News Item Text : Student Found Dead

Label English News, News Item Text

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Student found dead in waterway in Serpong
The body of a high school student was found in a waterway on Jl. Pare in the Bumi
Serpong Damai housing estate in Serpong , South Tangerang, on Wednesday.
Serpong Police chief Comr. Hibertus Omposungi identified the student as Taher Achmad,
16, from SMK Bina Kesehatan Cendakia in Tangerang. Omposungi refused to comment
on the possible cause of the students death.
We are still looking into the death of the student and will be sending the body to
Tangerang General Hospital for an autopsy. Only autopsy results can explain the cause of
death, he said.
News Item Text

1. Definition of News Item:

News item is a text which informs readers about events of the day. The events are considered
newsworthy or important.
2. Generic Structure of News Item:
1. Newsworthy event
2. Background Events
3. Source
3. Language Feature of News Item
1. Using Action Verbs
2. Using Saying Verbs
3. Using Passive Sentence

4. Examples and structures of the text:

Town Contaminated

Newsworthy events:
Moscow A Russian journalist has uncovered evidence of another Soviet nuclear catastrophe,
which killed 10 sailors and contaminated an entire town.
Background Events:
Yelena Vazrshavskya is the first journalist to speak to people who witnessed the explosion of a
nuclear submarine at the naval base of shkotovo 22 near Vladivostock.
The accident, which occurred 13 months before the Chernobyl disaster, spread radioactive fall-out
over the base and nearby town, but was covered up by officials of the Soviet Union. Residents
were told the explosion in the reactor of the Victor-class submarine during a refit had been a
thermal and not a nuclear explosion. And those involved in the clean up operation to remove
more than 600 tones of contaminated material were sworn to secrecy.
Source
Sources A board of investigators was later to describe it as the worst accident in the history of the
Soviet Navy.

Tombs with Mummy Found in Egypt

CAIRO Archaeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which hold
an ornately painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypts Supreme Council
of Antiquities said Sunday.
The oldest tombs date back to around 2750 B.C., during the period of Egypts first and
second dynasties, the council said in a statement.Twelve of the tombs belong the 18th
Dynasty, which ruled Egypt during the second millennium B.C. The 18th Dynasty
includes such well-known pharaohs as Tutankhamun, Akhenaten and Queen Hatshepsut.
The discovery throws new light on Egypts ancient religions, the council said.
Newsworthy event; the news of finding of tombs with mummy in Egypt
Background; the tombs has the oldest date around 2750 B.C. It was the period of
Egypts first and second dynasties.
Source; the council said that the finding of the tombs threw new light on Egypts ancient
religions

Discussion text
1.A. Philosophical Questions and Wonder
Summary: The place of wondering in philosophy, and the naturalness of it, are aptly
illustrated by the conversations with children conducted by philosopher Gareth
Matthews. One of the conversations centered around the "feelings" of plants or flowers.
In the course of discussion the children raise interesting and thoughtful points about
conceptual and epistemological issues.

Goals:

Recognize that philosophical questions are not confined to specialized and

obscure doctrines, but arise in daily life and can be appreciated even by very
young people.
Begin to appreciate the "can of worms" phenomenon in philosophy, by seeing you
Matthews' young colleagues move naturally from logical and semantical
questions to epistemological and metaphysical issues.

1.B. Features of this Book

1.C. A Little Logic
Summary: Philosophers come to their views through intuitions, scientific findings,
personal self examination, and many other sources. But one thing that stands out in the
majority of philosophical writings is argument. In philosophy an argument is simply a
set of statements, where some are offered as support for others. "Arguments" in this sense
are things that we are constantly thinking up in our "discussions with ourselves," or when
we want to explore any issue, as well as when we have a disagreement with someone
else. Arguments can be divided into deductive and inductive, and distinguished in terms
of their strength, the amount of support the premises give for the conclusions. The
criticism of arguments is also central to philosophy. Various modes of criticism are
discussed and illustrated.
Goals:

Understand the distinction between deductive arguments and inductive arguments

Understand refutation by counterexample
Understand the distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions
Understand reduction to absurdity arguments
Understand other kinds of critiques

The advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Learning

A few years ago, distance learning was seen as an inferior way but nowadays even
famous and established traditional colleges and universities are providing distance
learning courses and it is generally considered a way to improve one's life.
However, people still argue whether distance learning give more advantage or
disadvantage. Some of them who see the benefit of distance learning will say that
distance learning needs no commuting. Of course it saves money and time that students
would take. Furthermore, distance learning can be done at any students convenience.
Mostly of the classes of distance learning are asynchronous. It means that students do not
have to attend a lecture at a fixed particular time and place. Students can review the

