Explanation Text ; Definition, Generic

Structures, Purposes, Language

Features
December 12, 2017 admin Materi Genre of Text 0

Hallo everybody.
BRITISH Course – I’m sure my friend is familiar with the word Explanation. Because in the world of
education and even in everyday life we usually meet explanation, maybe from our teacher, our parents, even
from our friends. These explanations are one example of Explanation Text. For example, do you ever explain
something to your friends? For example your friend asked, how is the process of rain, or how is the process of
human creation?, etc. Then you explain to your friends about it. These explanations are one example of
Explanation Text.

Well, for my friend who wants to learn about explanation text, my friend has come in the right place because
on this occasion I will try to present explanations and examples of Explanation Text in detail and complete. I
hope my explanation about Explanation Text below can be useful for all of the readers. Amen

Definition of Explanation Text

Explanation is a text which tells processes relating to forming of natural, social, scientific and cultural
phenomena. Explanation text is to say ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the forming of the phenomena. It is often found in
science, geography and history text books.

Generic Structure of Explanation Text

– General statement
General statement; stating the phenomenon issues which are to be explained.
– Sequenced of explanation
Sequenced explanation; stating a series of steps which explain the phenomena.

Purpose of Explanation Text

– Explanation is a text which tells processes relating to forming of natural, social, scientific, and cultural
phenomena.
– To explain how or why something happens.

According to Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson (1997: 82) says that the explanation text type is often used
to tell how and why thing (phenomena) occur in nature.

Language Features of Explanation Text

In an explanation text, there are linguistic features as below :
– Using simple present tense
– Using abstract noun (no visible noun)
– Using Passive voice
– Using Action verbs
– Containing explanation of the process ..

Examples of Explanation Text

How does Rain Happen?
Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse
ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.
The phenomenon of rain is actually a water circle. The concept of the water cycle involves the sun heating the
Earth’s surface water and causing the surface water to evaporate. The water vapor rises into the Earth’s
atmosphere. The water in the atmosphere cools and condenses into liquid droplets. The droplets grow until
they are heavy and fall to the earth as precipitation which can be in the form of rain or snow.
However, not all rain reaches the surface. Some evaporates while falling through dry air. This is called virga, a
phenomenon which is often seen in hot, dry desert regions

How Chocolate is Made

Have we wondered how we get chocolate from? Well this time we will enter the amazing world of chocolate
so we can understand exactly we are eating.
Chocolate starts a tree called cacao tree. This tree grows in equatorial regions, especially in place such as
South America, Africa, and Indonesia. The cacao tree produces a fruit about the size of a small pine apple. In
side the fruits are the tree’s seeds. They are also known as coco beans.
Next, the beans are fermented for about a week, dried in the sun. After that they are shipped to the chocolate
maker. The chocolate maker starts processing by roasting the beans to bring out the flavour. Different beans
from different places have different qualities and flavour. So they are often shorted and blended to produce a
distinctive mix.
The next process is winnowing. The roasted beans are winnowed to remove the meat nib of the cacao bean
from its shell. Then the nibs are blended. The blended nibs are grounded to make it liquid. The liquid is called
chocolate liquor. It tastes bitter.
All seeds contain some amount of fat and cacao beans are not different. However, cacao beans are half fat,
which is why they ground nibs from liquid. It is pure bitter chocolate.

How a cancer is formed

What is cancer? It is actually a group of more than one hundred separate diseases. Most of us are fear from
cancer It is reasonable because next to heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death.
Cancer cells come from normal cells because of mutations of DNA. Those mutations can occur spontaneously.
The mutations may be also induced by other factors such as: nuclear and electromagnetic radiation, viruses,
bacteria and fungi, parasites, heat, chemicals in the air, water and food, mechanical cell-level injury, free
radicals, evolution and ageing of DNA, etc. All such factors can produce mutations that may start cancer.
Cancer cells are formed continuously in the organism. It is estimated that there are about 10,000 cancer cells at
any given time in a healthy person. Why do some result in macroscopic-level cancers and some do not? First,
not all damaged cells can multiply and many of them die quickly. Second, those which potentially divide and
form cancer are effectively destroyed by the mechanisms available to the immune system. Therefore cancer
develops if the immune system is not working properly or the amount of cells produced is too great for the
immune system to eliminate.

Contoh Explanation Text – How Chocolate is Made

Have we wondered how we get chocolate from? Well this time we will enter the amazing world of chocolate
so we can understand exactly we are eating.

Chocolate starts a tree called cacao tree. This tree grows in equatorial regions, especially in place such as
South America, Africa, and Indonesia. The cacao tree produces a fruit about the size of a small pine apple. In
side the fruits are the tree’s seeds. They are also known as coco beans.

Next, the beans are fermented for about a week, dried in the sun. After that they are shipped to the chocolate
maker. The chocolate maker starts processing by roasting the beans to bring out the flavour. Different beans
from different places have different qualities and flavour. So they are often shorted and blended to produce a
distinctive mix.

The next process is winnowing. The roasted beans are winnowed to remove the meat nib of the cacao bean
from its shell. Then the nibs are blended. The blended nibs are grounded to make it liquid. The liquid is called
chocolate liquor. It tastes bitter.

