Pauline Gibbons, ESL Secondary Network Meeting, CEO Melbourne June 2012.
Examples of some written genres of school: typical language features.
based on the work of Martin and Rose (2008); de Silva Joyce and Feez (2004); Schleppegrell (2004); Macken-Horarik (1996),
in Gibbons, P. (2009) English Learners, Academic Literacy and Thinking, Heinemann.
(1) Personal/ creative genres
Genre
Purpose/ description
Personal
recount
Our class
excursion to
……
Retells a sequence of events,
drawing on personal experience.
Narrative
A science
fiction story.
Recounts a sequence of events
with complicating action(s) that
results in a climax and resolution
to the story.
Page 1 of 4
Typical
organisation
1.Orientation (tells
who, where, when
etc)
2. Series of events
(Personal
comment)
Typical connectives or conjunctions
that help to structure the text.
Text focused around time line, with ideas linked
through time connectives (later, in the afternoon,
afterwards, many years later).
Typical language features
1. Orientation
2. Events
3. Complication
4. Resolution
Text focused around time line (although events
may not always occur in strict chronological
sequence). Time connectives(as above), although
sometimes these may be left ‘implicit’.
Action or doing verbs (arrive, go, run, fight,
stop); thinking/ feeling verbs (think, feel,
hear, wonder); saying verbs (said, replied,
shouted, whispered).
Tense to refer to past time.
Several people/characters as participants.
Nominal groups, especially in description.
Adverbs introduce information about manner
(how something is done) and may express
judgement.
Action (doing) verbs (arrive, go, run); may
also include verbs of thinking/feeling and
saying.
Tenses to refer to past time.
Typically one person as major participant (eg
Yesterday I went with my class to…)
Pauline Gibbons, ESL Secondary Network Meeting, CEO Melbourne June 2012.
(2) Factual genres
Genre
Purpose/ description
Typical organisation
Information
report
Marsupials of
Australia
Relates a set of facts, gives
generalised information about
a class of things (ie focuses on
classes of things rather than
individuals).
1. General statement:
identifies the topic, may
define it or classify it.
2. Descriptions of key
attributes, (types, uses,
characteristics etc.), often
under individual subheadings.
Procedure
How to carry
out an
experiment
Describes “how to” by
reporting a sequence of events
or steps to follow eg directions
and instructions.
Temporal
explanation
Explanation of
how coal is
mined.
Relates a general set of steps or
events that describe a process
OR
Gives an explanation through
describing a sequence of events
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Typical connectives or
conjunctions
that help to structure the text.
No explicit connecting words.
Structure of genre often indicated
in the text through headings and
subheadings.
Typical register features
1. Goal of the activity.
(2. Materials required).
3. Sequence of steps to be
followed.
Connectives to indicate sequence
of steps (first, second) OR steps
are numbered.
Action verbs as commands/ imperatives: Put, Place,
Wind.
Adverbial clauses to give details such as place
(where), extent (how much, how long), manner
(how something is done). Heat water until it is
boiling; Put ten drops of food dye into the 100ml
cylinder; construct squares on each of the sides.
Field-specific vocabulary.
1. General statement to
identify the topic.
2. Description of events
expressed sequentially.
Time connectives at beginning of
sentences to express sequence of
events (eg. then, later, next, at the
same time) OR events may be
numbered.
Action verbs to refer to what happens.
Simple present tense to express generalisations.
Some use of passive: the coal is mined
Field-specific vocabulary.
Relating verbs to describe and classify eg (is/ has).
Adverbials of place (where) and manner (how).
Vocabulary that indicates class/subclass and
whole/part relationships eg Fossil fuels  coal, oil,
gas; marsupial kangaroo, wombat; kangaroo
short hind legs, long strong back legs, pouch
Simple present tense to express generalisations: It
lives…
Subject-specific vocabulary.
Pauline Gibbons, ESL Secondary Network Meeting, CEO Melbourne June 2012.
