification: classifying the fenomenon to be described.

Description : describing the parts, qualities, or the behaviours of the

Subject to be described.

PROCEDURE

The Social Function:

To describe how something is accomplished / done through a sequence of steps.
The Generic Structure:
Goal : the purpose of doing an activity.

Materials : what is needed in doing an activity.

(optional)

Steps : the steps or methods in doing an activity.

Analytical Exposition:

The Social Function:

To persuade the readers that something is the case.

The Generic Structure:

Thesis : indicating the writer’s position/opinion about the case.
Arguments : developing the main argument or the case.
Reiteration : restating the writer’s position/opinion.
Hortatory Exposition:

The Social Function:

To persuade the readers that something should be or should not be the case.

The Generic Structure:

Thesis : indicating the issue concerned.
Arguments : presenting the reasons for concern, leading to the
recommendation.
Recommendation : containing the statements of what should or should not
happen.

DISCUSSION

The Social Function:

To present two points of view about an issue.

The Generic Structure:

Issue : the topic concerned.
Arguments for : the points of view of the persons who agree with the
issue.
Argument against : the points of view of the persons who disagree with the
Issue.
Conclusion or Recommendation: restating, or giving advice / way out about the
topic concerned.

NEWS ITEM

The Social Function:

To inform the readers about the events of the day which are impotant or
newsworthy.

The Generic Structure:

Newsworthy events : the main incidents (telling the events in summary).
Background events : the cause of the events, the elaboration of what happened,
the persons involved, where the incidents happened, etc.
Source : the comments from the witnesses, participants, or experts
on the events.
EXPLANATION

The Social Function:

To explain the process involved in the formation or working of natural or socio-
cultural phenomena.

The Generic Structure:

General Statement : the phenomena happened in the nature.
(introductory paragraph)
Sequenced explanations : the explanations of how or why something occurs.

REVIEW

The Social Function:

To critisize or review an art work, such as films/movies, music, plays, books,
recordings, operas,etc.

The Generic Structure:

Title / Orientation : identifying an art work, often by comparing it to others
of its kind.
Interpretative recount : summerizing the plot or providing an account of how the
art work came into being.
Evaluation : evaluating the art work and its performance or production.
Conclusion or recommendation:
summerizing the assessment of the value of the work and
making recommendations of how others regard the work.

EXAMPLES

Narrative Text

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Cinderella.

She lived with her step mother and her two step ‘jealousy’ sisters.
They lived in a big castle.
One day, Cinderella’s family was invited to come to the Prince’s
birthday party. Unfortunately, Cinderella was forbidden to come the
party by her step sisters. Luckily, the fairy god mother came to
Cinderella secretly and gave her a beautiful gown.
Finally, Cinderella came to the party and danced with the prince.
The prince fell in love with Cinderella.
Cinderella and the prince married and they lived happily.
Recount Text

I was driving along the coast road when the car suddenly lurched
to one side.

At first I thought a tire had gone, but then I saw telegraph poles
collapsing like matchsticks.

The rocks came tumbling across the road and I had to abandon
the car.

When I got back to town, well, as I said, there wasn’t much left.

Spoof Text

One day, there was a man walking in the park. He came across
a penguin.
Then he saw a policeman and he asked him, “What should I do
with this penguin?” The policeman replied, “Take him to the zoo”
The next day, the policeman saw the same man in the same park
with the penguin. The policeman approached the man and asked,
“Why didn’t you bring the penguin to the zoo?” “ I certainly did.”,
replied the man.
“It was a great idea and he enjoyed it. However, I’m taking him
to the movie now.”

Descriptive Text

I have a pet. It is a dog and I call it Brownie. Brownie is a

Chinese breed. It is small, fluffy, and cute. It has got thick brown fur.
When I cuddle it, the fur feels soft. Brownie does not like bones.
Everyday it eats soft food like steamed rice, fish or bread. Every
morning I give her milk and bread. When I am at school, Brownie
plays with my cat. They get along well and never fight may be because
Brownie does not bark a lot. It treats the other animals in our house
gently, and it never eats shoes. Brownie is really a sweet and friendly
animal.
Report Text

Whales are sea-living mammals.

They therefore breathe air but cannot survive on land. Some

species are very large indeed and the blue whale, which can exceed
30m in length, is the largest animal to have lived on earth.
Superficially, the whale looks rather like a fish, but there are important
differences in its external structure: its tail consists of a pair of broad,
flat, horizontal paddles (the tail of fish is vertical) and its has a single
nostril on top of its large, broad head. The skin is smooth and shiny
and beneath it lies a layer of fat (blubber). This is up to 30 cm in
thickness and serves to conserve heat and body fluids.

