Name: ________________ Class: X - ___ Date: _______________

RECOUNT
Purpose: To retell 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.

Structure:
Opening - introducing the participants, setting the scene and time, e.g. I went to the shop…
Events - recount of the events as they occurred, e.g. I saw a vase...
Ending - a closing statement or a reorientation at the end which summarises the event e.g. When
I got back, I told my mum.

Features:
Past tense
Chronological order, using connectives that signal time, e.g. then, next, after, meanwhile, etc.
Introducing personal participant, first or third person; I, my group, etc.
Use linking verb; was, were, saw, heard, etc.
Use action words e.g. looked, changed, etc.

Writer's Knowledge:
 Details are vital to bring incidents alive.
 Use specific names of people, places, objects, etc.
 Pick out incidents that will amuse, interest or that in some way are significant.
 You can write as if you were telling the story of what happened.
 Plan by thinking, noting or drawing - when? who? where? what? and why? Use a flow chart
to plan the sequence.
 End by commenting on events.

This sample recount is labelled to show you the structure and language features of a
recount text.
title A visit to a sheep property
Last holidays I visited a sheep property. I helped in the shearing sheds and in the
orientation
yards.

On the first day the Merino wethers were crutched. I helped by sweeping up
after the roustabout picked up the wool pieces. Shearers start early (at 7.30
am).
After lunch, we started shearing the lambs. There were more than 400 so we
sequence of
didn't finish until the next day. Once again I was sweeping and picking up dags.
events
I was tired by the end of the day in the shed but our work wasn't finished. We all
had to help to get the wethers and lambs back into the paddocks. As well, we
had to get a mob of ewes and their lambs into the yards for shearing the next
day. Then it was time for tea (that's what my nanna calls dinner).

reorientation This was a very long day but I enjoyed it a lot.

Key to language
past tense action terms
features:
indicates
indicates where
when
focuses on individuals
RECOUNT 2nd SEMESTER X 2023/2024 アウリア March 17 2024 日

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Name: ________________ Class: X - ___ Date: _______________
Answer these questions!
1. Write a phrase that indicates when an event took place.
2. Write a phrase that indicates where the event took place.
3. List two words that are written in the past tense.
4. List two other action words from the text.

Practice by writing a recount of a visit to the show, a field day, a farm, the vet or your
favourite place. Include people, time and the location.

Title

Introduction – who? what? where? when? why?

What happened?
Chronological sequence of all the events.
Using time connectives e.g. first, when, then, later, the next day, after, finally.

We all thought that . . . .

feelings and thoughts, actions, descriptions, details

Ending

RECOUNT 2nd SEMESTER X 2023/2024 アウリア March 17 2024 日

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Name: ________________ Class: X - ___ Date: _______________

Pupil Writing a recount Friend’s

assessment assessment

I have written in the first person by using words like I,

me, we, you, she, her, he, him, them etc.

I have written mainly in the past tense

I have written an introduction for the reader that

included who, when, what, where and why in the
setting

I have included only important information

The story is written in the order that things happened

I have used connecting words and phrases to help the

reader e.g. A few minutes later, meanwhile,
afterwards

I have used amazing adjectives to help create a picture

in the reader’s head
I have used powerful verbs to describe the action in
the story

I described the feelings of the person telling the story

at different points.

There was a conclusion that summarises or comments

on the events
I read my story to a partner who helped me to check
this ladder

Use sketches or single words to plan before telling or writing a recount.

Words that may help
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, weekend, holidays,
family, cousin, uncle, aunt, friend, brother, sister, neighbor, travelled, visited, decided,
because, next, after that, later, finally.

Example 2:
Just to let you know in case Mum is worried and phones, I had a slight accident last night. It
was evening rush hour and I was going to a concert at Alan's school. I was waiting to go
round the roundabout on the A12 when this enormous container lorry hit the passenger
door. It was from Luxemborg and the driver apparently didn't speak English so wouldn't give
me his name - I got his number though. It was horrible - the whole of the A12 was blocked
and everyone was hooting and I couldn't think how to get my car away from his lorry. Every
time I moved it there were more crunching sounds and he was shouting in French.

RECOUNT 2nd SEMESTER X 2023/2024 アウリア March 17 2024 日

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Name: ________________ Class: X - ___ Date: _______________
Just then, as I was getting more and more flustered, this enormous biker came up on a
motor bike. He took complete charge, getting me to drive a couple of inches and then the
lorry to back off a couple of inches and eventually we got untangled. So all very annoying
but no real damage apart from upset and frustration.
Speak to you soon

Julie

Statement for the police 2

On Tuesday Dec 7th 1999 at 6.45pm I was waiting in my car G718 FVN, on the A12 at the
Gants Hill roundabout in Redbridge. It was dark and raining hard. Traffic was very heavy and
I was waiting for a gap so that I could cross the roundabout. A container lorry was waiting
on the left hand side of my car. I was stationary but the container lorry moved forward and
hit the offside rear passenger door of my car causing considerable damage. The driver
apparently did not speak English and so I could not get any details; he drove off as soon as
he could. The lorry was from a firm called Willibetz, had a Luxemborg sticker on it (number
plate G74890). The lorry was a left hand drive and was one of the largest type on the road.
I am in contact with my insurers.

Statement for the police 1

My car was knocked on December 7th by an enormous container lorry. The door is all
buckled and I was considerably shaken. I got out and the driver said he did not speak English
although the lorry had an L on it so it was from Luxemborg. (number
G74890) He drove off as soon as he could and so I will be left to pay for all the damage
which is not my fault as I was completely stationary in my car. We were blocking up the A12
and all the traffic was piling up as it was rush hour.
I am in contact with my insurers.

List of words and meanings:

Things that I understand:

Make a question from the letter or the statements above!

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Name: ________________ Class: X - ___ Date: _______________
Example 3:
Recount A Our visit to Aldenham
We went to Aldenham country park and I fell in the lake. We got on the bus and I sat at the
back with Dipesh and Adam and Hayley. Hayley felt sick but she was OK We got to the park
and Miss ………….. put us into groups. I was with Natasha's mum and we went to see the
animals and the goats were good. We went round through the woods and I saw a black bird
and we saw some cows with really long horns. After lunch we were watching the fishermen
and I slipped on the slope and went in the water and got my trainers wet. The farm was
good and the yacht club was good and we saw a fisherman catch a fish. There wasn't a shop
but I got an ice cream. Then we came back to school.

Recount B Our visit to Aldenham

On Thursday our class went to Aldenham country park as part of our topic on the
environment. We had to find out about all the different ways the park was used. The first
thing my group did was to go to the rare breeds animal area. Then we went in the woods
and looked out for all the different kinds of trees and the sorts of wild animals that lived
there. After lunch we had to walk round the lake and make a list of all the different uses for
it. There were 13 fishermen and one fisherwoman and we saw a man catch a fish. One thing
I learned was that furry cows with big horns are called Highland cattle.

Recount C Our visit to Aldenham

On Thursday our class went to the Aldenham. We went in the woods. We went in the farm.
We went round the lake. It was fun. We came home.

List of words and meanings:

Things that I understand:

Make a question based on those three recounts of our visit to Aldenham above!

RECOUNT 2nd SEMESTER X 2023/2024 アウリア March 17 2024 日