Genre of Recipes

Warmer 

Discuss with a partner: 

• What's your favourite meal? 
• What recipes can you cook? 
• What kind of information do recipes normally include?

Activity 1 

In pairs or small groups, read recipes A and B. Take turns describing each recipe, and then discuss with your partner: 

• Which would you prefer to make? 
• Which would you prefer to eat? 
• What do the two recipes have in common with each other? 

Activity 2

How is genre created? 

Through 1) discourse structure and 2) register features. 

First let's look at discourse structure: the elements of the text structured in a predictable order. 

Work in pairs. One look at recipe A, the other at B. Try labelling the different sections. As an example, both recipes already have the Title labelled. Compare to see if you have the same answers. Discuss: What is the purpose of each section?

Did you label all the parts correctly? Check your answers with the handout. 

Extension:

• Could you change the order or leave out of any of the elements? Why/why not? 
• What presentation features are used to make information easier to find? 

Activity 3 

Genre is also created through register features: the distinctive language used in the text. 

In pairs, look at your recipe again. Circle/highlight any unusual or interesting ways language is used. For example, what do the two titles have in common? 

• Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Sandwich
• Sugar-free Cheesecake

How are the titles written?The titles are written as a noun phrase without any determiners.

Compare your answers with a partner: What interesting language features did you find in the text? 

Use the mix-and-match activity on the next slide to check your answers. If you find any extra features, tell your teacher and the rest of the class! 

Give me a Clue! Submit your Answers

 

Activity 4

Look again at the Instructions section of each recipe. Are there any grammatical elements missing you would normally expect to see? 

What's missing? Read this extract from Recipe A:

• Sprinkle rosemary and pepper over chicken. Coat skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Sauté chicken over medium heat, turning once.

These sentences are missing determiners (a, an, the) and some object pronouns. Normally, we would write the sentence like this: 

• Sprinkle the rosemary and pepper over the chicken. Coat the chicken with cooking spray. Heat it over medium heat. Sauté the chicken over medium heat, turning it once.

Read this extract from Recipe B:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. In bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cheese and sweetener until very smooth, 3 minutes.

Rewrite the sentence, adding back in any grammatical features that are normally used.

Example AnswerPreheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl with the mixer at medium speed, beat the cheese and sweetener until it is very smooth for 3 minutes.

Activity 5

What elements make up the genre of recipes? Write a list of five things you can remember!

 

Features we expect to see in a recipe: 

• A predictable discourse structure with a Title, Ingredients, Instructions etc. 
• Language features such as noun phrases, abbreviations and the imperative 
• Omitting grammatical features like determiners and Object pronouns 

Why are recipes written in this way? What is the context and purpose of a recipe? How does writing a recipe in this way help the reader?  

Recipes are written this way becauseRecipes are written this way because the reader needs to find the relevant information quickly and easily while they are preparing and cooking the meal.

Activity 6

Part 1: Find a recipe online or in a cookbook. Does it follow the same discourse structure and register features as the recipes A and B? If it is different, why do you think that is? 

Part 2: Think back to your favourite meal or dish. Try writing a recipe for it, using the same discourse structure and register features as recipes A and B. Don't worry if you don't know the exact ingredients or instructions. Focus on making the information in the text clear and easy-to-find for the reader. When you finish, swap and compare recipes with a partner. 

Genre of Advertisements

Goals: 

• Identify common discourse and register features of advertisements
• Analyse how these features are used to achieve the desired effects 
• Plan, write and evaluate an advert using the same features 

Lesson Plan

Before this lesson, you may want to complete the lesson An Introduction to Genre, so that learners are familiar with the key terms discourse structure and register

Please check if there are any hand outs at the bottom of this page and print in advance.

Warmer

Use the bulletpoints to introduce the topic and activate the pupils' prior learning. Circulate to monitor the discussion. You could use mini-whiteboards to share/check their answers for the third point. 

Activity 1

Explain that learners must work in pairs or small groups. One half works with Advert A and the other with Advert B. Hand out the printed adverts. Learners then take turns to discuss the bulletpoints. Again, try using mini-whiteboards to share answers. Learners should start discussing language and structural features as these are the focus of the rest of the lesson. 

