Types of Text

Descriptive text

 1.The Definition and Purpose of Descriptive Text

Descriptive text is a text which say what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to describe and reveal a particular person, place, or thing

2.The Generic Structure of Descriptive Text

Descriptive text has structure as below: Identification; identifying the phenomenon to be described. Description; describing the phenomenon in parts, qualities, or/and characteristics.

 3.The Language Feature of Descriptive Text 

Using attributive and identifying process. Using adjective and classifiers in nominal group. Using simple present tense

Example: My Cat Gregory

Gregory is my beautiful gray Persian cat. He walks with pride and grace, performing a dance of disdain as he slowly lifts and lowers each paw with the delicacy of a ballet dancer. His pride, however, does not extend to his appearance, for he spends most of his time indoors watching television and growing fat. He enjoys TV commercials, especially those for Meow Mix and 9 Lives. His familiarity with cat food commercials has led him to reject generic brands of cat food in favor of only the most expensive brands. Gregory is as finicky about visitors as he is about what he eats, befriending some and repelling others. He may snuggle up against your ankle, begging to be petted, or he may imitate a skunk and stain your favorite trousers. Gregory does not do this to establish his territory, as many cat experts think, but to humiliate me because he is jealous of my friends. After my guests have fled, I look at the old fleabag snoozing and smiling to himself in front of the television set, and I have to forgive him for his obnoxious, but endearing, habits.

Narative Text

Definition of Narrative

Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or past events and entertain the readers.

Generic Structure of Narrative

A narrative text will consists of the following structure:

1. Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place

2. Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with

3. Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse

Language Features of Narrative

·Using processes verbs

·Using temporal conjunction

·Using Simple Past Tense

Example : Snow White

In earlier times there lived a , who named Snow White . He lived with his aunt and uncle because his parents died . One day she heard her uncle and aunt talking about leaving Snow White in the castle because they wanted to go to America and they did not have enough money to take Snow White with them . princess Snow White did not want her uncle and aunt to do this . So he decided to escape .

The next day he ran away from home when her aunt and uncle were having breakfast , he fled into the wood . In the wood she felt very tired and hungry . Then she saw this cottage . She knocked but no one answered her so she went inside and felt asleep Meanwhile seven dwarfs came home from his work . They get into . There, they found Snow White woke up from his sleep . He saw the dwarfs . The dwarf said : " What is your name ? ' Snow White said , " My name is Snow White . " One dwarf said , " If you want , you can stay here with us . ' Snow White tells all about her story . Then daughter snow and the seven dwarves are now living happily ever after.

Report Text

In general, the report text is one kind of text into "factual texts." The text of this kind is often said to be the "twin brother" descriptive text so naturally many students "confused" how to distinguish the two texts.

Previously, short and simple, it's been a strange explanation about the differences between them (read: confused report text or descriptive text); Again it's just a small difference, and almost all the students can digest. Therefore, to explore what the report text, let us consider together the following information:

Definition of Report Text

Generic Structure Report Text

Characteristics of Report Text

Example Report Text: Thanksgiving Day

Example Report Text: Venice

Example : Report Text

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and the attempt of Native Americans. It is usually celebrated in late autumn. 

In the past, Thanksgiving was celebrated for their rich harvest in New England. In North America, however, it was originally held to thank God for their survival in the new land which was not easy for them. However, in Canada, it had been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving now is celebrated in United States of America and in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every fourth Thursday of November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is usually celebrated in four to five days in the North America and for three days in Canada.

It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the main dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held. In Thanksgiving homes are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. Lamps are lighted to brighten the environment. Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to mark the occasion.

Spoof Text

Definition and Social Function of Spoof

Spoof is a text which tells factual story, happened in the past time with unpredictable and funny ending. Its social function is to entertain and share the story.

Generic Structure of Spoof

1. Orientation
2. Events
3. Twist

Language Feature of Spoof

1. Focusing on people, animals or certain things
2. Using action verb; ate, ran, etc
3. Using adverb of time and place
4. Told in chronological order

Example : Spoof Text

Soon after he left college, Dave found one of his uncles who was very rich and had no children of his own died and left him a lot of money, so he decided to set up his own real estate agency.

Dave found a nice office. He bought some new furniture and moved in. he had only been there for e few hours when he heard someone coming toward the door of his office.

“It must be my first customer” Dave thought. He quickly picked up the telephone and pretended to be very busy answering an important call from someone in New York who wanted to buy a big and expensive house in the country.

The man knocked at the door while this was going on. He came in and waited politely for Dave to finish his conversation on the phone. Then the man said to Dave; “I am from the telephone company and I was sent here to connect your telephone”

News Item Text

News item is a text which informs readers about events of the day. The events are considered newsworthy or important.

