Name :Muhammad Candra Dwi Setiya Budi

Class :E
NIM :932212914
Explanation Texts
Structure and features of explanation texts
Definition of Explanation text
The explanation 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 the process (the
how) and to give reasons (the why). (Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, 1997:81)
Explanation is a text which tells processes relating to forming of natural, social, scientific,
and cultural phenomena.
According to Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson (1997: 82) says that the
explanation text type is often used to tell how and why thing (phenomena) occur in nature.
Some examples of explanations are: How something occurs, why something happened, why
things are a like or different, how to solve a problem, etc.

PURPOSE
An explanation is written to explain how and why something in the world happens. It
is about actions rather than about things.
Explanations play a valuable role in building and storing our knowledge. Technical and
scientific writing are often expressed in this form.

TYPES OF EXPLANATION
When writing explanations we establish that the phenomenon exists and then explain
why or how this came about. The writer should acquire a great deal of content knowledge
before beginning the explanation.
There are different types of explanation. One type explains an occurrence or how
something works. It may be mechanical explaining how a lawn motor works, technological
describing how a computer works or natural when describing how avalanches occur.
A second type explains why things happen, for example why objects expand and contract and
why bathroom mirrors mist up when we shower. Yet another type may explain the
similarities and differences between objects and a final type would explain how to approach a
problem that has to be resolved.
This text type links with Science and Technology topics where explanations of natural
or non-natural phenomena are explored, for example how a television works, why
earthquakes occur, how tornadoes are formed and how sound moves through a variety of
materials. It also has links with Human Society and Environment where explanations are
written for how cotton is processed to become articles of clothing, why we should exercise
and eat a healthy diet and how cheese is processed from milk.
Explanations are written by members of a number of professions to explain processes.
Medical researchers write explanations for doctors, nurses and health workers about how
medical problems develop. Weather forecasters explain weather patterns and changes for
farmers, students and scientists. A biologist will describe how butterflies develop from
cocoons for students and conservationists.
Students should be writing detailed and accurate sequences of events and at this stage
should be writing explanations showing causal relationships as well as sequential ones.
Causal relationships explain natural happenings such as tornadoes, earthquakes or a lunar
eclipse.
Technical terms play an important role in explanation texts. A glossary of terms may
be included at the back of the book or writers may write a definition of terms within the text.
It is important that students understand that explanations can be part of a larger text. It
is quite usual to find explanations within a report to explain some aspects of the information.
They are frequently found as an integral part of a procedural text, the procedure explaining to
the reader how to do something and the explanation detailing how it works.

STRUCTURE OF
EXPLANATION TEXTS
Explanations have the following structure:
• Title
• General statement introducing or identifying the phenomenon
• Series of sequenced paragraphs
• Concluding paragraph
• Labelled diagrams and flow charts.

Title
Explanations have a title that prepares and leads the reader to the text. This can appear
in a variety of forms from a heading that names the action to a how and why question or a
problem that is to be answered by the explanation.

General statement
The first paragraph has a general statement that introduces or identifies the scientific
or technical phenomenon. It gives the audience a brief introduction to the event or thing and
an understanding of the type of text that is to follow.

Sequenced statements
At this stage students’ explanations are developing causal relationships as well as
sequential ones. The logically sequenced paragraphs explain why or how something happens
rather than focusing on an object. The explanation sequence should consist of a series of
happenings, actions, causes or processes that are the focus of the text type. This chain of
actions, causes or events results in the phenomenon about which the explanation is written.
Events may be related according to time or cause or through both and should be detailed and
accurate, ensuring that all elements have been included. Sequences often develop by
explaining how the events happen over a period of time: first this happens and then this is
followed by the next event. It is important that in addition to researching the facts, students
understand the reasons behind them. Attention should be focused on writing these reasons in
their explanations.
It is important that students realize that they will need to make thoughtful decisions
about what to write and the order in which the information should be presented. Generally
there is no human involved in the process of events.

Concluding statement
An optional concluding statement can tie up the explanation.
Labelled diagrams
Labelled diagrams and flow charts can be used to clarify information or to add
additional information not included in the explanation.
Particularly in scientific texts accurate diagrams and illustrations are important as they
support the text. Students will need to research the topic, making notes, drawing diagrams
and making drawings. They can make use of the scaffolds and outlines to assist with the
development of these skills.
LANGUAGE FEATURES OF
EXPLANATION TEXTS
 Use of present tense.
 Use of complex noun groups to build detailed descriptions, e.g. the enormous expanse
of arid land; The rampaging, threatening river.
 Use of abstract nouns, e.g. heat, earthquakes.
 Use of pronouns for words already introduced in the text.
 Usually the subject is not human, e.g. mountains, rain, video.
 Use of sentences that have a clear subject and verb agreement.
 Use of action verbs to explain cause, e.g. from, started from.
 Use of adverbial phrases of time and place to tell where and when actions occurred,
e.g. It is to be found in North America.
 Use of connectives to link time sequences in a cause and effect sequence, e.g. first,
then, after, finally, so, as a consequence.
 Use of passive voice and nominalization to link the events through cause and effect.
 Use of time conjunctions, e.g. when, as, to sequence and link events and to keep the
text flowing. Placing of these conjunctions first in the sentence in order to focus the
reader’s attention, e.g. When he reached the summit of the mountain, he felt
exhilarated.
 Use of technical terms or word chains about a subject, e.g. a spider falls into the
family of arachnids.
Significant Lexico grammatical Features

 Focus on generic, non-human Participants

 Use mainly of Material Processes and Relational Processes

 Use mainly of Temporal and causal Circumstances and Conjunctions