Definition of Recount

Recount is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. Its purpose is either to inform or
to entertain the audience. There is no complication among the participants and that differentiates
from narrative
Generic Structure of Recount
1. Orientation: Introducing the participants, place and time
2. Events: Describing series of event that happened in the past
3. Reorientation: It is optional. Stating personal comment of the writer to the story

Language Feature of Recount

• Introducing personal participant; I, my group, etc
• Using chronological connection; then, first, etc
• Using linking verb; was, were, saw, heard, etc
• Using action verb; look, go, change, etc
• Using simple past tense
Between Recount and Narrative
Something which happened in the past is the main resource to compose both recount and
narrative text. In writer's point of view, the thing is an experience. It can be what the writer has
done, hear, read, and felt. Composing recount and narrative is retelling the experiences of the
past event to be a present event.
What does recount differ from narrative?
The easiest way to catch the difference is analyzing the generic structure. Recount text presents
the past experiences in order of time or place; what happened on Sunday, then on Monday, the
on Tuesday. In simple way, recount describes series of events in detail. It does not expose the
struggle on how to make them happen. The event happened smoothly. On the other hand,
narrative introduces crises and how to solve them. Narrative text always appear as a hard potrait
of participant's past experience. It reveals the conflict among the participants. Cinderella's
conflicts with her step mother and sister are the example. The conflict is the most important
element in a narrative text. Narrative without comflicts is not narrative any more.
What is Narrative?
Narrative Text

Definition of Narrative
Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories
or past events and entertain the readers.

Generic Structure of Narrative

A narrative text will consists of the following structure:

1. Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place

2. Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do

with
3. Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse

Language Features of Narrative

• Using processes verbs

• Using temporal conjunction

• Using Simple Past Tense

One day I was setting in the local library, I started to read a medical encyclopedia that was lying
on the table in front of me. The first illness I read about was cholera. As I read the list of
symptoms, it occurred to me that perhaps I had cholera myself. I sat for a while, too frightened to
move.
Then, in a kind of dream, I started to turn the pages of the book again. I came to malaria. Yes,
there was no doubt about it – I had malaria too. And I certainly had hepatitis. And yellow fever.
And so it went on. I read through the whole book, and by the end I came to the conclusion that I
had every illness. There was only one illness I didn’t have – and that was housemaid’s knee.
I sat and thought, and I became more and more worried. I wondered how long I had to live. I
examined myself. I felt my pulse. At first, I couldn’t find it at all; then, suddenly it seems start
off. I looked at my watch to time it – it was beating 147 times a minute. I tried to feel my heart. I
couldn’t feel it. It wasn’t beating. I stuck my tongue out and tried to look at it. I could only see
the end of it, but from that I was even more certain than before that I had yellow fever.
I went straight to my doctor, who was a good friend of mine. “What’s the matter with you?” he
asked. “I have every illness in the medical encyclopedia.” I told him how I read the medical
encyclopedia. Then he opened my mouth and looked at my tongue, and he felt mu pulse, and he
listened to my heart. Then he sat down and wrote a prescription. It said:
• 3 good meals every day
• A two-mile walk every day morning
• Be in bed at 11 o’clock every night
• Don’t read medical books!
I followed the doctor’s instructions, and I am happy to say that I now feel quite well again.
(Adapted from Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome , first published in 1889)
Answer the questions
1. Where this person reading?
2. What was the first illness he thought he had?
3. What book was he reading?
4. What was the illness that he did not have?
5. How did he check himself?
6. What was the doctor’s advice?
7. What do you think of being your own doctor?
8. Have you met people who worry too much about their health?
9. Have you met people who do not worry about their health?

RA Kartini

Every April 21, people in Indonesia commemorate the Kartini day. It is

a beautiful day for the woman because we celebrate the birth of great

lady, RA. Kartini. Everyone knows who kartini is. She is our national

heroine and a great lady with the bright idea.

Kartini was born in 1879, April 21 in Mayong Jepara. Her father was

RMAA. Sosroningrat, Wedana (assistant of head of regency) in Mayong.

Her mother, MA Ngasirah was a girl from Teluk Awur village in Jepara.

As the daughter of a noble family, she felt luck because she got more

than the ordinary people got. She got better education than other

children. She did anything she wants although it was forbidden. She

passed her childhood with her brother and sister. Because she was very

energetic, her father called her "trinil"

Then her father was chosen as Bupati (the head of regency) in Jepara.

She and her family then moved from Mayong to Jepara. In the same year,

Kartini's second sister RA Kardinah was born. The environment in Jepara

gave her big chance to develop her idea. She could study at the Dutch

owned school where only children from noble family could study here.

Few years after finishing her study, RA. Kartini was willing to

continue her study in higher level. But the custom of that day forbid a

woman to go to school. A tradition of that time, a teenage girl should

be secluded and limited her activity. So was Kartini. She was secluded

inside the house and forbidden to go out until a man propose her. The

rule could restrict her body but not her mind. During her "pingitan"

time, she spent her time by reading book which she got from her

relatives.

Although she was not able to continue her study to higher level, she

was smart had a bright idea. She got the knowledge from the books she

read. To express her idea, she established a school for local people on

the backyard of Jepara city hall.

In November 12,1903, she married Adipati Djoyodiningrat, the head of

Rembang regency. According to Javanese tradition Kartini had to follow

her husband. Then she moved to Rembang.

In September 13, 1904 she gave a birth to her son. His name was

Singgih. But after giving birth to a son, her condition was getting

worse and she finally passed away on September 17, 1904 on her 25 years

old.

Now Kartini has gone. But her spirit and dream will always be in our

heart. Nowadays Indonesian women progress is influenced by Kartini's

spirit stated on collection of letter "Habis gelap terbitlah terang"

from the dusk to the dawn.