T H E FAC T S … A N D N O T H I N G B U T T H E FAC T S

RECOUNTS

LESSON AGENDA

• By the end of this lesson you would be able to:

• Understand what is a recount• Know the purpose of recounts and their language

features• Know how to plan and then write a recount

LESSON REFERENCES

• Longman’s Complete Guide to Upper Secondary Composition, Pearson-Longman, Singapore: 2003, 2008

INTRODUCTION

• Recounts are used in everyday life to record or describe in a sequential manner daily events

• They are shaped by:

• Our own observations and ability to recall the event• Our own feelings, opinions, biases etc., about the

subject.

PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAPS…

• Can you think of examples of recounts?

• With your partner sitting next to you…come up with an example of a recount…lets see how many we can come up with?

• What do the recounts that you have suggested have in common?

WHAT IS A RECOUNT?

• Longman defines recounts as follows:

• “…A recount tells “what happened”. The events are

usually told in the order in which the events occurred.

The purpose is to tell the reader when the event

happened and give the description of the details in

a sequential manner (words in italics are my own) …”

(Longmans: 107)

TYPES OF RECOUNTS

• There are three types of recounts which may be set in the O’Level English Examinations. These are:

• Factual Recounts• Personal Recounts• Imaginative Recounts

FACTUAL RECOUNTS

• This type of recount captures the details (or facts) about a particular event.

• for example a newspaper article of a court trial

• …or a student’s report to the principal about the disappearance of a student.

FACTUAL RECOUNT

• Characteristics:

• The writer need not have been directly involved with the incident or need not be even physically present.

• So how does the writer get information about the event?

• Interviews with people at the scene…• refer to police reports about the incident…• Conducts independent research on the facts…

PERSONAL RECOUNTS

• A Personal recount tells the details of an event that the author/writer may have been involved with personally or was present at.

• Example:

• A student’s account of an accident she caused in a science lab

• The written details of the writer’s life in the form of an autobiography

IMAGINATIVE RECOUNTS

• These recounts involve the writer or speaker or are “told” by a fictional character. They are based on real life events that are embellished by the use of:

• creative or imaginative language or• that require the use of imagination

• Examples:

• A description of the events following a natural disaster such as an earthquake that is told from the writer’s imagination.

IMAGINATIVE RECOUNTS VS NARRATIVES

Imaginative Recounts

• An imaginative recounts tells what happened. Events in the recount are real although participants may be fictional.

• There are participants and a background to the recount…

• There are also events that link it together and that are told in the past tense.

Narratives

• A narrative tells what happened by using imagination is brought in to play rather than the events being real.

• There is suspense throughout to make the reader want to read on.

• Events - more complicated & involves problems to be resolved.

• Feelings are being expressed. Sometimes thoughts and reflections

STRUCTURE OF A RECOUNT

• While there are three types of recount, they generally follow the same structure:

• Part One: An Introduction – this part places the reader in a particular position. It indicates:

• What the event was• Where and When it happened and • Who was there: • Remember: “5 Wives and 1 Husband”

STRUCTURE OF A RECOUNT

• Part Two: A Body – The body contains a series of events in the order in which they occurred.

• Remember: Sequence, in order of time (chronological)

• Part Three: A conclusion – This part is put in for a personal comment. May be omitted if it is not a personal recount

LET’S WORK ON THIS

• Read the following recount…can you identify the parts?

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE PARTS?

Dear Mum and Dad, We had a great time yesterday. It was our first day in Singapore.

First we were taken to our new school and were introduced to the other students at Assembly. Then we sat with the Vice-Principal and worked out our courses and subjects we would take. After that we were released to spend the rest of the day as we wanted.

In the late morning, our host parents took us to the MRT and showed us how to take it to get to school. They later took us for a delicious lunch of local food – I had my first plate of chicken rice!

It rained in the afternoon – a real tropical downpour which made the end of the day much fresher and cooler. In the evening, after our meal, I prepared all my books and stationery for school. My host mother, Mrs Lim helped me to get my uniform ready.

It was a most successful day.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 1: Use adjectives, adjectival phrases and clauses to add details to the description:

• “The white Mazda, which was obviously speeding, narrowly missed two 14-year-old boys who were standing on the footpath under the towering trees…”

• (For imaginative recount…can afford to give more adjectives that reflect on the feelings of the “key players”) but for factual recount….stick with the facts.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language feature 2: Use connectors to do with time• example: then, after, five minutes later, etc.

• “…On the morning of the meeting he spent some time going over his notes. Later, he changed some of his original ideas, incorporating new ones and from the interviews he conducted earlier that day. That evening he was ready – ready to make the announcement they were all waiting for…”

• Here are some other examples: now, when, following that, afterwards, meanwhile, next, at this moment, lastly, at this point, before that, soon after, momentarily.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 3: Use nouns, proper nouns, noun phrases and clauses:

• Write the names of people, places and events to make your account believable

• Noun phrases are groups of words without a verb e.g. – “my lively cousin”, “his shiny, white, car”, “my crazy godfather”

• Noun clauses are groups of words that contain a verb but the main word is still the noun: “my hilarious cousin jumped straight in…”, “…my forgetful aunt, remembered nothing”

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 4: Use passive voice where appropriate – this give the account a “reported, objective feel”:

• The tree was broken in two by the impact of the car.• The test tube of hot liquid was dropped by the student

• The passive voice allows you to describe an event from the point of view of the thing or person affected.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 5: Use past and past perfect tense to re-tell the events and report the words spoken.

• Eg. • The accident was not the first one on that stretch of road

(past tense).

• There had been at least three similar accident on the same road in the last three weeks. (past perfect tense)

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 6: Use the 3rd person, when writing a factual recount

• Do Write: The class was stunned by the announcement• Don’t write: You all became quiet after the

announcement

• Exception: When writing personal recount where you (the writer) are supposed to be part of the action.• We climbed on board the bus and settled down waiting

for Mrs Lee’s instructions.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

• Language Feature 7: Use actual words spoken through indirect or reported speech

• Write: The boy was visibly distressed when his injuries were dealt with by the doctor.

• Don’t write: “Ouch” cried the boy as he was being examined by the paramedic. His tears began welling up in his eyes at the pain.

LESSON RECAP

• What are recounts?

• What is the structure of a recount?

• Name the 7 features of a recount?

NOW LETS TRY IT OUT!

• Refer to the assignment worksheet given to you:

• Refer to the information sheet to give you the facts of the incident.

• Write a factual account based on the point of view of the character you are supposed to be.

• Account should be 350 words long.