RECOUNT

Recount is a type of text which tells a series of past event.

The structure of Recount text is as follows:

1. Orientation: It shows the setting and participants.
2. Event(s): Tell the readers what happened (one after the others)
3. Re-orientation: It closes the events

Language Features:

• Uses past tense
• Includes the time or place setting.

When writing recounts you should:

• focus on individual people ie use the words, I or we

• use words which indicate when (eg after lunch) and where the events took place (eg in the shed)

• write in the past tense eg had, visited

• use action words eg helped, crutched.

The following is an example of recount text.

One Saturday morning I was very surprised finding myself still in bed whereas the time was 7.30. “O my goodness, I am late” I said after I realized that the class began at 7.30. Hurriedly, I rushed to the bathroom and washed my face. In this situation, I didn’t even have any single minute to have breakfast. I got-dressed and then took my bag lying on the table.

I took my motorcycle, then rode it fast. It was quite obvious that the speedometer showed 110 km/hour. At a crossroad, I found the red light of the traffic light had just been on. No seconds, I had crossed it. On the right side mirror I could see three policemen were starting to chase me. What a pity! Suddenly, I had a flat tire. I didn’t even have any chance to run away. I  was fined fifty thousand rupiahs for breaking the rule. Soon I found my wallet empty. I knew that the tire of my motorbike had to be changed, but I had no more money for it.

I looked at my mobile phone to check the time. It was already 7.48 a.m. At the same time I could see a large luxurious building surrounded by big trees. It was my campus. I decided to push my motorbike toward the campus. Exactly at 8.17 a.m., I arrived at the front yard of the campus. I was sweating much. As a result, most parts of clothes attached to my body were wet-soaked.

Soon after I had parked my motorbike under a tree, I wondered seeing nobody there. I tried to make myself sure that I came too early. But, the sun shining brightly high above in the sky was enough to make me believe that the time on the screen of my mobile phone was precise. I was about to enter one of the rooms in the building. I heard somebody called me. I knew him well. He was Pak Kamarudin, a security . “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I have a test today but I don’t see anybody here” I replied. He laughed, and then he said, “Have you checked your today's calendar?”   

                                                                                                         (private doc.)

Answer the following questions based on the text above!

1. What is the text about?  
    a.  The writer's unlucky day
    b.  The broken motorcycle
    c.  The Saturday morning
    d.  The imprecise clock
2. What is the purpose of the text?
    a. To retell the past events

    b. To describe the experience
    c. To amuse readers
    d. To tell readers how to come to campus early
3. From the text, we know that the writer ...
    a. stayed up late
    b. overslept
    c.  did not sleep all the night
    d. forgot to take a bath
4. The writer is a ...
    a. teacher
    b. lecturer
    c. student
    d. security
5."I didn’t even have any chance to run away." (paragraph 2). What does the underlined words mean?
    a. walk away
    b. stay away
    c. kidnap
    d. escape