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BIOGRAPHY

Biography is a recount text about the life story of a person written by someone else.

It is a non-fiction text.

It tells about:
 Someone’s origin
 Personal life
 Educational background
 Someone’s achievements

Social function
The purpose of a biographical recount is to inform by retelling past events and achievements in a person’s life.

Generic Structure
The text consists of three parts:

1. Orientation
It gives the reader the background information as two why this person is noteworthy and should have a biography
written about. The opening paragraph should answer the questions: who, what, where, when, and how.

2. Series of events

It presents a series of events, usually told in chronological order. Here the writer might refer to a certain time on line.

3. Reorientation
It consists of a type of conclusion with a comment on the contributions this person has made or a summary and
evaluation of the person’s achievement.

Language features
 A biographical recount uses specific names of the people involved in the biography.
 It is mainly written in simple past tense (the final paragraph could also include the present tense). 
 A biographical recount also uses linking words to do with time. Example: and, in addition, also, besides, etc.
  A biographical recount describes events, so it uses many verbs or action verbs.

There are some characteristics of biographical recount text that you have to know, such as:
1. It is not written by the subject. It means that a biography is written by someone else who wants to write about the
subject. It usually will be written based on the need. Some writer could write it in either short or long biography.
2. It is always written in the third person.
3. It is based on the research not on imagination. When someone wants to make a biography, she or he must do some
researches. What kind of researches are they? Reading all books related to the subject is one of ways of the
research, besides reading, interviewing subject relation ( if it is possible) also can be as a research before writing a
biography.
4. Describing the subject’s surroundings (where, when, and how the person lived)
5. Showing how the person affected other people’s life through their behavior, discoveries, social reform etc.
6. Supplying details that illustrate the person’s individuality.
7. Using vivid language to narrate the events
8. It is arranged chronologically.

Example:

Text 1
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky (USA). He worked on the farm of his father. He attended school for
less than a year, but taught himself to read and write. He did different types of jobs before he settled as a highly successful
lawyer. He was gradually drawn to politics.
The country was having problems regarding the practice of slavery. The white men owned large farms in the southern
states, Blacks were brought from Africa to work on these farms. They were kept as slaves. The people of northern states were
against this practice of slavery and wanted to abolish it, The Constitution of America is based on the equality of man.
Therefore, there was no place for slavery in that country.
At this difficult time, Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the USA in 1860. He wanted to solve the problem
of slavery. The southern states were against the abolition of slavery. This brought the unity of the country in danger. The
southern states were prepared even to form a new country. Abraham Lincoln wanted all the states to remain united.
He faced many problems. He wanted to preserve the unity of the country at any cost. Finally a civil war broke out
between the northern and southern states. He fought the war bravely and declared, 'A Nation cannot exist half free and half
slave.' He won the war and kept the country united.
Lincoln was elected as president for a second term. He was not against anybody and wanted everybody to live in
peace. He made sincere efforts to heal the people's wounds caused by the war. In 1862, Lincoln declared that from then
onwards all slaves would be free. This made him very popular among the people. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.

Text 2 Ki Hajar Dewantara 

On May 2, 1889 Ki Hajar Dewantara born in Yogyakarta. The original name of Ki Hajar Dewantara i.e. Raden Mas
Soewardi Soeryaningrat. He comes from a family of Yogyakarta Kingdom. Raden Mas Soewardi Soeryaningrat, he was renamed
Ki Hajar Dewantara when even 40 year old Caka year count did. Since that time, he was no longer using knighted before his name.
It is intended that he be free to close to the people, both physically and in his heart. He is a figure of a polite, simple and noble-
hearted. Although the gentility but Ki Hajar Dewantara still hang out with the people downstairs and diligently provide succor to
the needy.
The journey of life Ki Hajar Dewantara really characterized the struggle and devotion in the interest of his people. He
completed elementary school in ELS (Netherlands elementary school) then extends to the STOVIA (school Doctor Bumiputra), but
not until the end due to illness. He then worked as a journalist on several newspapers, among others, Sedyotomo, Java, Midden De
Express, Indian Oetoesan, Kaoem, Moeda Tjahaja Timoer and Poesara. In his time, he belongs to the author reliable. His writings
are very communicative, sharp and so capable of uplifting patriotic anti colonialism for readers.
Ki Hajar Dewantara in addition to young journalists as a tenacious, he was also active in social and political organization.
In 1908, he was active in Boedi Oetomo propaganda section to socialize and evocative awareness of Indonesia at that time about
the importance of unity and unity in the nation and State. Ki Hajar Dewantara was very active and concerned with the world of
education. One of the proofs of it i.e. He established the School Grounds Students in 1922.
He gave the example of and motivation to young people to keep passion in learning about science. One of the
motivational words of Ki Hajar Dewantara which until now still inherent in the minds of all of us, namely: “Tut wuri handayani”
ing ngarsa sung tulada, ing madya mangun karsa, tut wuri handayani. 

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