Explanation Text

What is a explanation?

There will be times when you want to tell someone how or why something occurs. Your science teacher might ask you to tell how pollution affects the environment. Your little sister might ask you why some trees do not have leaves in winter. Speaking or writing about how or why things happen is called explanation.

The explaining text type tells how or why something occurs. It looks at the steps rather than the things. The purpose of an explanation is to tell each step of the process (the how) and give reasons (the why).

Some examples of explanations are:

• How something occurs
• Why something happened
• Why things are alike or different
• How to solve a problem

Features of an explanation

Constructing a written explanation

The steps for constructing a written explanation are:

• a general statement about the event or thing
• a series of paragraphs that tell the hows or whys
• a concluding paragraph.

Language features in an explanation

The language features usually found in an explanation are:

• technical language
• words that show cause and effect
• use of timeless present tense.

Models of explanation

What causes weather?

Weather is the physical condition of the atmosphere at a particular time. It includes temperature, air pressure and water content.

Weather is produced when air moves from place to place. This moving air is known as wind. Winds are caused by warm air rising and cooler air moving in to replace it. Warm air is usually less dense (lighter) than cool air; therefore, it creates low air pressure. Cool air is more dense (heavier) and creates high air pressure.

Usually we have fine weather when the air pressure is high and clouds, rain or snow when the air pressure drops.

Source: Anderson, Mark and Kathy Anderson. 2003. Text Types in English 1. South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.