Description

GENRE	SOCIAL FUNCTION/PURPOSE	GENERIC STRUCTURE	GRAMMAR FEATURES
D E S C R I P T I V E	To describe a particular person, place, or thing.	o  Identification; identifies the person, place, or thing to be describe o  Description; describes parts, qualities, characteristics	o  Focus on specific participants\use of atttribute and identifying processes o  Use of simple present tense o  Frequent use of ephitets and classifiers in nominal group
R E P O R T	To describe the way thing are, with reference to a range of natural, man-made, and social phenomena	o  General classification; tells what the phenimenin under discussion is o  Description; tells what the phenomenon under discussion is like in term of (1) parts, (2) qualities, (3) habits or behaviours, if living, uses, if nonnatural	o  Focus on generic participants o  Use of relational processes to state what is and that which it is o  Use of simple present tense o  No temporal sequence
E X P L A N A T I O N	To explain the processes involved in the formation or working of natural or sociocultural phenomena	o  General statement; to position the reader o  Sequenced explanation; why or how something occurs	o  Focus on generic, non human participants o  Use mainly material and relational processes o  Use mainly of temporal and causal circumtances and conjunctions o  Some use of passive voice to get theme right
P R O C E D U R E	To describe how something is accomplished/made through a sequence of actions or steps.	o  Goal; leads to the thing to be made done o  Materials; things neede for the accomplishment o  Steps; oriented to achieving the goal	o  Focus on generalized human agents o  Use of simple present tense o  Use mainly of temporal conjunctions or numbering to indicate the sequence o  Use mainly material and processes