Procedure Text – Grade 12

Have you ever eaten pancake batter? Do you know how to make pancake batter? Or, do you like watching YouTube? Do you know how to download YouTube videos in mobile? Or do you want to improve your speaking in English? Do you know there are 12 tips for improving your speaking? – Procedure Text

Well, this is something usual in real life when we discus about how to make or do something. In English, all of them are included in “Procedure Text”. So, what is procedure text? Are there some kinds of it? How about the function, generic structure, and language features of it? Alright, to get answers all of those questions, let’s take a deep dive into Procedure Text!

Definition of Procedure Text

Procedure Text is a piece of text that gives us instruction for doing something.

Kinds of Procedure Text

1. Manual
   Refers specifically to a reference documents which provides detailed information about operation and maintenance of a product.
2. Tips  
   An essay that contains a description of procedures or operational steps in doing or making something. 

Social Function of Procedure Text:

To explain steps or instructions to do something through a sequence of action or steps.

Generic Structure of Procedure Text

1. Aim/ Goal: The title of the text
2. Material: Ingredients/ tools used in the process
3. Steps/ Methods: The actions that must be taken

Language Features of Procedure Text

Imperative Sentence: A sentence that not has a subject. It is usually started by using verb.
e.g.: – Click the power button.
– Don’t forget to close the lid

Present Tense: A tense in English in which we use infinitive or verb 1 in it.
There are two rules in present tense.
First, for verbal sentence we use = Subject + V1/  Vs/ es + Object
Second, for nominal sentence we use = Subject + to be (is/am/are) + Complement
e.g.: – Insert the card to the machine.
      – It is ready to be used.

Connectives/ Temporal Conjunction: Some words that connect or attach things to each other.
e.g.: first/firstly, second/secondly, then, next, initially, after that, finally, at last, etc.

Numbers: Showing order in a series of something and it can make clear every steps in procedure text.
e.g.: 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Example

Okay, so those are the detailed explanation about procedure text. To make you more understand about it, I will give you two examples.

A. First, this is example of Manual Procedure Text

After you read the procedure text above, let’s analyze the generic structure and language features in it.

Generic Structure

1. Aim/ Goal: How to transfer money from ATM (This is the title of procedure text, you can see directly in the text).
2. Materials: ATM Card, ATM Machine, and PIN (In the text this is not mentioned directly, but you can get the materials by reading the steps).
3. Steps/ Methods: There are seven steps for transferring money from ATM. You can read it by yourself in the text.

Language features

1. Using Imperative Sentence: All the sentences without subject. It is directly using verb, such as: insert, enter, select.
2. The sentences are using present tense (all of the sentences using verb 1)

B. Second, this is example of Tips Procedure Text

After you read the procedure text above, let’s analyze the generic structure and language features in it.

Generic Structure

1. Aim/ Goal: How to form a new habit. (This is the title of procedure text, you can see directly in the text).
2. Materials: Book, pen, calendar, smartphone. (In the text this is not mentioned directly, but you can get the materials by seeing the picture in each step).
3. Steps/ Methods: There are eight steps how to form a new habit. You can read it in the text by yourself.

Language features

1. Using Imperative Sentence: All the sentences without subject. It is directly using verb, such as: work, commit, develop, take, be prepared, share, reward, and adopt.
2. The sentences are using present tense (all of the sentences using verb 1)
3. The sequence of the tips are using numbers from 1 until 8

Okay, so those are the examples of Manual and Tips Procedure Text. I hope it can make you more understand about Procedure Text. Thank you.