What Is a Recount Text?
A recount text retells past experiences or events in the order they happened.
Purpose:
- To inform the reader about what happened
- To entertain through an interesting personal story
Key point: it is about real events that already happened — not imagined stories.
The Structure of a Recount Text
- Orientation — Who? When? Where? What happened? → Sets the scene and introduces the participants
- Events — What happened next? (in chronological order) → A series of happenings told step by step
- Reorientation — How did it end? What did you feel or learn? → Closes the story with a feeling or lesson
Diagram: Orientation → Events → Reorientation
Reading: “The Race I Almost Gave Up”
Orientation (Paragraph 1)
Two years ago, I took part in my school’s annual swimming competition for the first time. I was only a beginner, and I had never swum in front of a large crowd before. I signed up for the 100-meter freestyle race, feeling both excited and terrified at the same time.
- Who: the writer (a beginner swimmer)
- When: two years ago
- What: joined the 100-meter freestyle race
The Events
Events (Paragraph 2)
On the day of the race, I woke up early and practiced breathing exercises with my coach. When I stood on the starting block, my hands were shaking. As soon as the whistle blew, I jumped into the water and swam as fast as I could. Halfway through the race, my legs felt heavy and I wanted to stop, but I kept going.
- Practiced breathing exercises with the coach
- Felt nervous on the starting block
- Swam hard, wanted to stop, but kept going