Activity 2

Ask learners to recall the meaning of discourse structure and register features. They should be familiar with these terms from the introductory lesson. 

Next, all learners looks at Advert A to identify and label the sections. As as an example, the headline is already labelled. After five minutes, compare with a partner. 

Scaffolding: If learners are struggling, provide them with the names of the six sections: Title, Illustration, Body Copy, Logo, Brand Name, Slogan, and Contact Information. 

Extension:

• Presentation features: quotation marks, bold text, underlining, bullet-points, short paragraphs

Finally, discuss what the purpose of these discourse features is. Why is the text designed in this way? Accept any answers related to helping the reader find information and to persuade/convince. 

Activity 3

Have the learners read Advert A again and consider the question: What kind of tone does this text create? How does it attempt to persuade the audience? As shown in the next slide, learners should conclude that the text has a firendly and appraochable tone (of course, accept any equivalent descriptions).

Then, consider the next question: What features of language contribute to this tone? Use the bullet-points to help the learners' discussion. Use the mix and match activity to check what features the learners noticed. Add any extra features to the board. 

Activity 4

Next, learners will look at a different aspect of language. Ask them to focus on the underlined words on the Advert A handout and answer the questions: What word classes do they belong to? What do these words have in common? Where are they placed in the text, and why? After a discussion, use the buttons to reveal some example answers. 

To consolidate the previous activities, ask the learners to write two paragraphs, one analysing the discourse and presentation features, and the other analysing the register and language features. Select evidence and analyse how these features contribtue to the intended effect on the reader, bearing in mind the purpose of the advert. Either give feedback individually, and/or ask learners to swap and asses each others' writing.

Activity 5

Learners now have the opportunity to apply the same approach to analysing another text. Ask them to look at Advert B, and follow the same steps as previously, this time allowing the learners to take more of the lead. Have the learners discuss the bullet point questions to give a brief analysis of the text. Learners then compare to see how similar Advert B is to Advert A. 

Advert B does show a feature which was not as prominent in A. In the next slide, ask the learners to read the three bullet point phrases and identify what makes them unusual (they are all minor sentences or fragments). Discuss why these kinds of sentences are used in adverts and use the button to reveal a possible response. 

Activity 6

Finally, learners can apply their understanding of adverts to a writing task. Ask learner to select a product (perhaps something that would be popular with school students) and ask them to create an advert. Make sure that they use the checklist to include the features they have looked at in the lesson, and use the checlist to peer-assess their work. 

Genre of Advertisements

Warmer 

Discuss with a partner: 

• What adverts did you see on the way to school today? What made them memorable?
• What advert have you seen recently that stuck in your mind? Why? 
• What kind of writing and information do we normally see in adverts? 

Activity 1 

In pairs or small groups, read Adverts A and B. Take turns describing each text, and then discuss with your partner: 

• What is the company? What product are they selling?
• How is the information organised on the page? Why is it done in this way? 
• How is language used to persuade the audience? 

Activity 2

How is genre created? 

Through 1) discourse structure and 2) register features. 

First let's look at discourse structure: the elements of the text structured in a predictable order. 

Look again at Advert A. Try labelling the different sections.

As an example, Advert A already has the headline labelled. Compare to see if you have the same answers. Discuss: What is the purpose of each section?

Extension:

• What other presentation features are used to make information easier to find? Hint: look at the how the text changes throughout.

Why is the text designed and presented in this way? What does the author hope to achieve? How will the audience react? 

AnswerAn advert is usually designed to grab the audience's attention, to persuade them to purchase/remember a product, and to give clear information.

Activity 3 

Genre is also created through register features: the distinctive language used in the text. 

In pairs, look at your Advert A again. Discuss these questions: 

1. What kind of tone does this text create?

2. How does it attempt to persuade the audience?  

The titles are written as a noun phrase without any determiners.

