Explanation Text Type

Learning objectives:
By
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

the end of this unit you are expected to be able to:

Understand the range of explanation texts.
Identify the generic structure of explanation texts.
Identify the language features of explanation.
Write the explanation texts.
Use abstract nouns, action verbs, present tense,
conjunctions of time and cause, compound and
complex sentences, passive sentences, participle
phrases, technical language.

 1. What is explanation text?

2. Mention the generic
structure of the explanation
text?
3.Mention some language
features of the explanation
text?
4. What is the communicative
purpose of Explanation text?

What is an Explanation ?
There will be times when you want to tell
someone how or why something occurs.
Your science teacher might ask you to tell
how pollution affects the environment.
Your little sister might ask you why some
trees do not have leaves in winter.
Speaking or writing about how or why
things happen is called explanation.

 The explaining text type tells

how or why something occurs.
It looks at the steps rather
than the things.
The purpose of an explanation
is to tell each step of process
(the how ) and to give reasons
( the why).

Some examples of
explanations are
How something occurs
Why something happened
Why things are alike or
different
How to solve a problem

Explanation
An explanation tells how or why
something occurs.
Explanation can be spoken or
written
and the purpose is to tell each
step of the process ( the how )
and to give reasons ( the why )
for it.

Features of an
explanation

Constructing an explanation
A written explanation usually
involves three steps:
First, there is the general statement
about the events or thing.
next follows a series of paragraphs
that tell the hows and whys.
The final step is a concluding
paragraph.

Features of an Explanation
Constructing a written explanation
The steps for constructing a written
explanation are:
A general statement about the event or
thing.
A series of paragraphs that tell the
hows or whys.
A concluding paragraph.

The three-part explanation

scaffold

Description in the
introductory paragraph.
2.A sequence of sentences
that tell how or why.
3. A conclusion
1.

Note: Scaffold = framework

The two-part explanation

scaffold
1.Description
in
the
introductory paragraph.
2.A sequence of sentences
that tell how or why.

Grammatical/language
features of an explanation

The language features usually

found in an explanation are:
Technical language.
Words that show
cause and
effect.
Use of timeless present tense.

Explanation
Explanation texts explain how or why
things happen; e.g.: how acid soil
affects farm productivity.
Explanation begins by identifying the
phenomenon (thing) that will be
explained. (Phenomenon
identification.)
Then there is an explanation sequence
which explains how things work.

Explanation: example
This sample explanation is
labeled to show you the
structure and language
features of an explanation
text.
Hyperlink:
..\..\materingajar\EXPLANATIONTEXTTYPE
..\..\materingajar\EXPLANATIONTEXTTYPE\Model of an explanation.doc

Open Ms-word to show the sample

of Explanation
( File: explanation text type. doc)
Title: The effects of acid soil

Features of an explanation
Constructing a written
explanation:
* a general statement about the
event or thing.
* a series of paragraphs that tell
the hows or whys.
* a concluding paragraph.

Language features in an
explanation:
The language features usually
found in an explanation are ;
Technical language.
Words that show cause and
effect.
Use of timeless present tense.

An explanation text can have three

main parts :
1. A general statement about the events or thing
this can serve as an introduction to the
explanation, and gives the audience a description
of the event or thing and a preview of what the
rest of the text will be about.
2. A series of paragraphs that tell the hows or
whys these should be in a sequence so that the
audience is told of the process that causes the
event or thing happen.
3. A concluding paragraph if this is included , it
signals to the audience that the explanation has
finished.
Note: sometimes explanations do not have a
conclusion.

EXPLANATION
Explanations tell how and
why
things
occur
in
scientific
and
technical
fields.
They may include visual
image, such as flow charts
and diagrams, which need
to be carefully examined.

Social function :

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

Text Organization :

A general statement:
to position the reader.

A
explanation

sequenced
of

why or how something

occurs.

Closing

Language Features

Focus on generic, non-human participants.

* Use mainly of general and abstract
nouns, action verbs, simple present tense,
passive voice, conjunction of time and
cause, noun phrase, adverbial phrase,
complex
sentences,
and
technical
language.
* Use mainly of Material and Relational
Processes.
* Use mainly of temporal and causal
Circumstances and Conjunctions.
* Some use of passive voice to get Theme
right.

Notes:

Material processes are verbs that

show activities which can be seen.
E.g. write, eat, walk, etc.
Material processes consist of
DOING and HAPPENING.
DOING : create, make, build,
develop, send, throw, strew. Pour,
dissolve, etc.
HAPPENING
: move, fall, rise,
come, go, soften, harden, melt,
etc.

Noun phrase
The element in the sentence
which function as subject,
object, or complement.
E.g.: The pretty girl standing
in the corner is my sister.
She and her friends never
dance.

