PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

Learning Unit 3: Recounting Past Experiences

Objectives:
At the end of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Use subject verb agreement and use them appropriately
2. Use first, second and third person perspective in proper context
3. Write a recount with appropriate organisation and features

SPEAKING
1. Have you ever been on a roller coaster ride before? Now, imagine that you and your
friends are on the roller coaster ride. How would you describe the experience?

Have you ever had an interesting experience that you can laugh about today?
Who was/ were you with?
What did you do?
When did it happen?
Do you think you would have reacted differently today?

PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

READING
Text 1: My wonderful vacation
One of the most unforgettable vacations I ever had was going to Phuket Island with
my close friends back in 2012.
It was an early morning when we left for Kuala Lumpur International Airport. We flew
from there to Phuket International Airport, Thailand. After we have landed safely and
collected our luggage, we hired a taxi and checked in at one of the beachside resorts on the
island. During our one week stay in Phuket; we enjoyed a few of the fun outdoor activities
such as, surfing and swimming. It was a wonderful experience as we were enjoying the
delicious local cuisines and mingling with the friendly locals. I fell in love with the island as
the scenery was picturesque. Phuket is a perfect vacation destination for wave surfer. There
are various reasons why wave surfers should visit Phuket. To begin with, the waves were
smooth, big, and almost seemed never ending. I really enjoyed myself there as the locals were
very accommodating. The atmosphere was always tranquil and relaxing.
After a week, we returned home to Kuala Lumpur. Although I was sad to leave the
beautiful island of Phuket but I promised that I will visit the wonderful island of Phuket again
in the near future.

Text 2: My first trip to Jakarta

Last month, I went to visit Lisa; my sister in Jakarta city. I went to Jakarta with my parents.
It was my first visit to the city since we moved to Indonesia. We went to Jakarta city by train
from Bogor city. Jakarta was very fascinating as there are high rise buildings, modern
shopping malls and beautiful parks. The trip was an eye opener for me as I stay in a small
town but the atmosphere in Jakarta was too hot to bear!
Lisas home was spacious and clean. She has been staying in Jakarta for three years now
as she is working as a teacher in Jakarta. A few days later, my parents and I went to the zoo in
Jakarta city. We hired a taxi to drive us to the zoo. The traffic situation in Jakarta was a
nightmare! Believe it or not, it took us about an hour to get to the zoo due to the heavy traffic.
The zoo was very crowded with visitors and there were many traders too! After buying our
tickets, we went inside to see the animals in the zoo.
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PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

First, I saw many exotic looking birds. They were very hungry, so the zoo keeper fed the
birds by giving them some fish to eat. Then I saw some elephants and giraffes. The elephants
were huge while the giraffes were tall. After that, we went to take a boat ride around the lake.
I was so excited to see some colourful fish in the lake. Before we go home, my mother
bought some drinks and food for us. I was exhausted but I was very glad that we had a
wonderful time at the zoo. I really hope that the next holiday would be as fun as this one too.

1. Find the synonym(s) of the words given below.

a.Mingling (Text 1, paragraph 2) :
b.Accomodating (Text 1,paragraph 2)

c.Unusual (Text 2, paragraph 3) :

d.Exhausted (Text 2, paragraph 3)

Structures of Recounts
Look for the following structures in the above passage and tick () the column on the right
when you find it.
Checklist- Recount
Text
Text
1
2
The title grabs the readers attention (It usually summarizes the text)
There are specific participants
A setting gives background information answering: who? when? where?
why?
Events are identified and described in chronological order.
The details of time, place and incident are clearly stated.
Personal thoughts/reactions are included.
Concluding comments may express a personal opinion regarding the
events.
The end may describe the outcome of the activity.

PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

RECOUNT
The social function of Recount text is to retell past event or something which happened in the
past. The purpose of this text can be only to inform or even just to entertain. There are three
types of Recount text, namely Personal Recount, Factual Recount, and Imaginative Recount.
Personal Recount exposes an event in which the writer or the author got involved or acted in
the event himself. Belong to this type among others are daily funny incidents, entries of a
diary, etc. Factual Recount is a note of an event, such as scientific experiment report, police
report, newspaper report, history explanation, etc. Imaginative Recount is an unreal event or
story, like reading texts for language lesson, a story about a life of a super hero, etc.

