Non-fiction texts: Recount

Recounts can come in a number of forms. Some of these forms are given below. The only problem is that the letters in each word are jumbled up. Can you work them out?

airdy diary

nourjal journal bragyphio

tauboogirayph biography autobiography Can you think of any more?

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Non-fiction texts: Recount

Recounts give a written version of something past. Here are some of the usual features, or conventions, of recount texts.

written in the first person (e.g. autobiography) or the third person (e.g. biography) written in the past tense

a variety of sentence structures are used, to create different effects

the active voice is usually used connectives are used to indicate time, cause or to contrast dialogue may be used There may be sophisticated use of punctuation for effect (e.g. colons, dashes, brackets) 2

Non-fiction texts: Recount

Here are some connectives that my be useful when writing a recount text. Some of the letters are missing. Can you work them out?
although See how many more you can list.

a _ t_ o_ gh

l_t_r

later

_ o_ ev _r

however

m _ _ n _ hile

meanwhile

Non-fiction texts: Recount

The first person is used

Lets explore some of these features in this extract of a diary written by a student. Thursday
Today I felt really ill. I think it was the school fish stew, followed by a dose of Maths with Dolly. I was working happily minding my own business until he asked for the homework due in. I managed to think up the best excuse I could: it was stolen and used by the cook in the fish stew, but I still got detention.
Quotation marks indicate a nickname
Connectives related to time

Past tense

A colon is used to introduce the excuse.

Subordinate clause used

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Non-fiction texts: Recount

Here is another recount, this time a biography of a teacher.

Charles Frank Whackem (18451945) was a highly respected school master. As the son of the founder of the school, he felt it his duty to uphold the school values embodied in the school motto: A whack in time saves nine. Despite his love for the cane, his students admired him. As one student commented: What a bloke. Nobody could wield a cane like Old Beaky!

Work with a partner and analyse the features of recounts present in this passage.

Did you spot any of the following?

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Non-fiction texts: Recount

brackets

Past tense Colon used to introduce information

connectives

Charles Frank Whackem (18451945) was a highly respected school master. As the son of the founder of the school, he felt it his duty to uphold the school values embodied in the school motto: A whack in time saves nine. Despite his love for the cane, his students admired him. As one student commented: What a bloke. Nobody could wield a cane like Old Beaky!

Third person (plural)

Subordinate clause

Dialogue to give an idea of character

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Non-fiction texts: Recount

Have a go at writing your own recount! Here are some ideas: An account of Sports Day for the School Magazine A journal of a school trip, by one of the teachers. The diary of a student who went to Oromocto High School in 1950
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