The document provides information about the text type of recount, including its social function, generic structure, grammar, and examples. A recount tells a story or describes an event or activity in the past tense. It typically includes an orientation, events in time order, and optional reorientation. Grammar for recounts focuses on simple past and past continuous tense.

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RECOUNT
A recount text is a text that telling the reader about one story, action or activity.
Social function :
1. to give the audience a description of what occurred and when it occurred
2. to retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining
Generic structure:
- Orientation: the setting and introduce participants; tells who was involved, what happened,
where the events took place, and when it happened. Example:
When I was in junior high school, I was not a very diligent student.
- Events in time order: tell what happened, in what sequence. Example:
Once, my teacher grounded me in the librarybecause I did not do my Biology homework.
- Reorientation: optional-closure of events/ending. Example:
After I read the book, I realised that science is useful for human kind
Example of recount:
Orientation I had my adolescence when I was thirteen.
Events It started with acne that showed up on my face.
It was very annoying. It lowered my self-esteem and I was
embarrassed to come out of my house and play with friends.
Fortunately, my Mum gave me a good medicine.
In three weeks, the acnes started to vanish although those showed
some black spots in my face.
Reorientation That was my bad experience with adolescence, though there were
still lots of good experience too.
Grammar :
Recount is written in past tense, mostly written in simple past and past continuous tense even
though you can add past perfect and past perfect continuous tense in your writing.

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Simple past tense is used for actions completed in the past. It is also used for telling a past habit.
The form of simple past tense is
(+) S + V2 + O/ or S + was/were + O/C,
Example: I studied math last night
She was in the kitchen.
(−) S + didn’t + V1 + O/C or S + was/were + not + O/C,
Example: We didn’t go to market yesterday
You weren’t in the meeting room last time.
(?) Did + S + V1 + O/C ? or was/were + S + O/C ?
Example: Did father wash his car yesterday afternoon?
Were they in the playground two days ago?
Past continuous tense is used for actions happened in the exact time in the past. The form is
(+) S + was/were + V1 + ing + O/C,
Example: I was studying math on 7 pm last night.
(−) S + was/were + not + V1 + ing + O/C,
Example: We weren’t going to market yesterday
(?) Was/were + S + + V1 + ing + O/C ?
Example: Were they playing football in the playground?
Past continuous and simple past tense can be used together with connector when and while. The
forms are
Make sure the first action uses past
continuous tense and the second
action uses simple past tense.
In this form two activities are
equivalent.
EXERCISE
Past Continuous Tense + when + Simple Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense + while + Past Continuous tense

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I. Rearrange these paragraphs into a good recount :
a. My uncle and my aunt were very nice. We visited Batam Centre, Waterfront City and Nongsa
Beach. The weather was hot all day long.
b. When we went to a place called Barelang, Seno didn’t want to go to the ex Vietnam camp, he
wanted to go fishing on the Melur beach. So I went to the ex Vietnam camp on my own, but I
didn’t enjoy it.
c. Unfortunately, Seno and I disagreed on most things. He played loud music when I wanted to
sleep. When his best friend came to stay, I had to sleep on the floor.
d. I went to my uncle’s house in Batam last month on the long holiday. I stayed with Uncle
Antasena and Aunt Firda and their son which is my cousin Seno. They live in a small house in
the centre of the city called Nagoya. I liked the house but I didn’t like the area much because it
was very noisy.
e. I can’t say I would like to go back to my uncle house. It wasn’t a very good holiday.
II. Complete the paragraph with simple past tense and answer the questions
Mrs. Wilcox____(have) a terrible day on Monday. You see, her entire life is her appointment
book and she ____(lose) it.
She____(go) to Chicago for a business meeting. At the meeting, she____(look) in her briefcase
for her appointment book, but it____(be, not) there either.
After the meeting she____(have) dinner and ____(see) a movie. Then she____(return) to the
hotel. At the hotel she____(get) a surprise, there ____(be) a message from the airline.
They____(say) they____(find) her appointment book. She____(leave) it on the plane.
1. What did happen to Mrs. Wilcox on Monday?
2. Where did she go for her business meeting?
3. What did she do after meeting?
4. What did she find at the hotel?
5. Where did actually she leave her appointment book?

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III. Rewrite these sentences into the correct form
1. The traveler (look) for a place to rest when it (start) to rain.
2. The little boy (cry) when we (find) him.
3. Mr. Clinton (type) while his wife (cook) in the kitchen.
4. The thieves (run) when Mr. Simamora (exit) from his bedroom.
5. When the teacher (teach) chemistry lesson, the students (sleep) in the classroom.
6. Uncle Tom and his son (clean) the house at six o’clock this morning.
7. While her husband (repair) the car, Amanda (feed) the baby.
8. Rosa (not study) Japanese when her aunt (come)
9. When it (rain) yesterday, Satyo and Feri (not play) football.
10. The earthquake (happen) when Mr. Farhan’s family (have) a trip to Makassar.
IV. Rewrite these ideas into a good recount
1. The reunion between my grandmother and her friend.
2. Go round by car, my grandmother drive.
3. Turn left when there’s a sign don’t turn left!
4. A police stop and give them a traffic ticket.