This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
EAL Nexus resource
Recount writing
Key ring
Subject:
English
Age groups:
8–11, 12–14, 15–16, 17–18
Topic:
Non-fiction writing
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes.
Source | This resource was originally developed by Charlotte Hurley and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.
©British Council 2014
Recount
Recount
Purpose: To retell an event or series
of events (from the point of view of
someone who was there)
Examples of main types and forms:
Third person
First person
• Science experiment
• Letter
• Newspaper article
• Autobiography
• Magazine article
• Diary entry
• Magazine article • Encyclopaedia
• Write-up of trip or • History book
• Biography
activity
Recount graphic organiser
What?
When?
Who?
Where?
Recount
Words and phrases to collect for writing
• Adverbial Phrases to indicate when,
how, why, where and how often
• Time phrases to help order events
• Noun phrases and precise nouns
• Adjectives to add detail and clarity
• Precise verbs and adverbs
Recount writing frame
Beginning – opening paragraph
that sets the scene (Who? What?
Where? When?)
Middle – series of paragraphs in
sequence/time order that tells the
reader what happened. Written in
past tense. New paragraph for
each change in place, time,
mood or topic
Ending – paragraph bringing the
writing to a satisfactory conclusion
Recount key ingredients
Opening paragraph setting the
scene (Who? What? Where? etc.)
New paragraph for each change in
place, time, mood or topic
Recount can be first or third person
Feelings, reactions and opinions
Events described in the order they
happened
Adverbial phrases to order the events
Past tense usually used
Direct and reported speech
Recount
Recount