Noun Clauses
A dependent clause
serving a nominal function.
E.g.: Everyone agrees that
the play was a
success.

Adverb
A word which modifies a
verb, an adjectives, or
another adverb.
There are many kinds of
adverbs.
They are :

Kinds of Adverbs
1. Adverbs of manner: E.g.: quickly,
bravely, hard, fast, well etc.
2. Adverbs of place: e.g.: here, there, up,
down, near, etc.
3. Adverbs of time: e.g.: now, soon,
today, yesterday, tomorrow, etc.
4. Adverbs of frequency: e.g.: often,
never,
5. Adverbs of degree: rather, quite,
hardly

ABSTRACT

NOUNS

An abstract noun is a word for a

concept.
It is an idea that exists in our mind
only.
We can not see, touch and smell the
abstract nouns.
Those words can not be perceived by
the senses.
An abstract noun describes a quality
or an idea.

Examples of abstract
nouns:

- advice - knowledge
Beauty
- loyalty
Kindness - happiness Behavior - curiosity Fun
- help - health
Liberty
- wisdom
Pride
education
Patience
- news
-

- courage
hospitality
intelligence
luck
confidence
- justice
peace

TECHNICAL LANGUAGE
Technicaal Term
TECHNICAL LANGUAGE is a
word or phrase that belong to
particular science, art,
profession, etc,
E. g: - Tsunami
- Earthquake

Etc.

CONJUNCTIONS

A Conjunction is a word
used to connect sentences
or sentence parts. We use
conjunction to join clauses.

Coordinating
conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions
are the conjunctions that
connect sentences and
sentence parts of equal
rank. E.g.: and, but , or.

Subordinating
conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are

conjunctions which join sentence
parts of unequal rank. Usually they
begin dependent clauses. Some of
the most common ones are:
because, since, though,
although, if, while, before, as,
until, so that, as long as,
whereas, in order that, when.

Temporal conjunctions.
Temporal conjunctions are
conjunctions that show the
time sequence of events.
E. g: then, afterwards,
ever since, when, before,
after.

 Conjunctions for time clauses : after,

before, since, while, when, as.
Conjunctions for result clauses: so, so
that.
Conjunctions for contrast clauses:
although, though, even though, while.
Conjunctions for reason clauses: as,
because, in case, for.
Conjunctions for purpose clauses: so that,
in order to.
Conjunction for manner clauses: as, as if,
as though.

COMPLEX

SENTENCE

A complex sentence is a sentence

which contains one or more
dependent clauses.
A complex sentence is a sentence
which contains one or more
dependent clauses, in addition to its
independent, or main, clause.
E.g. : : When it rained, we went
inside.
Dep. Cl. Ind. Cl.

The complex sentence

has two parts:
A. An independent
clause.
Independent clause is a
group of words contains a
subject and a predicate and
which can stand alone as a
sentence.

 It is a complete thought and

can stand as a sentence by
itself. An independent clause
is also called a main clause
or a principal clause does
not depend on another
clause, although it may be
linked to another
independent clause, or to a
dependent clause.

B. A dependent clause.
Dependent clause is a group of
words which contains both a
subject and a predicate but
which does not stand alone as a
sentence.
It is not a complete thought. It
needs to be attached to the
independent clause to get its
meaning.

 A dependent clause is also called a

sub-clause/ a subordinate clause.
A dependent clause is a clause must be
used with another clause to form a
complete grammatical construction. It
depends on the other clause.
Dependent or subordinate clauses are
often linked to independent clause by a
subordinating conjunction like : when,
that, after, because, since, though,
although, if, while, before, as,
until, so that, as long as, whereas,
in order that, or by a relative pronoun
like: who, whose, which, what, that .

 E. g:
She told me
that she was going
abroad.
Ind.Clause
dependt. clause
I am going straight home after Ive
seen the film.
Ind. clause
dep. clause
I ll put the money in a bank or Ill
spend it.
Ind. cl.
Independent cl.

A compound sentence
A compound sentence is a
sentence which contains two or
more independent clauses which
are joined by co-ordination, like:
and, but, and or.
A compound sentence is a
sentence which combines two or
more independent clauses.

 E, g : - Hes a small boy but hes

strong.
Ind. Clause
Ind. Clause
- Ill either phone you or Ill send you a
note.
Ind. Clause
Ind. Clause

Writing task /take home assignment.

Try to find an explanation text ( can be
from internet, magazine, books,
newspaper, etc).
Copy or rewrite on a piece of paper and
analyze it ( Its generic structure, its
function, its language feature etc. and
quote the example if necessary ) in:
Size
: letter /A4
Font : times new roman 12
Spacing line: doubled ( 2 )
Do the assignment in group of 3 or 4