Text type: Explanation

This term we begin our writing learning by looking at the features of an explanation text.

The purpose of an explanation is to answer the 'Why' and 'How?' To explain how or why something happens.

For example, How do bees make honey? Why are our waterways polluted? How are we promoting environmental sustainability ?

An explanation text has the following structure:

• An introduction

A brief description

• Explanation

Paragraphs explaining the process, how something works or why something happens

• Conclusion

May be a summary, recommendation or general comment

Language features include:

• subject specific nouns related to the topic - stomach, nectar, hive
• some technical words - enzymes
• descriptive words - the droplets of nectar are deposited into honey-comb cells in the hive
• Cause and effect words - which, if, because, as a result, due to, since, then

Click here to see an explanation text example - How bees make honey

Click here to see the planning sheet for the text

Mr Ladbrook's Groups

Mr Forman's literacy class - Kupu vocabulary group

Poetic / descriptive writing - figures of speech - literary devices

I am learning to use the literacy devices metaphors, similes and alliteration to improve my writing

I am learning to use better quality vocabulary to improve my writing

I am learning to use cause and effect language to make a complex sentence