assignments and do their homework during off-hours or from home. Additionally,

distance learning gives more accessibility. No one can deny it. People with limited
mobility may encounter the problem when they take traditional class. With the online
class system, the problem is absent.
Despite the many advantages, the other people will see that distance learning is costly
and needs complex technology. To attend online learning, student must have a computer
with possibly access to the internet. Admitted or not, such technology devices are not
always available for common students. Another disadvantage of distance learning is that
it does not provide immediate feedback. Unlikely traditional classroom, students have to
wait for the feedback and comment until the instructor has review the works and sent
response to them. Most of the time students will study alone. Distance learners may feel
isolated or miss that social physical interaction that comes with attending a traditional
classroom
Regarding the individuals learning style, some students are able to learn when there is a
live interaction between them and the available of accompanying teacher while others
dont really need it. So before deciding a choice of attending distance learning or not,
each student needs to do a fair analysis regarding the kind of person he/she is.
Giving Children Homework; Pro and Con
There are a lot of discussion as to whether children should be given homework or not. Is
it enough for children having time to study at school or needing additional time in home
for study after school time?
Some people claim that children do enough work in school already. They also argue that
children have their hobbies which they want to do after school, such as sport or music. A
further point they make is that a lot of homeworks are pointless and does not help the
children learn at all.
However, there are also strong arguments against this point of view. Parents and teachers
argue that it is important to find out whether children can work on their own without the
support from the teacher. They say that the evening is a good time for children to sit
down and think about what they have learned in school.
Furthermore they claim that the school day is too short to get anything done. It makes
sense to send home tasks like independent reading or further writing task which do not
need the teacher support.
I think, on balance, that some homework is good idea but that should only given at the
weekend when children have more time.

GENRE (kinds of text) in English Language for Junior High School

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There are many kinds of english text. Those are recount, report, discussion, Explanation,
Exposition, new item anecdote, narrative, procedure, description, and review. Today ,lets
learn on recount, report, narrative, procedure and description.
1. Recount Text
Social Function : to retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining.
Generic Stucture:
a. Orientation: provides the setting and introduces the participants
b. Events : tell what happened, in what sequences
c. Reorientation: optional closure of events
Significant lexiogrammatical features:
Focus on specific participants, use material processes, circumstances on time and place,
use past tense, focus on temporal sequence
2. Report Text
Social Function : to describe the way things are with reference to a range of natural,
manmade, and social phenomenoa in our environment
Generic Stucture:
a. General classification: tells what phenomena under the discussion
b. Description: tells what the phenomenon under the discussion is like in terms of parts,
qualities, habits or behaviour.
Significant Lexiogrammatical Features: focus on generic participants, use relational
processes to state what is and that which it is. use simple present tense
3. Narrative Text
Social Function :to amuse, entertainn
Generic Stucture:
a. Orientation: sets the scene and intruuduces the participants
b. Evaluations: a stepping back to evaluate the plight.
c. Complication: a crisis arises
d. Resolution : the crisis is resolved
e. reorientation: optional
Significant lexiogrammatical features: focus n specific participants, use material
processes, behavioral processes, and verbal processes. USe temporal conjuctions, and
temporal circumstances, use past tense
4. Procedure Text
Social Function : to describe how something is accomplished through a sequences of
actions or steps.
Generic Stucture:
a. Goal
b. Material
c. Steps 1-n

Significant lexicogrammatical features:

Use simple present tense, often imperative. use mainly material processes
5. Descriptive Text
Social Function : to describe a particular person, places, or things
Generic Stucture:
a. Identification: identifies the phenomenon to be described
b. Description: describes parts, qualities, characteristics
Significant lexicogrammatical features:
Focus on specific participants, use simple present tense

12 Genres
December 8, 2009

12 GENRES:
1. Procedure
2. Recount
3. Narrative
4. Description
5. News Item
6. Report
7. Analytical Exposition
8. Spoof
9. Hortatory Exposition
10. Explanation
11. Discussion
12. Review
PROCEDURE
Social function: To help us do a task or make something. They can be a set of instructions
or directions.
Text organization:
1. Goals ( the final purpose of doing the instruction)
2. Materials ( ingredients, utensils, equipment to do the instructions)
3. Steps ( a set of instruction to achieve the final purpose)
Language features :
Use of imperative ( Cut.., Dont mix..)
Use of action verbs (turn, put)
Use of connectives(first, then, finally)
RECOUNT

Social function: To tell the readers what happened in the past through a sequence of
events.
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation ( who were involved, when and where was it happened)
2. Events ( tell what happened in a chronological order)
3. Re-orientation ( optional closure of events)
Language features:
Use of pronouns and nouns ( David, he, she)
Use of action verbs in past (went, studied)
Use of past tense ( We went for a trip to the zoo)
Use of adverbial phrases
Use of adjectives
NARRATIVE
Social function: To amuse or entertain the readers with actual or imaginary experience in
different ways. Narrative always deals with some problems which lead to the climax and
then turn into a solution to the problem.
Generic Structure:
1. Orientation ( who was involved, when and where was it happened)
2. Complication ( a problem arises and followed by other problems)
3. Resolution ( provide solution to the problem)
Language features:
1. Use of noun phrases ( a beautiful princess, a huge temple)
2. Use of adverbial phrases of time and place ( in the garden, two days ago)
3. Use of simple past tense ( He walked away from the village)
4. Use of action verbs ( walked, slept)
5. Use of adjectives phrases ( long black hair)
DESCRIPTION
Social Function: To describe a particular person, place or thing.
Generic Structure:
1. Identification (identify phenomenon to be described)
2. Description (describe parts, qualities, characteristics)
Language features:
Focus on specific participants
Use of attributive and identifying processes
Frequent use classifiers in nominal groups.
Use of the Simple Present Tense
NEWS ITEM
Social function: To inform readers or listeners about events of the day which are
considered newsworthy or important.

