Theadvanced explanation book Sue Palmer Explanation text tells
Theadvanced explanation book Sue Palmer
Explanation text tells how or why a process happens (or how something works). This is sequential and deals with cause and effect.
These texts are often ‘explanation texts’… “question & answer” articles and leaflets write-up of science equipment encyclopaedia entry explanation science text book parts of a non-fiction book technical manual (e. g. for car or washing machine) (e. g. geography, biology)
Explanation text needs e s o p Pur • to explain a process • to help the reader understand how or why something happens (or why something is as it is) • to engage the reader’s attention. The genre of text can also affect the purpose. • a title telling what’s to be explained • introduction, providing any necessary background • clear layout (e. g. sections, paragraphs) which helps show the stages in the process • each paragraph starts with a A topic sentence sums up topic sentence what the paragraph is about. • maybe labelled picture(s) or diagram(s) • organisational devices to aid clarity (e. g. bullet points, subheadings) • closing sentence, to round off the report.
Explanation writing e c n e i Aud Use what you know about your audience to decide • think about the audience for the explanation • how much background detail is needed • how much do you know about them (age, interests, prior knowledge) • appropriate level of formality. Think about your audience when you plan the layout. How can you make it easy for them to read? Where should the text sit along these continua? informal personal impersonal The position on each continuum may be different. Impersonal texts are sometimes written informally, and personal texts may be formal.
Planning and organising explanations Simple explanation: • a series of logical steps leading to More complex explanations e. g. cts e eff e l sib r e Rev leading to • possibly other causes and effects at each stage. More than one cause Probably. . . labelled diagram(s) Cycle
Organising explanation text o r Int defines the process Intro When you have made your flowchart skeleton, each blob gives you one paragraph (or section) in your writing. the process in logically sequenced steps neat last line End d En Explanations can be complicated. You may have to draft your flow chart several times. But making the flow chart – and other diagrams – can help you understand the process better.
Explanation language features • present tense verbs (unless historical explanations) • time connectives to show sequence of events • causal language • impersonal language • technical vocabulary, with definitions if necessary. bec aus if. . . then. . . e . . . t a h t n o s a the re when so. . . n i s t l u s e r s this ca uses. . . e r o f e ther
Impersonal writing • third person • passive voice • formal connectives, e. g. However, Therefore, Furthermore, Consequently • usually formal vocabulary e. g. placed rather than put known as rather than called. The stic k was placed i n. . . This is known as. . . s i r o t o The m. . . y b d operate The sides are covered in. . .
Alternative ‘skeleton’ note-taking frameworks effects * cause and effect grid * ‘clockface’ cycle * labelled diagram(s) (often with arrows) * sequence of pictures * cross section c a u s e s
Example of ‘skeletons’ in use Taken from ‘How to teach Writing Across the Curriculum’ by Sue Palmer, with many thanks to David Fulton Publishers
Why do people die if they stop breathing? In order to stay alive, human beings need a constant supply of oxygen (a gas found in the air) to all parts of the body. They also need to rid their bodies of a waste gas called carbon dioxide, which would otherwise poison them. These two gases are carried round the body in the blood. Veins carry blood to the heart and arteries carry blood away from the heart. Both veins and arteries divide into millions of tiny capillary blood vessels. Gases can move between the blood in the capillaries and tiny cells which make up the human body. When a human being breathes in, air goes into the lungs, which are like two spongy bags filled with millions of air sacs. Oxygen from the air passes through the sacs into the capillary blood vessels. The blood then carries the oxygen through a vein to the heart. The heart pumps this oxygen-carrying blood around the whole body through arteries which divide into capillaries to reach the body cells. Oxygen passes from the blood to the cells, and carbon dioxide (the waste gas) passes from the cells into the blood. Veins take this waste-carrying blood back to the heart, which pumps it back to the lungs. There the carbon dioxide passes into the air sacs. When the human being breathes out, the carbon dioxide is pushed back into the air. Breathing in and out is therefore essential because it ensures that life-giving oxygen is constantly replaced and poisonous carbon dioxide expelled. Skeleton
Air Contains oxygen (O ) ² Breathe in air capillaries O ² capillaries Ve in Air sacs HEART AIR LUNGS Air sacs Breathe out CO ² capillaries y er t r A ery t r A O ² cells BODY Ve cells in CO ² capillaries Text
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