Generic Structure of News Item

1. Main event
2. Elaboration (background, participant, time, place)
3. Resource of information

Language Feature of News Item

1. Focusing on circumstances
2. Using material process

Example : Growing Number of High School Student Smoking

A survey has found about 13 percent of first-time smokers in the country are junior high school students. It also revealed 89 percent of young female employees were smokers.

The survey was conducted in five major cities across the country, including Surakarta in Central Java.

Muhammad Syahril Mansyur, the Surakarta Health Agency’s respiratory illness division, said that the finding of the survey showed an alarming growth rate of Indonesian smokers. "This situation is a cause for concern,” he said. “It appears the country’s younger generation is uneducated about the health risks of smoking.”

The Indonesian anti-tobacco campaign has reportedly been deemed as ineffective as the government refuses to sign the international convention on tobacco control. It said that cigarette producers contributed to a large amount to state revenue and gave jobs to thousands of workers.

Review Text

a.   What is the Review Text ? 

      Review text is an evaluation of a publication, such as a movie, video game, musical composition, book; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theatre show or dance show.

b.   Purpose of Review Text

      Review text is used to critic the events or art works for the reader or listener, such as movies, shows, book, and others.

c.   Generic Structure of Review Text

-     Orientation : Background information of the text.

-     Evaluations : Concluding statement : judgement, opinion, or recommendation. It can consist      ot more than one.

            -     Interpretative Recount : Summary of an art works including character and plot.

-     Evaluative Summation : The last opinion consisting the appraisal or the punch line of the art works  being criticized.

Example: Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix

      I absolutely love the Harry Potter series, and all of the books will always hold a special place in my heart.

      I have to say that of all the books, however, this one was not my favorite.

      When the series began it was as much of a “feel good” experience as a huge mug of hot cocoa. The stories were bright, fast-paced, intriguing, and ultimately satisfying.

      Order of the Phoenix is a different kind of book. In some instances this works you feel a whole new level of intensity and excitement by the time you get to the end. I was truly moved by the last page. Other times the book just has a slightly dreary, depressing feel. The galloping pace of the other books has slowed to a trot here, and parts of it do seem long, as if we’re reading all about Harry “just hanging out” instead of having his usual adventures. Reading in detail about Harry cleaning up an old house, for example – housekeeping is still housekeeping, magical or no, and I’m not very interested in doing it or reading about other people doing it.

      A few other changes in this book – the “real” world comes much more in to play rather than the fantasy universe of the previous books, and Harry has apparently been taken off his meds. I know that he had a lot to be grumpy in this book, especially with being a teenager and all, but the sudden change in his character seemed too drastic. He goes from being a warm-hearted, considerate person to someone who will bite his best friend’s heads off over nothing. It just seemed like it didn’t fit with his character, like he turned into a walking cliché of the “angry teen” overnight. The “real” story seemed to happen in the last 1/3 of the book, and this part I loved. I actually liked the ending (and yes, I cried!) as sad as it was. It packed a punch and it made me care about the story even more. Still a really good book, with some editing it would have been great.

Hortatory Exposition Text

According to Hartono (2005), the generic structure of hortatory exposition are:

1. Thesis

Thesis is similar to tentative conclusion which needs to be proven by certain fact and argument. In the end, it can be true or false. Thesis is introducing the topic and indicating the writer’s position. The thesis consists of statement or announcement of issue concern

2. Arguments

This is the phases which try to examine and support that the thesis stated above is true. It is explaining the arguments to support the writer’s position. The arguments then will lead to recommendation. Example: Firstly, smoking in a restaurant is impolite. The smell of the smoke affects all people and can turn them off their food. People pay to taste good food and not to be put off by foul smelling smoke.

3. Recommendation

This part give suggestions which contains what should or should not be done or happen based on the given arguments. This recommendation is differentiating from analytical exposition. It is restating the writer’s position. Example: It is suggested that smokers consider stopping smoking for their health. Therefore, smoking in restaurants is impolite, harmful to others and a health risk to the smokers and should not be allowed in any restaurants.

Language features of hortatory exposition text

1. A hortatory exposition focuses on generic human and non-human participants, except for speaker writer referring to self.
2. It uses mental processes: to state what the speaker / writer thinks or feels about something, e.g. realize, feel.
3. It often needs material processes: to state what happens, e.g. .... has polluted...., etc.
4. It usually uses Simple Present Tense and Present Perfect Tense.
5. Enumeration is sometimes necessary to show the list of the given arguments: Firstly, secondly, finally, et.
6. Modal auxiliary is usually used: can, may, should, etc.