Procedure Text

HOW TO MAKE A CHEESE OMELET

Ingredients:
1 egg, 50 g cheese, ¼ cup milk, 3 tablespoons cooking oil, a pinch of
salt and pepper

Utensils:
Frying pan, fork, spatula, cheese grater, bowl, and plate

Methods:
1. Crack an egg into bowl
2. Whisk the egg with a fork until it is smooth
3. Add milk and whisk well
4. Grate the cheese into the bowl and stir
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan
6. Pour the mixture into the frying pan
7. Turn the omelet with a spatula when it browns
8. Cook both sides
9. Place on a plate: season with salt and pepper
10.Eat while warm
Analytical Exposition Text

Cigarette smokers are said to have a good chance of getting

various diseases. But, I think that other people's tobacco smoke seems
to increase the chances of non-smokers getting a wide range of
cancers.
First, although passive smokers inhale less tobacco smoke, the
researches point out that the smoke they breathe in is richer in many
toxin chemicals. There is, for example, ‘three times as much as
benzoapyrene, six times as much toluene and more than 50 times as
much dimethylnitrosamine’. Of course these substances will harm our
body in the long run.
Secondly, the recent research reported that the risk of getting
cancers not normally associated with smoking also rose among passive
smokers. The risk of leukemia rose 6-8 times and the risk of cervical
cancer increased 3-4 times.
Thirdly, past studies have found that by product of cigarette
smoke such as colnine and thlocyanate, turn up in the blood, urine and
saliva of non-smoking adults and children and fetuses that have been
exposed to smokers. These substances are the main causes of various
cancers.
In short, the effect of exposure to the cigarette smoking of
others are greater than has been previously suspected. That is why
passive smokers have more chances of contracting cancer than people
with no such exposure.

Hortatory Exposition Text

Television has a great influence on our ideas about what is right

and wrong about the way we should behave, and about life in general.
Sometimes the values and lifestyles that we get from television
are in conflict with those that are taught at home and school. Critics on
television point out that crime and western programs often appeal to a
taste of violence, while many game shows appeal to greed.
Many critics also believe that television should be used for
socially constructive purposes as well as for entertainment.
Discussion Text

In this modern era, technology has developed into such a certain

degree that scientists are able to create new forms of life. The debate
whether cloning at animals is allowed or not seems never endless.
Those who are agree with cloning at animals usually argue
that the seed produced from them can be used to everlasting rare
species. They also add that cloning has a purpose to produce high
quality of seeds. Many species are becoming rare and rare. Scientists
are concerned if they don’t do anything to save that species, these
animals will be extinct and this means a big loss in the animal
kingdom.
However, not everyone is excited about cloning at animals.
Some people feel that it can have a terrible consequence. For example,
if Dinosaurs are cloned, then men will be destroyed. It is clear that the
beasts can’t live together with humans. In history, these creatures
lived several thousand years before men appeared. Can you imagine
these giant killing creatures live in the same era and the same planet
with us?
As the result of this controversy, people still haven’t got
the answer yet for cloning at animals. While some members of
scientific community think that the banning of cloning technology will
destroy the creativity of science.

News Item Text

Moscow – A Russian journalist has uncovered evidence of another

Soviet nuclear catastrophe, which killed 10 soldiers and contaminated
an entire town.
Yelena Vazrshavskya is the first journalist to speak to people who
witnessed the explosion of a nuclear submarine at the naval base of
shkotovo–22 near Vladivostok.
The accident, which occurred 13 months before the Chernobyl
disaster, spread radioactive fall-out over the base and near by town,
but was covered up by officials of the then Soviet Union. Residents
were told the explosion in the reactor of the Victor-class submarine
during a refit had been a ‘thermal’ and not a nuclear explosion. And
those involved in the clean up operation to remove more than 600
tonnes of contaminated material were sworn to secrecy.
A broad of investigators was later to describe it as the worst
accident in the history of the Soviet Navy.
Explanation Text

Tsunami is a very large sea wave that is generated by a

disturbance along the ocean floor. This disturbance can be an
earthquake, a landslide, or a volcanic eruption. A tsunami is
undetectable far out in the ocean, but once it reaches shallow water,
this fast-traveling water grows very large.
Tsunamis occur when a major fault under the ocean floor
suddenly slips. The displaced rock pushes water above it like a giant
paddle, producing powerful water waves at the ocean surface. The
ocean waves spread out from the vicinity of the earthquake source and
move across the ocean until they reach the coastline, where their
height increases as they reach the continental shelf, the part of the
earth’s crust that slopes, or rises, from the ocean floor up to the land.
Tsunamis wash ashore with often disastrous effects such
as severe flooding, loss of lives due to drowning, and the damage to
property.

