Recount Text

Recount text is one kind of English text which should be studied by the tenth-grade students of
high school. This kind of text focuses to explore the events that have happened in other
person’s life or the own writer’s experience.
Biographical recount is a text which has a purpose to retell the event of famous person’s life.
A detailed description or account of a person’s life and written by someone else, it is
nonfiction text.
Function of Biographical recount text
▪ To know a person’s story about his/her life outside of any accomplishments this
person may be known for.
▪ To give many information easily and educate the readers.
Characteristics of Biographical recount text
1. Biography is not written by subject and always written in third person. (
Dengan kata lain teks biografi tidak dibuat oleh orang yang sedang diceritakan riwayat
hidupnya, tetapi diceritakan oleh oranglain dalam sudut pandang orang ketiga.)
2. Based on research.
(Teks tersebut dibuat berdasarkan fakta pengalaman hidup suatu tokoh berisi
mengenai kisah atau cerita suatu tokoh dalam mengarungi kehidupannya, entah itu
berupa kelebihan, masalah atau kekurangan yang ditulis oleh orang lain sehingga
patut menjadi teladan.)
3. Describes the person’s surroundings (where, when and how the person lived).
4. Use vivid language to narrate events.
(Bahasa yang jelas harus benar-benar diaplikasikan dalam sebuah teks biografi agar
menghindari kesalahan dalam informasi yang disajikan.)

Generic Structure of Biographical recount text

1. Orientation (Introduction)
It is the opening paragraph, gives the readers the background information of the person.
Biasanya berisi tentang biodata yang dinarasikan seperti nama lengkap, tempat dan
tanggal lahir.Bagian awal biasanya mencakup latar belakang. Maka pada
biographical recount biasanya menjelaskan siapa tokoh yang ditulis dan apa perannya
atau apa yang membuat penulis menuliskan kisah hidupnya.
 2. Events
In events, should be chronological order.
Tahap ini adalah bagian kejadian atau peristiwa yang dialami oleh tokoh. Berisi
penjelasan suatu cerita baik itu berupa pemecahan masalah, proses berkarir, dan
berbagai peristiwa yang pernah dialami oleh tokoh hingga mengantarkannya pada
sebuah kesuksesan.

3. Re-Orientation (Closing)
It consist of conclusion or a comment or the writer. Tell about the echievement or the
contribution of the person.
Pada penutup, bagian ini berisi tentang pandangan penulis kepada tokoh yang
dikisahkan. Reorentasi ini bersifat opsional, jadi boleh ada maupun tidak.

Grammar and language features

1. Use of simple past tense.
Sebuah bentuk sederhana kejadian yang terjadi di masa lampau. Menggunakan
bentuk kata kerja kedua (verb 2).
e.g. : – The family then moved to his stepfather’s home country.
– He was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
2. Temporal sequence (urutan waktu) and temporal conjunction (konjungsi temporal).
Sebagai penghubung antara satu kalimat dengan kalimat lain dalam urutan waktu.
e.g. : His parents separated when he was two years old.
3. Focus on Specific participants
Use of Action verbs. kelompok kata yang menjelaskan sesuatu hal yang secara
aktif dilakukan oleh tokoh.
e.g. : the family then moved to his stepfather’s home country.
Types of Biographical recount text
▪ Short biographical recount text (focuses only on highlights of a person’s life)
▪ Long biographical recount text (about life and times of someone in a lot more detail
EXAMPLE: Recount Text

Indonesian First President (Title) Generic Structure

Sukarno was the first president of Indonesia. He was born in 6 June

1901 and died in 21 June 1970. He led his country to fight against
Netherlands and the man who proclaimed the independence. Sukarno was a
Orientation
prominent leader of nationalist movement during the colonial period. He
spent more than a decade under the detention before released by the
Japanese force.

Ir. Sukarno and all his nationalist fellows collaborated to collect

support in spreading nationalist ideas. When Japan surrender the Indonesian
independence was declared by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta on 17 August
Event 1
1945. At the same time, Sukarno was appointed as the president and
Mohammad Hatta as vice president. After became president, Sukarno had
to fight once again against resisting Dutch re-colonization efforts.

After parliamentary democracy chaos in 1957, Sukarno put an

autocratic system called Guided Democracy. It successfully ended the
rebellions and instability which were threatening the country. In the early Event 2
1960s, Sukarno brought the country to the Soviet by giving protection and
support to the Indonesian Communist Party.

Unfortunately, the 30 September movement in 1965 ended the

communist era and Sukarno’s position as president was replaced by
Event 3
Suharto, the man who became president for 32 years. After Suharto in
charged, Sukarno was exiled to Bogor and spent the rest of his life there.

Questions:
1. Translate the text entitled “Indonesian First President” into Indonesia.
2. Identify the tense used in the text.
3. Write down 10 verbs and 5 to be used in the text.
4. If you were Sukarno, what would you do for Indonesia better?

Submit your answers this afternoon for not more than 5 pm at MS Teams.
Please don’t be late.