Example : Hortatory Exposition Text

A hortatory exposition is a type of spoken or written text that is intended to explain the listeners or readers that something should or should not happen or be done. In other words, the main function Hortatory Exposition texts is to persuade the reader or listener that something should or should not be the case. To strengthen the explanation, the speaker or writer needs some arguments as the fundamental reasons of the given idea. This kind of text is called as argumentative essay. It presents argument to support the thesis that state in the orientation. It means that the text emphasize something and give recommendation to persuade and convinced the readers.

Hortatory exposition text can be found in scientific books, journals, magazines, newspaper articles, academic speech or lectures, research report etc. Hortatory expositions are popular among science, academic community and educated people. It means that the text that asserts something to the readers by giving supporting statement and evidence to convince it. To make the persuasion stronger, the speaker or writer gives some arguments as the fundamental reasons why something is the case.

According Pardiono (2007) there are some general characteristic or features of hortatory exposition text: communicative purpose, schematic structure (generic structure), and linguistic feature. Communicative purpose is driving the readers to act like the writer thought as stated in the text. Semantic structure or generic structure consists are thesis, argument, and recommendation. Thesis is a writer’s statement of his or her position about a certain topic or problem. Argument contains description of facts to support his or her statement. It is commonly more than one argument. Recommendation contains a suggestion, an advice or a recommendation. Then the last is language features contains appropriate grammar in the text.

Discussion Text

Definition of Discussion

Discussion is a text which present a problematic discourse. This problem will be discussed from different viewpoints. Discussion is commonly found in philosophical, historic, and social text.

Generic Structure of Discussion

Statement of issue; stating the issue which is to discussed

List of supporting points; presenting the point in in supporting the presented issue

List of contrastive point; presenting other points which disagree to the supporting point

Recommendation; stating the writer’ recommendation of the discourse

Language Feature of Discussion

Introducing category or generic participant

Using thinking verb; feel, hope, believe, etc

Using additive, contrastive, and causal connection; similarly, on the hand, however, etc

Using modalities; must, should, could, may, etc

Using adverbial of manner; deliberately, hopefully, etc

Example : Television

Television becomes part of our life. Everyday we watch television. We usually watch television after working, getting together with our family, even when we are working. As the part of our life, television has bad and good effects. People have different opinion about the negative and positive impacts of watching TV. The bad effects most people say are TV makes us lack of movement. We stay for a long time in our TV. It's not healthy life. They also say that TV influence our daily life. Sometimes we don't realize that we become more consuming after watching various ads. Some TV shows influence the way children act. The rudeness and violence come to our house without permission through television. But, the other people say that television has a good impact. We can get much information from TV. When there is something happened in another city, we know directly, fastly through the news on TV. TV also makes us relax. After working all day, we come home and turn on TV to watch funny and comedy videos. We can conclude that TV has a good and bad effects to our life. Our task is how to choose the good things and try to take away the bad one.

Anecdote Text

Anecdote is a text which retells funny and unusual incidents in fact or imagination. Its purpose is to entertain the readers.

Generic Structure of Anecdote
1. Abstract
2. Orientation
3. Crisis
4. Reaction
5. Coda

Language Feature of Anecdote
1. Using exclamation words; it’s awful!, it’s wonderful!, etc
2. Using imperative; listen to this
3. Using rhetoric question; do you know what?
4. Using action verb; go, write, etc
5. Using conjunction of time; then, afterward
6. Using simple past tense

Example : CLARK FAMILY

There was a black family in Scotland years ago. They were Clark family with ninechildren. They had a dream to go to America. The family worked and saved. They weremaking plan to travel with their children to America. It had taken several years but finallythey had saved enough money. They had gotten passport. They had booked seats for thewhole family member in a new liner to America.The entire family was full of anticipation and excitement with their new life inAmerica. However few days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog.The doctor sewed up the boy. Because of the possibility of getting rabies, there were being quarantined for long days. They were in quarantine when the departure time came.The family dreams were dashed. They could not make the trip to America as they had planned.The father was full of disappointed and anger. He stomped the dock to watch theship leaved without him and his family. He shed tears of disappointment. He cursed bothhis son and God for the misfortune.Five days latter, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland. The ship, the mightyTitanic, had shank. It took hundreds of passenger and crew with it. Titanic which had been called the unsinkable ship had sunk. It was unbelievable but it was.The Clak family should have been on that ship, but because of the bitten son by adog, they were left behind. When the father heard the news, he hugged the son andthanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives. It was a blessing behind a tragedy.

Explanation Text

Definition and purposes of Explanation

Explanation is a text which tells processes relating to forming of natural, social, scientific and cultural phenomena. Explanation text is to say ‘why’ and ‘how’ about the forming of the phenomena. It is often found in science, geography and history text books.

