Pengertian Recount Text (What is Recount Text)

What is recount text? As we have spilled a bit above, recount text is a text that retells events or
events in the past. The story can be an action or activity before someone writes the text.

If in English, recount text is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. Without realizing
it, we must often talk about past experiences in everyday life. For example, telling stories about
vacation activities, participating in competitions, and much more.

Tujuan Recount Text (The Purpose of Recount Text)

Each text has its own purpose. In recount text , the purpose is to provide information about an event
to the reader, or to entertain the reader. Again, in English we can say “ to inform or to entertain the
readers. ”

Generic Structure of Recount Text (Struktur Recount Text)

Guys , we need to know that any text generally has a writing structure. Even in recount text , of
course there is a structure that we must follow. There are three generic structures of recount text .
What are you? Come on, check below!

What is recount text (pengertian recount text), generic structure of recount text

1. Orientation

Did you realize that most text will start with orientation . In Indonesian, it means orientation or
introduction. Of course, the content of orientation is information about the character or character,
location, time of occurrence , etc.
Through orientation , it is hoped that the reader can understand the storyline of the author. An
example of orientation in recount text :

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go on a vacation to one of my dream countries, Turkey. I
went there with my husband. We departed from Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang. We had a
very long flight for around 12 hours by Turkish Airlines and we landed at Istanbul Airport, Istanbul.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to go on vacation to one of my dream countries, Turkey. I
went there with my husband. We departed from Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang. We had a
very long flight of about 12 hours with Turkish Airlines and we landed at Istanbul Airport, Istanbul.

We can see from the snippet of the paragraph above, that the author introduces the characters,
locations, and also the time of the events to be told.

. Series of Events

Are you familiar with the word events ? Yes, event is an event, while series means a series. In this
section, the author will write a series of events that they have experienced (the essence of recount
text ).

In addition, authors usually express personal remarks on the events , aka personal statements about
the stories written. An example of a paragraph like this:

On the first day, due to exhaustion, we just stayed at the hotel near Hagia Sophia to rest. The next
day, we left for Taksim to visit one of the popular destinations, Galata Tower. We saw a lot of
shopping centers and local authentic cafes there. After that, we visited one of the Malaysian
restaurants that I really wanted to visit in the Blue Mosque area.

On the first day, due to exhaustion, we only stayed at a hotel near Hagia Sophia to rest. The next
day, we left for Taksim to visit one of the popular destinations, Galata Tower. We saw lots of local
authentic shopping malls and cafes there. After that, we visited one of the Malaysian Restaurant that
we really wanted to visit in the Blue Mosque area .

3. Reorientation

In making recount text , the end of a story is called reorientation . In this section, the author will
provide a summary and conclusion of the whole story as well as tell the ending ( sad/happy ) . If
there is, the author will also add an impression and message for the reader. A simple example of
reorientation :

A trip to Turkey a few years ago was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. The
bonus, two weeks after arriving in Indonesia, God trusts us to have the child. We think that having
quality time with a partner is very important.

A trip to Turkey a few years ago was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. The
bonus, two weeks after arriving in Indonesia, God entrusted us to have children. We think that
having quality time with a partner is very important.

Ciri-ciri Recount Text (Characteristics of Recount Text)

After reading the meaning of recount text and also the generic structure of recount text , what do
you think are the characteristics of this type of text? Here are its characteristics:

1. Even though it has the same purpose as narrative text to entertain readers, there are still
differences, guys . In recount text , there is no conflict that is told by the author. So, purely related to
the story.

2. There is always a sequence of stories. For example, as in the example above, there is the first day,
the second day, and so on.

Language Features of Recount Text

When going to make recount text , of course there are some linguistic rules that you need to pay
attention to. It aims to distinguish recount text from other types of text. Quoting from various
sources, here are 10 commonly used language features :

Language features of recount text

You still remember these tenses , right? Yep , in recount text , most of the stories are filled using
simple past tense sentences to show activities in the past.

The sentence pattern is divided into two, namely there is a verbal sentence with the formula subject
+ verb 2 + complement and a nominal sentence with the formula subject + be + complement . If you
forget, check again the article Simple Past Tense: Definition, Formulas, Functions, and Example
Sentences ! Here's an example sentence:

Last week , my friends and I went to Jogja.

( Last week , my friends and I went to Jogja.)

Went is the simple past tense of go .