GENERIC (SCHEMATIC) STRUCTURE:

Recount text usually has three main parts, they are :
1. Orientation : identify a person or thing acted or got involved in the event, including the
time, a certain place, the situation, etc.
2. Series of Events : ordered in a chronological sequence.
3. Re-orientation : not always (optional), it contains personal comments.

PERSONAL RECOUNT
Brainstorming Activity
The following diagram is one approach to writing a recount. Plan a personal recount. Break
the lines into paragraphs of its own.
Events in time order
Intro

Who, when, where?

End

What, how, why is it

significant?

Satisfying
conclusion

PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

Cloze Passage
Use the given words to fill in the blanks in this personal recount. Then come up with an
interesting/ satisfying conclusion. Fill in the blanks with the best answer.
A few weeks later
During the first week
Early in the semester

When
Usually
But
In addition
Several weeks passed

Also
To begin with

Title: Falling Out of Love with Computers

Computers used to be something new and interesting to me and I was overjoyed when my
seniors mentioned, computers would be a major part of the Universitys writing courses.
(1) ________________________, when I actually enrolled into one of the computer classes, I
was thrilled when I toured the new computer labs. (2) ________________________, the
computer screens appeared to glow and wink as if they were alive. I was looking forward for
the

classes

every

now

and

________________________and

then;
I

in

began

fact
to

never

think,

This

skip
is

any
not

class!

(3)

right!

(4)

________________________, the computer did not really help me go about writing a paper.
(5) ________________________ I want to write, I like to scribble and write my ideas. (6)
________________________, I write several drafts of outlines and may combine several
parts to make a new outline. (7) ________________________, with a computer, I cant do
that. (8) ________________________, if I write too much, I have to keep scrolling back and
forth. (9) ________________________, the mechanics involved in using a computer is
complicated and time consuming. Furthermore, it is important to log in with a password and if
I forget to save a document, I lose whatever I have worked on.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

WRITING
Tips for writing good personal recounts
Structure
1. Recounts are written in the past tense because they tell something that has already
happened. Recounts can be informative as well as amusing.
2. When starting a recount, plan by thinking Who? What? When? and Why?
3. It is useful to start with an orientation paragraph that informs readers about the
content of the recount. (Sort of a sneak preview).
Sequence of events
4. It is important to recount events in a chronological order. (Draw a flow chart/ graphic
organizer to help sequence events).
5. Use connectives that signal time e.g. then, next, meanwhile, finally etc.
Re-orientation/ Conclusion
6. The conclusion, or re-orientation, is where the writer or speaker can give personal
opinions about the topic or event. The writer or speaker may also comment on how this
event or topic may affect other things in the future.

It is important to take the following features into account when writing a recount.
Choose the best words powerful verbs, precise nouns, adjectives, adverbs & connectives
Vary sentence length
Lively recount writing
Include questions (to draw readers in)
Use quotations or reported speech
Think about your readers

LANGUAGE FOCUS
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PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

First person recounts

Details include:

Singular

it happened to me
e.g. letter, diary, an
unforgettable
experience

I, me, my, mine, myself

Third person
recounts

Details include:

it happened to
someone else
e.g. newspaper report,
non-fiction book

retelling your feelings

giving your opinion as well as
present facts
being personal and informal in
terms of writing styles

facts and supporting evidence,

( eg. quotes, statistics)
full names, dates and
background details
more impersonal writing style

Plural
we, us, our, ours, ourselves
Singular
He, she, it, him, her, his, her,
its, himself, herself, itself
Plural
they, them, their, theirs,
themselves

Lets try!
In groups, discuss and retell the events as they took place. Try to introduce a series of events
and provide supporting evidence for each event to make it interesting. (Make it up if
necessary)
You woke up in the middle of the night to get a drink and you hear some voices coming from
your neighbours house.
12.00 a.m.