Generic structure:
1. News worthy event ( tells the event in a summary form)
2. Background events ( elaborate what happened, tell what caused the incident)
3. Sources ( comments by participants, witnesses, authorities and experts involved in the
event)
Language features:
Information on the use of head lines.
Use of action verbs( hit, attack)
Use of saying verbs( said, added, claimed)
Use of passive sentences ( Aceh was hit by Tsunami in 2004)
Use of adverbs in passive sentences (The victims were badly injured)
REPORT
Social function: To describe the way things are (for example: a man -made thing,
animals, plants). The things must be a representative of their class.
Text organization:
1. General classification (introduces the topic of the report/tells what phenomenon under
discussion is.)
2. Description (tell the details of topic such as physical appearance, parts, qualities,
habits/behaviour).
Language features:
Use of general nouns ( Whales, Kangaroo, Computer)
Use of present tense(Komodo dragons usually weigh more than 160 kg)
Use of behavioural verbs (Snakes often sunbathe in the sun)
Use of technical terms ( Water contains oxygen and hydrogen)
Use of relating verbs (is, are, has)
ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION
Social function: To persuade the readers or the listeners that something in the case, to
analyze or to explain.
Generic Structure:
1. Thesis (usually includes a preview argument. It introduces topics and indicates the
writers position.)
2. Arguments (consists of a point and elaboration sequence. The number of points may
vary, but each must be supported by discussion and evidence).
3. Reiteration (restates the position more forcefully in the light of the arguments
presented).
Language features:
Emotive words such as : alarmed, worried.
Words that qualify statements such as: usual probably
Words that link arguments such as: firstly, however, on the other hand, therefore.

 Usually present tense

Compound and complex sentences
SPOOF
Social function: To tell an event with a humorous twist.
Generic structure:
1. Orientation (who were involved, when and where was happened)
2. Events ( tell what happened in a chronological order)
3. Twist (provide the funniest part of the story)
Language features:
Use of connectives (first, then, finally)
Use of adverbial phrases of time and place (in the garden, two days ago)
Use of simple past tense (he walked away from the village)
HORTATORY EXPOSITION
Social function: To persuade the readers or the listeners that something should or should
not be the case.
Generic structure:
1. Thesis ( stating an issue of concern)
2. Arguments ( giving reasons for concern, leading recommendation)
3. Recommendation (stating what ought or ought not to happen)
Language features:
Emotive words: alarmed, worried
Words that qualify statements: usual probably
Words that link arguments: firstly, however, on the other hand, therefore
Usually present tense
Compound and complex sentences
Modal auxiliary: can, may, should, must
EXPLANATION
Social function: To explain the process involved in the formation or working of natural or
socio cultural phenomena.
Generic structure:
1. A general statement to position the reader
2. A sequenced explanation of why or how something occurs.
3. Closing
Language features:
Focus on generic, non-human participants.
Use mainly of general and abstract nouns, action verbs, simple present tense, passive
voice, conjunction of time and cause, noun phrases, complex sentences, and technical
language.

DISCUSSION
Social function: To present information and opinions about more than one side of an issue
(for points against points)
Generic structure:
1. Opening statement presenting the issue
2. Arguments or evidence for different points of view ( pros and cons)
3. Concluding recommendation.
Language features:
Use of general nouns: alcohol, abortion, smoking, etc.
Use of relating verbs: is, are, etc.
Use of thinking verbs: think, feel, hope believe, etc.
Use of additive connectives: addition, furthermore, besides, etc.
Use of contrastive connectives: although, even, if, nevertheless, etc.
Use of causal connectives: because, because of, etc.
Use of modal auxiliary: must, should, etc.
Use of adverbial manner: hopefully.
REVIEW
Social function: To critique an art work or event for a public audience.
Generic structure:
1. Orientation ( background information on the text)
2. Evaluation ( concluding statement : judgment, opinion, or recommendation. It can
consist of more than one.
3. Interpretative Recount ( summary of an art works including characters and plot).
4. Evaluative summation: the last opinion consisting the appraisal or the punch line of the
art works being criticized.
Language features:
Focus on specific participants
Use of adjectives
Use of long and complex clauses
Use of metaphor
Reviews are used to summarize, analyze and respond to art works. They may include:
movie, TV shows, books, plays, concerts, etc.