EXPLANATIONS Advanced GenreBased Writing 9 th Week By

EXPLANATIONS Advanced Genre-Based Writing 9 -th Week By Dra. Sri Mulatsih, M. Pd. asihpnrg@yahoo. com

EXPLANATIONS SOCIAL FUNCTION o o To give an account of how something works or reasons for some phenomenon. To explain the processes involved in the formation or workings of natural or socio cultural phenomena.

TYPES o Explaining how: - Mechanical explanation (How does a pump work? ) - Technological explanation (How does a computer work? ) - System explanation ( How does a company work? ) - Natural explanation (How are mountains formed? )

TYPES (Cont……. ) o Explaining why: - Why do some things float and others sink? - Why is the ozone layer thinning? - Why do we have different seasons? - Why does iron go rusty? - Why do living things need food?

SCHEMATIC STRUCTURE o General Statement about phenomenon To position the reader o Explanation - To give a sequenced explanation of how or why something occurs.

SIGNIFICANT GRAMMATICAL/LANGUAGE FEATURES o o o Generalised non-human participants ( the wind, glaciers, computers, etc. ) Time relationships ( first, then, following, finally) especially in explaining how. Cause and effect relationships (if/then, so, as a sequence, since) especially in explaining why. Mainly action verbs (material process: fall, rises, changes) Some passives (is saturated, are changed, etc. ) Timeless present tense (are, happens, turns)

EXAMPLES o o FROM BEVERLY DEREWIANKA FROM GEROT AND WIGNELL