Shh Are you sure

theres nobody in
the house?

Yalah The
owners have left
for Hari Raya. I
saw the car leave.

OK OK
Pass me the
screwdriver and
the torch.
Alamak! I
thought you
brought it

What? You idiot!

How to see?

BANG
!
BANG
!

PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

What lah! Small

job also cannot
do.

Semester 2 2013/14

Shhh Softly
lah. People can
hear.
Never mind. Got it.
Close the door!

Whose TV is
that! So loud!

Hey
!!!

Sorry
Sorry

adapted from: Tan, P.L. , Marilyn D. Silva & Nair, V. (2000). English for College Students 1.DPM.

Present your story before the class.

Peer Editing: Exchange your writing with the students next to you and ask the friend to
check/ edit by using the checklist below.
Checklist Recount
Structure
Interesting Title (Grabs the reader)
Title summarizes the text
There are specific individuals in specific places (e.g. thief, downstairs)
A setting or orientation that provides answers to who? Where? When? & Why?
Events are presented in a chronological order.
The details of time, place and event are clearly stated (On Monday, in the afternoon)
Personal thoughts/reactions are included
Paragraphing is included
Concluding comments include personal comments regarding the events
The ending describes the outcome of the activity or provides a direction
Language
Events are written in the past tense
Words which link events in time (next, later, when, then, after, before, first) are used
Events are described using: verbs (action words), adverbs
Details are added to add interest
Personal pronouns (I, we) are used
Sentences create tension, excitement
Descriptive details moves the story forward

FACTUAL RECOUNT
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PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

Complete the text with the appropriate tense. Then, discuss the question at the end.
To cull or not to cull?
Setting
the
context

Statement of
The law says no, scientists call for better management, while for Purpose
families of victims, there is no option to killing the reptiles
wholesale.
formal style

What?
Where?
When?

In July, controversy arose when the Sarawak state authorities (1) Intro.
_________ (allow) a culling operation along Sebelak River, some (with time
280km from Kuching.
sequence)

Who?

The mission which (2) _________ (last) a week ended with one just
one reptile killed, (3) _________ (follow) the death of attack victim
Mankay Gohen, 42, earlier in May.

How?

Case
studies

In September, tragedy struck again swiftly and in near total Evidence 1

darkness in the same river when lifelong fisherman Sulaiman
Abdullah who was finishing up a days work in his small boat was
(4) _________ attack) and (5) _________ (pull) under.
Sulaimans family (6) _________ (live) close to Saratok where
human beings and crocodiles have lived together for generations.
The victims family are now urging the authorities to restart culling supporting
operations. They say their loss (7) _________ (be) a reminder that details
crocodiles and human could hardly co-exist.
Reintroduce
To cull or not to cull? Opinions vary on this matter. Under the Purpose
present state laws, crocodiles are protected species. This is being (8)
_________ (review).
In October, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) is planning to table
a landmark paper at the International Crocodile Conference to Evidence 2
urge the global community to permit Sarawak to better manage
the increasing number of crocodiles.
Now, there are some rivers that are too dense with crocodiles. Our supporting
proposal already has several international experts support an SFC details
spokesman told The Star. In the latest SFC survey, Bako River and
Santubong River have an (9) _________ (estimate) 3.4 crocs per
km.
For Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Social Scientist Dr. Andrew Aeria, Evidence 3
culling cannot be the only long term solution to croc attacks.
Dont just blame the crocodiles. Crocodiles will do what they do Supporting
naturally. The government must look at poverty factors.
details
So, to cull or not to cull? For people in the interiors, for those who
depend entirely on rivers as a food and income source, their
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PBI 0021

Preparatory English 2

Semester 2 2013/14

sentiments on culling are clear. For the authorities, they need to

produce clear and convincing reasons for their (10) _________
(propose) culling and there will be objections. But in stating Reorientation
whatever objections we have, as a society we must also act on the Conclusion
wider set of problems facing the poor.
To cull or not to cull? Your thoughts please.
adapted from (The Star 21 September, 2011)

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