Review Text

“Bisa Saja” is chosen as the first single of the album and theme
song of BROWNIES, since the lyric reflects the story in the movie.
When Hanung Bramantyo (the director) and Dewa Budjana of
GIGI were chatting, Budjana expressed his interest in making a
soundtrack album. Then, he recommended a few of GIGI songs, which
the producer accepted because of the chemistry they created with the
movie. Since GIGI can provide a variety of colors to add all kinds of
musical nuances to enrich the movie, the producer deemed it
unnecessary to find other musicians to complete OST (Original
Soundtrack) of BROWNIES.
GIGI involved in this album. Budjana demonstrated his skills in
playing acoustic guitar in “Cinta Terakhir”. Three other brand new
songs: “Dilema”,”Jangan Bilang Pacarku” and “Semua Orang Berhak
Mendapat Rasa Bahagia” give supporting nuances to the movie flow as
GIGI composed them by imagining how the scenes would look like
based on the screenplay. As a result, they‘ve created perfect blend of
movie and songs that makes Brownies tastier.
It’s always fun to have a piece of brownies in your mouth. But
having it in your stereo set is more entertaining. No movie is perfect
without musical score and OST of Brownies has proved it excellent.
Note:

The explanations of the above examples of the texts are

available in the CD, in the form of POWER POINT.

Exercises:

Read the following texts, mention the types of the texts.

analyse the ganeric structure, then make up 5 questions with
their answers based on the texts!

Text 1

SINGAPORE : A supervisor was jailed for two months for repeatedly

striking his Indonesian maid on the head and back with a television
remote control, news reports said on Thursday.
Muhammad Shafiq Woon Abdullah admitted in Singapore court.
He physically abused the woman on several occasions between June
and October 2002, The Straits Times said.
The magistrate’s court heard that Shafiq, 31 ; began striking
Winarti, 22, about a month after she started working for him.
He hit in her on the head with the TV set’s remote control
because he was unhappy with her work. On one occasion ,he punched
her on the back after accusing her of daydreaming.
S.S.Dhilton, Shafiq’s lawyer, said his client had become mad
when he saw his daughter’s face covered as she laid in bed.
He said his client thought the maid put the child in danger –
DPA.

1. The type of the text: ..............................................

2. The Generic Structure:

3. Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Text 2

A newspaper is a paper printed and sold to the public usually

daily or weekly. It contains news, notice, advertisements, etc.
A large daily newspaper contains a variety of information. It
gives information about foreign, national, and local affairs. Newspaper
writers reports developments in sports, society, finance, science,
religion, education, and agriculture.
The editor is a person who is responsible for the publishing of
the newspapers. He decides what should be printed, corrects mistakes,
and decides how the material should be arranged. A newspaper editor
sometimes writes articles which are called editorials. He gives his
opinion about the news in the editorial.
The news department gathers and edits the news. The head of
the news department is the managing editor. Under him are the city
editor, news editor, telegraph or wire editor and chiefs of the various
departments or sections.
The main source of income for most newspaper is commercial
advertising. Therefore, advertising usually fills about 50 up to 70
percent of a newspapers space.

1. The type of the text: .............................................

2. The Generic Structure:
 3. Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Text 3

Mangroves are trees that live at or near the water’s edge in

protected marine habitats. Mangroves have special roots that enable
them to thrive in brackish water (brackish water is salty, but not as
salty as sea water).
There are several features that all species of mangrove trees
have in common. They are tolerance to the conditions of high soil
salinity, tolerance to low oxygen conditions, and tolerance to
submergence in water or soil. They are also reproductive by means of
specialized seeds called seedlings.
 Now that we have discussed the various features which all
mangroves share. Let’s take a closer look at several mangrove species
found all over the world. They are Red Mangroves, Black Mangroves,
White Mangroves, and many others. Some species are very close to a
large fresh water source (such as a river). Some prefer areas that are
sheltered from waves. Some species closer to the shore have their
roots covered with sea water. Other species grow on dry land, but are
still part of the ecosystem.

1. The type of the text: .............................................

2. The Generic Structure:
3. Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
Text 4

NEW YORK- USA

New York is the biggest city in the U.S. It is located in Southeastern

New York state. New York is composed of five boroughs: Bronx,
Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Of course, everyone
knows about Manhattan, the 23 square mile island that is home to the
most famous buildings in the land.

Getting around New York in a car is not recommended. Find a good

hotel and leave the car there for the duration of your stay. Then pick
up one of MTA's various Metrocard pass, which at $4 for 1 day or $17
for 7 days is a bargain. Everywhere you want to go can be reached by
the extensive subway system, although it may take some time to
understand the system. The subway has been cleaned up in recent
years, and it is very safe to ride - certainly safer than trying to
negotiate Manhattan streets during rush hour.

New York is a very big city, with literally hundreds of different

neighborhoods. Manhattan itself is home to Battery Park, the Financial
District, Soho, Greenwich Village, Tribeca, Midtown, Broadway, Harlem,
Central Park, Times Square, and many other famous areas. Each of
these districts is worth visiting, and each can easily take a day, but for
most roadtrippers, only a few days are available. Unlike most cities,
which you can research upon arrival, you should do some planning
before you reach New York - you don't want to waste a minute here.
Unique museums, quiet parks, incredible views, world-class
restaurants - all are within a few minutes no matter where you are.
1. The type of the text: ............................................

2. The Generic Structure of the text:

3. Questions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.