All seeds contain some amount of fat and cacao beans are not different. However, cacao beans are half fat,
which is why they ground nibs from liquid. It is pure bitter chocolate.

Terjemahan

Bagaimana Coklat Terbentuk

Sudahkah kita bertanya-tanya bagaimana kita mendapatkan cokelat? Nah kali ini kita akan memasuki dunia
coklat yang menakjubkan sehingga kita bisa mengerti persis yang kita makan.

Coklat memulai pohon yang disebut pohon kakao. Pohon ini tumbuh di daerah khatulistiwa, terutama di
tempat seperti Amerika Selatan, Afrika, dan Indonesia. Pohon kakao menghasilkan buah seukuran apel pinus
kecil. Di sisi buah adalah biji pohon. Mereka juga dikenal sebagai coco beans.

Selanjutnya, biji difermentasi selama sekitar satu minggu, dikeringkan di bawah sinar matahari. Setelah itu
mereka dikirim ke pembuat cokelat. Pembuat cokelat mulai memproses dengan memanggang kacang untuk
mengeluarkan rasa. Biji yang berbeda dari tempat yang berbeda memiliki kualitas dan rasa yang berbeda. Jadi
mereka sering korslet dan dicampur untuk menghasilkan campuran yang khas.

Proses selanjutnya adalah menampi. Kacang panggang diminyaki untuk mengeluarkan nib daging dari biji
kakao dari cangkangnya. Kemudian nibs dicampur. Bib campuran dicampur agar cair. Cairan itu disebut
minuman keras coklat. Rasanya pahit.

Semua biji mengandung sejumlah besar biji kakao dan lemak tidak berbeda. Namun, biji kakao setengah
lemak, itulah sebabnya mereka menggiling nib dari cairan. Cokelat itu murni pahit.

Note on the Generic Structure of Explanation Sample.

Every genre has its special purpose or social function. However if we see the generic structure point, we will
get the understanding which both the explanation and procedure text have similar purposes. Both explain how
to make or form something. However the procedure text will explain how to form or make something
completely by instruction way. That is why most of procedure text is composed in command sentences. In the
other hand, explanation text will show a knowledge about how thing is formed.

The above example of explanation text has the following generic structure:
General statement; it is a statement which says about chocolate and how it is formed

Sequenced explanation; it is a series of explanation on how chocolate is formed before we eat. First, the
chocolate is coming from the cacao tree. Then it is fermented and ship to the chocolate producer. The cacao
bean then are roasted and winnowed.

Contoh Explanation Text – How A Fuel Light Works

Many cars, motorcycles and other modern vehicles have fuel warning light devices. the warning light is
usually red which switches on automatically when the level of fuel in the tank is very low. The warning light
gives the driver information about the amount of petrol in the tank. When the light switches on red, it tells the
driver that the petrol in the tank is almost empty. Therefore he have to put more fuel into the tank. However do
you know how the fuel warning works?

Well this is the way the fuel warning light work and gives the driver information about the accurate amount of
the petrol in the tank. When the level of the fuel falls, the float inside the tank moves downwards. When this
condition happens, the arm also moves downwards and it make the lever touch an electrical contact. This
switches on the fuel light in the car dashboard.

The red light which appears in the fuel panel of the dashboard tells the driver that he needs more petrol for his
car. When he pours more petrol into the tank, this condition makes the fuel level rise and it pushes the float
upwards. In return it disconnects to the electrical contact and makes the red light switch off.

Terjemahan

Cara Kerja Cahaya Bahan Bakar

Banyak mobil, sepeda motor dan kendaraan modern lainnya memiliki lampu peringatan bahan bakar. Lampu
peringatan biasanya merah yang menyala secara otomatis bila tingkat bahan bakar di dalam tangki sangat
rendah. Lampu peringatan memberi informasi tentang jumlah bensin di tangki. Bila lampu menyala merah,
berarti pengemudinya bensin di tangki hampir kosong. Karena itu ia harus memasukkan lebih banyak bahan
bakar ke dalam tangki. Namun tahukah anda bagaimana bahan bakar bekerja?

Nah begitulah cara kerja lampu peringatan bahan bakar dan memberi informasi pengemudi tentang jumlah
bensin yang akurat di tangki. Bila tingkat bahan bakar turun, pelampung di dalam tangki bergerak ke bawah.
Bila kondisi ini terjadi, lengan juga bergerak ke bawah dan itu membuat tuas menyentuh kontak listrik. Ini
akan menyalakan lampu bahan bakar di dasbor mobil.

Lampu merah yang muncul di panel bahan bakar di dasbor memberi tahu pengemudi bahwa ia membutuhkan
lebih banyak bensin untuk mobilnya. Saat menuangkan bensin lagi ke tangki, kondisi ini membuat tingkat
bahan bakar naik dan mendorong float ke atas. Sebagai gantinya diputus ke kontak listrik dan mematikan
lampu merah.

Oke. I think that’s all my explanation about Explanation Text. I hope it will be useful for us. And I hope you
are never bored to visit this site. Don’t forget to visit this site if you need English reference in your study. See
you next time..