Explanation: why? Purpose
Typical language features
• To help someone understand reasons for a phenomenon
• Formal and impersonal style maintained throughout through use of passive verbs and technical vocabulary
Audience • Someone who wants to know why something happens/happened
Forms • Humanities text books • Formal essay-type question
Typical structure • Title summarises purpose: Why was the Roman Army so successful? • General statement introduces topic and may provide background knowledge • Provides a series of points of explanation in paragraphs • Paragraphs begin with a clear topic sentence related to the main question • A short concluding paragraph emphasises and summarises reasons
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IPEELL Stage 1: Text Type Examples
• Present tense used for explaining current phenomena - Why do people emigrate? past tense used to explain for past events • Sentences contain discourse marker that indicate emphasis and addition e.g. moreover, additionally • Cause and effect e.g. because, so comparison e.g. although, in contrast • Mainly uses relational statements to describe component parts: x was or y had • Detail is provided in descriptive noun phrases: ‘smaller fighting groups called centuries’ adding precise information • Specialist vocabulary required – glossary may be needed to support terminology
