1. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
Recount texts
What is a recount text?
Copyright

2. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
Recount texts are about things that have happened. To recount something means to tell the story of.
So, a biography is a recount text because it tells the story of someone's life;
An autobiography is when someone writes about their own life.
A football report in a newspaper is a recount text because it tells the story of the game.
Travel writing, historical writing and diaries are also examples of recount texts.
Copyright

3. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
Biographies
Can you name any famous people who have had a biography written about them or have written their own autobiography?
Copyright

4. Which celebrity’s life would you like to read about?
In pairs compile a list of five celebrities you would like to read about in their autobiographies / biographies.
Think about who interests / inspires you?
Copyright

5. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
What are recount texts?
Here are some ways to recognise a recount text:
It is written about something that happened.
It may use a descriptive, story-like style although it is factual.
It is written in the past tense.
It makes it clear when things happened, and in what order.
It uses connectives that are temporal (linked with time), such as words like then, next, first, secondly, before and after.
Copyright

6. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
Diary Writing
Can you name any famous diaries that have been written?
Why might people keep diaries?
Features of writing a diary punctuation, use of capitals, slang, style     
Past, present and future tenses   
Copyright

7. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk
Anne Frank’s Diary
Describing her Despair "I've reached the point where I hardly care whether I live or die. The world will keep on turning without me, and I can't do anything to change events anyway. I'll just let matters take their course and concentrate on studying and hope that everything will be all right in the end." - February 3,
"...but the minute I was alone I knew I was going to cry my eyes out. I slid to the floor in my nightgown and began by saying my prayers, very fervently. Then I drew my knees to my chest, lay my head on my arms and cried, all huddled up on the bare floor. A loud sob brought me back down to earth..." - April 5, 1944
Copyright

8. Copyright 2007 www.englishteaching.co.uk

9. Imagine you are a celebrity:
Write a day in the life of your chosen celebrity.
Imagine YOU are that celebrity.
Discuss your feelings
Describe a day in your life.
Apply the features of diary writing to your writing.
20 minutes
Copyright