2. Using specific participant

Recount text is also closely related to specific participant , which is something that has a certain
object, is not general, and is unique (there is only one). Examples include Istanbul Airport ,
Borobudur Temple, Muara Angke, Geusan Ulun Museum , etc.

3. Using personal participant

Personal participant for example like I, my group, my friends, my husband , etc. In recount text ,
usually a personal participant will appear in the orientation section as an introduction to a character
or character in the story.

4. Using action verb

Quoting from the article 11 Types of English Verbs (Verbs) and Examples , action verbs are verbs that
refer to actions that you take and can be seen by others. These verbs are also known as dynamic
verbs . Example sentences:
First, we visited Parangtritis beach.

(First, we visited Parangtritis beach.)

Visited is a verb that can be seen by others.

5. Using linking verb

It's still a matter of verbs, as a text that tells a series of events, of course it cannot be separated from
linking verbs , namely verbs that connect the subject and description.

But, what must be underlined is, linking verbs are used to provide descriptive information and
identity of the subject. So, not referring to the actions performed by the subject.

Some examples that include linking verbs are be, become, seem, appear, grow. Be consists of is , am
, and a re for the simple present tense . Meanwhile, what applies to recount text is the simple past
tense , namely was and were . Example sentences:

Yesterday, I was busy towards the end of the month and I had to work late.

(Yesterday, I was busy towards the end of the month and I had to work overtime.)

There, was serves to connect between I and busy towards the end of the month.

6. Using chronological connection/sequence connective

Chronological connection or also known as chronological connector/connector of sequence is a

Chronological connectors are useful for stating which activity occurs first and which one occurs next.
These conjunctions make it easier for the reader to understand the overall sequence of events.
Examples of chronological connectors are then, next, in the end, in addition, and so on. Consider the
following example:
We looked around in that Zoo, and also took pictures of those animals. Then , we felt hungry, so we
went to a restaurant.

(We had a look at the Zoo, and also took pictures of the animals. Then , we were hungry, so we went
to a restaurant.)

7. Using conjunction

Conjunction is a part of speech whose job is to connect two words, phrases, or sentences. Examples
of conjunctions in recount text are and, or, until, although, while, but, and many more . This is how it
is applied in a sentence:

One of my friends warned me that Samyang was very spicy, but I didn't want to listen to her.

(One of my friends warned me that Samyang was very spicy, but I didn't want to listen to it.)

8. Using adverbs

In simple terms, adverbs are adverbs. It provides more information or describes in more detail of
verbs, adjectives, and other words. Examples of extremely, carefully , slowly , etc. In a sentence, an
example would be:

She walked carefully.

(He walks carefully .)

Carefully serves to explain the verb walked .

9. Using adverb(ial) phrase

Lo, what is the difference between an adverbial phrase and an adverb ? At first glance it's hard to tell
the difference, guys . An adverbial phrase is an adverb phrase, aka a phrase whose function is to
explain. If an adverb is a part of a sentence whose function is to explain the whole sentence, a verb,
an adjective, or another adverb .
Well, an adverbial phrase is part of an adverb , but it's not always a single word and is usually part of
a clause or phrase. There are various types of adverbial phrases, but the most widely used in recount
texts are the adverb phrase of time and adverb phrase of place which are used to explain the time
and place of the incident. Come on, take a good look at the example below:

Adverb phrase of time: Camelia found her book in the classroom. (Camelia finds her book in class. )

Adverb phrase of place: My team won the volleyball tournament last week . (My team won the
volleyball tournament last week. )

10. Using time connectives and sequence connective

So guys , these connectives are words or phrases that connect parts of words, phrases, clauses or
sentences. If you look again at points 6 and 7, they are part of connectives . The time connectives ,
for example, are in the meanwhile, the next day, etc.

In addition, there is also a sequence connective to sort information by step . Example: before, after,
then, first, second, third, finally, at last.

Macam-macam Recount Text (Types of Recount Text)

The next thing to know is that recount has several types, here . Here is the explanation:

Kinds of recount text

1. Personal Recount

Personal recount text is one type of text that aims to tell about the author's personal experience.
Personal recount is the most common type that is often found in recount writing .
2. Factual Recount

Have you ever heard of this type of text? Factual recount text is a story to present reports related to
events that occurred based on facts (really happened).

So, this is not fixated on personal events, it can also happen to other people. Examples such as
reports on scientific experiments or science or police reports.

3. Imaginative Recount

Not only narrative text, recount text also has an imaginative type . Imaginative recount is a text that
is usually used by someone as a story of an imaginative event experienced by someone. For example
, a recount text that tells the author's experience about the fantasy he got from a dream.