(3) Analytical Genres
Genre
Purpose/ description
Typical organisation
Causal
explanation
How a circuit
breaker works.
How a lunar
eclipse occurs.
Explains a phenomenon
1. Identification of the
phenomenon
2. Cause and effect sequence of
events.
Exposition/
argument
Global warming is
a problem created
by humans
Argues why a thesis is proposed,
with a sequence of arguments
used to support the thesis.
(Indicates one side of a
discussion.)
Discussion
Should there be an
age-limit for older
drivers?
Explores an issue from a range of
perspectives. (Indicates more than
one side of a discussion)
1. Presentation of thesis and
statement of writer’s position
(sometimes with preview of
arguments.
2. Series of arguments in
support of the thesis, with
supporting evidence.
3. Reaffirmation of writer’s
position.
1. Identification of the issue
with relevant information, and
possibly brief review of
arguments.
2. Arguments for and against.
3. Conclusion that sums up
perspectives and suggests a
recommendation favouring one
side.
Page 3 of 4
Typical connectives or conjunctions
that help to structure the text.
Causal connectives (eg. as a result of,
for that reason, as a consequence,
because of this, therefore).
Connectives to sequence arguments (eg.
firstly; second, third, finally, in
conclusion to summarise; therefore).
Connectives to sequence arguments (as
for argument) and also to present
counter arguments (eg. however;
nevertheless; despite this; on the other
hand).
Typical register features
General, field specific, non-human
nouns.
Action verbs to express what
happens.
Nominalisations to turn events into
nouns: This
Occurrence is called….
Simple present tense to express
generalisations.
Passive voice to talk about the
object undergoing the process eg
The light from the sun is blocked.
Nominalisations used to name
arguments (eg the proposal that..)
Modality to present arguments or
claims as possibilities rather than
facts: It is likely that….It may be.
Field specific vocabulary.
Evaluative vocabulary, indicating
writer’s personal belief or stance: It
is extremely unlikely.
Nominalisations used to name
arguments (eg the proposal that..)
Modality to present arguments or
claims as possibilities rather than
facts: It is likely that….It may be.
Field specific vocabulary.
Evaluative vocabulary, indicating
writer’s personal stance: It is
clearly dangerous if…
Pauline Gibbons, ESL Secondary Network Meeting, CEO Melbourne June 2012.
Question Framework for Assessing Writing.
1.
General comments
2.
Genre type
3.
Overall
Organisation
4.
Cohesion
(connectives and
reference words)
5.
Vocabulary
6.
Sentence grammar
7.
Punctuation and
Spelling
Is the overall
meaning clear?
What kind of genre
is this?
Is this appropriate
for the writer’s
purpose?
Are the ideas linked
with the appropriate
connectives
(note that these will
vary with the genre)
Is there an
appropriate variety
of these
connectives?
Is appropriate
vocabulary used?
(e.g.
Are the main ideas
developed?
Is the overall
structural
organisation
appropriate to the
genre?
Is the sentence
grammar accurate?
(e.g subject verb
agreements, correct
use of tenses,
correct use of word
order etc.)
Is the punctuation
appropriate?
(e.g paragraphs,
setting out of
dialogue, headings
and subheadings,
commas and fullstops et.c)
Does the writing
reflect the writer’s
other classroom
language
experiences
(eg what s/he has
read or talked
about).
What is your overall
impression
compared to other
things the learner
has written?
Page 4 of 4
Has the writer
written this text type
before?
Are any stages
missing?
Are pronouns used
correctly?
(eg he and she)
Do pronouns have a
clear referent? (eg is
it clear what words
like he she this,
there etc are
referring to?)
Is there appropriate
semantic variety?
(e.g. a range of
‘saying’ verbs in a
narrative text.)
Is spelling
accurate?
If the writer does
not yet produce
correct spelling,
what does s/he
know about
spelling? (eg
evidence of
sound/symbol
correspondence)