Forms Cultural Purpose Linguistic Structures and Features
Narrative • Ballad • To entertain, inform, teach Structure
Imaginary and Factual
• Poetry • To extend the reader’s imagination • Sequence of actions
• Fable • To involve reader reflection • Orientation
• Story • Complication
• Anecdote • Resolution
• Personal recount Features to focus on
• Song • Specific participants
• Historical recount • Action verbs- verbal and mental processes
• Fairy tale • Tense
• Myth • Linking words to do with time
• Descriptive language
• Choice of person
Information Narrative • Poetry • to amuse Structure
• Speech • to entertain • narrative structure:
• Joke, riddle etc. • to describe orientation
• Song – social comment complication
• Cartoon resolution
• information woven into story structure
• varies according to form
Features to focus on
• factual information
• subject-specific vocabulary
• specific participants
• action verbs - verbal and mental processes
• tense
• linking words to do with time
• descriptive language
• choice of person
[Link]/studentlearning/teachingresources/english (c) State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 1999
• vary according to form
Transactional • Survey • to negotiate Features to focus on
• questionnaire • to clarify thinking • involves others
• complaint • to compare • identification of the parties involved
• apology • to maintain relationships • vocabulary related to the occasion
• greeting card
• interview
• introduction
• letter
Recount • personal • to retell an event Structure
• factual • to describe • orientation
• imaginative • to inform • temporal sequence of events
• biography • personal comment/reorientation
• historical recount • includes anecdotes/recounts
• autobiography • may/may not include chronological order of
events
features to focus on
• action verbs
• specific participants
• past tense
• pronouns
• temporal links
• active and passive voice
• use of description
• inclusion of personal comments, opinions on and
interpretations of events
Report • information report • to classify and describe Structure
• descriptive report • to compare • focus on groups of things
• investigative report • to record feelings and observations • opening general statement/classification
• scientific/technical report • facts about specific aspects of the topic are
grouped together
Features to focus on
[Link]/studentlearning/teachingresources/english (c) State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 1999
• economical language
• present tense
• formal objective
• technical/scientific terms
• organisation of information
Procedural Texts • directions • to command or to direct behaviour Structure
• instructions • sequence of actions or steps to direct behaviour
• message • focuses on audience in general (you implied)
• agenda • basic structure includes:
• recipe o goal
• manual o materials
• rules for games etc. o method
Features to focus on
• Use of headings, subheading, diagrams etc.
• Identification of target audience
• Use of action verbs
• Timeless present tense
• Use of conjunctions – to do with time (temporal
connectives)
• Use of imperatives
• Detailed information
• Subject and process – specific vocabulary
Persuasive Texts • discussion • to persuade Argument
• argument • to put forward point of view • issue and position/opinion
• advertisement and commercial • to describe • points to support position
• letter to the editor • to inform or advise • recommendation for action
• cartoon • summing up and restatement of position
Discussion
• issue
• arguments for and against issue
• conclusion which includes opinion and
recommended plan for action
[Link]/studentlearning/teachingresources/english (c) State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 1999
Features to focus on
• present tense
• passive voice
• devices used to appeal to emotions of reader
• use of technical terms related to the issue
• Use of connectives – therefore, so, because of etc.
• actions changed into things, e.g. I am worried –
concern
• use of emotive words
Explanation • to explain how or why things happen Structure
• to describe • statement of the phenomenon to be explained
• sequenced explanation about how or why things
happen
• general events rather than specific events
• use of definitions and descriptions
• focus on explanations is on the process rather
that the object or thing
Features to focus on
• generalised participants
• use of conjunctions – temporal and causal
• cause/effect relationships
[Link]/studentlearning/teachingresources/english (c) State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 1999