4. Historical Recount

Historical recount is a form of recount text whose contents tell historical events. In essence, this text
is a historical story in English. Eits, but distinguish it from narrative , yes.

In narrative , its character is fantasy. Meanwhile in recount text , the history that is told really
happened in the past. For example, the proclamation of Indonesian independence.

Examples of Recount Text (Contoh Recount Text)

Last but not least , here are some examples of recount texts that you can read and study in more
detail:

Example of Personal Recount Text

A Trip to the National Zoo and Aquarium

Yesterday, my family and I went to the National Zoo and Aquarium to visit the new Snow Cubs and
the other animals. In the morning, when we got to the Zoo and Aquarium there was a great big line,
so we had to wait awhile to get in.
After we entered the zoo, we went straight to the enclosure for the Snow Cubs. My brother and I
were so excited to see them. They were so cute and playful. At lunchtime Dad decided to cook a
bbq. He cooked sausages so we could have sausage sandwiches. My Mom forgot the tomato sauce
so we had to eat them plain. In the afternoon, we visited the aquarium. My brother was excited to
see the sharks and the tropical fish. At the end of the day when we left we were going to go and get
ice cream but we decided we were too tired so we drove straight home, but of course I was very
happy.

Contoh Factual Recount Text

On Children's Day in 1999, a technology company treated more than 200 underprivileged children to
a 'high-tech' experience. They were given training on information technology. The company wanted
to provide opportunities for these children to learn more about the Internet and the latest
technology. They wanted to help the less fortunate in the community.

The children had an enjoyable and educational experience that day. They were exposed to the new
technology for the first time and they were very interested. The company hoped to conduct many
more such training sessions for these children. They felt that the skills the children had would be
useful to them when they grew up.

The company was very active in caring for the less fortunate. They even put aside one day a year for
their employees to do volunteer work to help the needy. They also donated money to many
charitable organizations. Many people had benefited from their efforts. Many also praised the
company for being so generous towards the needy.

Contoh Imaginative Recount Text

I dreamed of being a superhero when I was a teenager. I imagined myself as Spiderman.

One day, when I was fishing at the river I was bitten by a spider and luckily I was not dying. At first I
felt cold for 24 hours and I was alone in my room. Nobody knew about it. I didn’t tell my family
because I was afraid they would be angry with me. After that, something had happened in my body
and I still did not recognize it. I lived as I did usually, went to school, went home, ate, did some
activities and so on.
I realized at the first time that I had a superpower was when I was in an accident. I rode a motorcycle
and suddenly a bus crashed into me. I bounced out of the road and my motorcycle was totally
broken. But in that case, I did not feel any pain. There was no blood out of my body. I was angry at
that time because the bus did not stop and escaped. I ran after it and I didn’t know why I could run
so fast and jump so high.

I jumped to the back of the bus and climbed it like a spider. I went to the front, stopped the bus and
took the driver out of the bus door. I knew that I was no longer a normal human being. I did nothing
more to the bus driver. I went back home and decided what to do after that.

I did nothing like Spiderman in the movie that helped people to catch the criminals. I was an
opportunist super hero. I was afraid of killing people so that I hid my power from anybody else. I
used my power only when I or my family and friends got into danger.

Contoh Historical Recount Text

For more than 30 years, Indonesia was governed by Suharto as the president after the era of
President Soekarno. As the people started to feel injustice, several cracks emerged that shook the
political condition. Political tensions in the capital city increased by the numerous riots that occurred
in several cities and violent ethnic clashes.

The government became unstable and struggled as a monetary crisis hit Asia in the second half of
1997. Indonesia suffered the most. Prices rose massively and many businesses went bankrupt. As
the economy fell down, people got angry and protests occurred everywhere. The protests became
bigger and riots started in many parts of Indonesia.

During the monetary crisis, Suharto could maintain his position as president when he was re-elected
in March 1998. However, Suharto did not do anything that could help the economy. As the
government seemed helpless in bringing the economy back, people demanded President Suharto to
step down.

Demonstrations were held everywhere and it became the peak with the Trisakti incident on 12 May
1998. Four students were shot to death when demonstrating at Trisakti University at Jakarta and 9
students were killed at Semanggi. The incident led to huge riots in Jakarta and various cities all over
Indonesia.

Finally, Suharto was pushed to step down and the reformation era began in Indonesia.