Generic structure of Explanation
General statement; stating the phenomenon issues which are to be explained.
Sequenced explanation; stating a series of steps which explain the phenomena.
Language Feature of Explanation
Featuring generic participant; sun, rain, etc
Using chronological connection; to begin with, next, etc
Using passive voice pattern
Using simple present tense

Example : Explanation Text

Explanation texts about food
How a chocolate is made

Explanation texts about toy play
How a kite flies

Explanation texts about natural phenomena:
How a tsunami happens
How a Venus eclipse happens
How an earthquake happens
How rain happens
How seasons happen
How day and night happens
Why daylight in summer is longer than in winter

Explanation texts about technology
How a cell phone works
How a fuel light works

Explanation texts about monumental things
How roman roads were built
Why Eiffel tower was built

Explanation texts about diseases
How a cancer is formed

Recount Text

Definition of Recount

Recount is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. Its purpose is either to inform or to entertain the audience. There is no complication among the participants and that differentiates from narrative

Generic Structure of Recount

1. Orientation: Introducing the participants, place and time
2. Events: Describing series of event that happened in the past
3. Reorientation: It is optional. Stating personal comment of the writer to the story

Language Feature of Recount

• Introducing personal participant; I, my group, etc
• Using chronological connection; then, first, etc
• Using linking verb; was, were, saw, heard, etc
• Using action verb; look, go, change, etc
• Using simple past tense

Example : Recount Text

Last morning, Dinar, my roommate woke up late and she had to go to campus.

When she wanted to take her motorcycle, in fact she couldn’t move it because there were some motorcycles that blocked up her motorcycle.

She tried to move all of the motorcycles, so that her motorcycle could move from the garage. But she couldn’t do it.

Then, she called Adel who had that motorcycle which blocked it up. After that, her friend who had that motorcycle helped her. Finally, she could move her motorcycle and rode it to go to campus.

Anakytical Exposition Text

Definition of Analytical Exposition

Exposition is a text that elaborates the writer‘s idea about the phenomenon surrounding. Its social function is to persuade the reader that the idea is important matter.

Generic Structure of Analytical Exposition

1. Thesis: Introducing the topic and indicating the writer’s position
2. Arguments: Explaining the arguments to support the writer’s position
3. Reiteration: Restating the writer’s position

Language Features of Analytical Exposition

·         Using relational process

·         Using internal conjunction

·         Using causal conjunction

·         Using Simple Present Tense

Example : The Dangerous of Using Drugs

Everybody must pay attention of drugs. Drugs are very dangerous for us. Why it is very dangerous for us? Because its can caused harm to our body.

In terms of health, many organs in our body can be harm because using drug. In general, the impact of using drug are can unconscious, make us hallucinate, can harm our nerve, and cause addictive effect. Beside that, using drugs can make the users depressed, liver disease, schizophrenia, blockage of blood vessels, dehydration, optic nerve damage, brain damage, and finally it can cause DEATH!

When viewed in terms of Islamic law, drugs are forbidden. Because it is cause badness, self harm, debilitate. And Islam proscribes all that can cause badness, self harm because it is included zhalim. Also if we using drugs, it means we already do the forbidden things in Islam, it means we sin. So, in terms of Islamic law, using drugs also dangerous.

Furthermore, if the users of drugs are teenagers, it can endanger their future, and endanger their homeland, their country. From the data, 32 percent of drugs users in Indonesia are teenagers, so, if many teenagers –in this case Indonesia- use drugs, it can be endanger this country, harm youth generation, whereas youths are nation expectation. If the youth using drugs, our nation can be destroy!

So, from now on we must pay attention of drugs, because it’s very dangerous, both in terms of health, religion (Islam), nationality and state.

Procedure Text

Definition of Procedure

Procedure is a text that show a process in order. Its social function is to describe how something is completely done through a sequence of series

Generic Structure of Procedure

1. Goal: showing the purpose

2. Material: Telling the needed materials

3. Step 1-end: Describing the steps to achieve the purpose

Language Feature of Procedure

-       Using temporal conjunction

-       Using action verb

-       Using imperative sentence

-       Using Simple Present Tense

Example : HOW TO MAKE INDOMIE FRIED NOODLE

MATERIALS :
- One pack of instant noodle
- Water

PROCEDURE :
- First, boil two glasses of water in a pan.
- Then, open the package of Indomie fried noodles.
- While waiting for the water to boil, pour the seasoning: chili sauce, soya sauce and oil into a bowl.
- After the water is boiled, drain the noodles.
- Next, throw away the water.
- Then, pour the noodles into the bowl.
- After that, mix the noodles with the seasoning, sauce, and the other ingredients.
- Now, your noodles are ready.