Recount Text

2.1.2       

Recount is a text that has social function to tell the reader, a story had happened for the purpose of informing or entertaining. Recount texts can be from of personal letters, diary, history, biography or autobiography and the similar. It is supported by Warner (2009:25) that ”A recount tells the reader about something that has happened. It can be story (fictional) recount or factual recount”.  Where this event took place and when it happens, this called the orientation sequence of event is the description in some sort of order (e.g time). There may be Re-Orientation at the end which summary summarize the event. The purpose of recount text is to give the audience a description of what occurred and when it occurred.

Recount is a text which a story that has happened in the past. The purpose is either to inform or to entertain the audience. According to Pardiyono “recount text can be defined simply as a text which is made by the purpose to inform the activity in the past. (Pardiyono 2007:67).” From definitions above, it is clear that recount text tells the even in the past. So, to produce recount text, it should use past tense.

Recount is different from narrative although both talk about past events. Narrative deals with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point which in turn finds a resolution while recount does not has to come to a serious crisis or complication.

Generic Structure of Recount Text

1. Orientation tells who was involved, what happened, where the events took place, and when it happened.
2. Events tell what happened and in what sequence.
3. Reorientation consists of optional-closure of events/ending.

(http://www.englishindo.com/2014/03/recount-text-full-materi-contoh.html)

Purpose: To retell events.

Structure:

1.      Opening - setting the scene, eg I went to the shop…

2.      Events – recount of the events as they occurred, eg I saw a vas

3.      Ending - a closing statement, eg When I got back, I told mymum.

Types of recount text:

1.      Personal Recount- retelling of an activity that the writer/speaker has been personally involved in (e.g. oral anecdote, diary entry, etc.)

2.      Factual Recount- recording the particulars of an incident (e.g. report of science experiment, police report, etc)

3.      Imaginative recount- taking on an imaginary role and giving details of events (e.g. a day in the life of roman slave, etc.)

Language feature:

1.      Proper nouns to identify those involved in the text

2.      Descriptive words to give details about who, what, when, where and how

3.      Individual participant, it is focused on the specific actor

4.      The use of past tense to retell the events

5.      Action verbs show the occurrence or events such as, stayed, climbed, etc

6.      Time connective and conjunction to sort occurrence, such as after, before, soon, then, after that, etc.