Even though this advert is from a building society and advertising for mortgages, the text does not aim for a serious tone. In fact, the tone is light and friendly. The text is written in a conversational way, which the company hopes will persuade the audience to choose their services. 

Look again at the text. What features of language can you see that contribute to this friendly and approachable tone? 

Share the language features you've found with a partner. Discuss: 

• What is the correct terminology for this feature? 
• How many examples of it can you find in the text? 
• How does it help create a friendly, informal tone? 

In the next activity, you will see some language features. As a whole class, match the technical term to the appropriate example. How do all these features help create a friendly tone? 

Give me a Clue! Submit your Answers

 

Activity 4

Look again at Advert A. Notice the underlined words: what word classes do they belong to?

What do these words have in common? What kind of messages do they send? Where do they change in the text? Why do you think this is? 

Word classesThe underlined words are nouns, adjectives and adverbs. These contribute to the tone by describing emotional states.

Where do these words change?These words are negative at the start of the text (problem), but turn positive later (solution).

Consolidation

Write two paragraphs: one analysing the discourse and presentation features, and the other analysing the register and language features. Select evidence and analyse how these features contribtue to the intended effect on the reader, bearing in mind the purpose of the advert. 

 

Activity 5

Now, look at Advert B. Discuss with your partner/group: 

• What is the company? What product are they selling?
• Is this advert effective? Why/why not? 

Here's a list of discourse and register features we saw in Advert A. Does Advert B also contain the same features? Label/underline all the ones you can find. 

Discourse: Title, Illustration, Body Copy, Logo, Brand Name, Slogan, and Contact Information. 

Presentation: Quotation Marks, Bold Text, Underlining, Bullet-points, Short Paragraphs

Register: Contractions, Imperatives, Personal Pronouns, Puns, Alliteration, Fronted Coordinated Conjuncitons, Positive & Negative Vocabulary

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl with the mixer at medium speed, beat the cheese and sweetener until it is very smooth for 3 minutes.

Look at these phrases from Advert B. What do they have in common? What makes them unusual?

• The Credit Card That's a Bit More Friendly
• Manageable credit limits - up to £1500
• Best credit card I think for people with poor credit

All these phrases are not full sentences. We can call them minor sentences or fragments. We can tell this because they are missing a Subject or Main Verb. 

• The Credit Card That's a Bit More Friendly
• Manageable credit limits - up to £1500
• Best credit card I think for people with poor credit

Why do you think the advert uses this kind of phrase? 

Adverts use fragments because...Adverts use fragments because they save space and help create an informal tone like spoken language.

Rewrite these three fragments as full sentences by adding a Subject or Main Verb.

• The Credit Card That's a Bit More Friendly
• Manageable credit limits - up to £1500
• Best credit card I think for people with poor credit

Here's one way you could rewrite each phrase: 

• This is the Credit Card That's a Bit More Friendly
• We can provide manageable credit limits - up to £1500
• It is the best credit card I think for people with poor credit

There are many more minor sentences in Advert B, and at least one in Advert A. 

How many can you find? For each one you spot, try rewriting it as a full sentence. 

Activity 6

Now, try writing your own advert:

• Choose a product to sell (try something that would appeal to your classmates) 
• Use the same techniques as you looked at in this lesson
• When finished, swap with a partner and peer-assess with the checklist

Genre of Encyclopaedia Entries

Goals:

• Identify the purpose and tone of encyclopaedia entries
• Analyse the discourse structure and register features
• Produce an encyclopaedia entry using the same techniques

Lesson Plan

Before this lesson, you may want to complete the lesson An Introduction to Genre, so that learners are familiar with the key terms discourse structure and register

Please check if there are any hand outs at the bottom of this page and print in advance.

Explain that this lesson will focus on how encyclopaedia entries are written. As a warm up, use the questions in the first slide to activate the pupils' prior knowledge and to discuss any misconceptions. The most important idea to elicit here is that encyclopaedia entries are written to provide objective information to the reader as clearly as possible.

Have the learners read the Tiger encyclopaedia entry using the questions in the second slide as a guide. The purpose of Question 1 is to check comprehension; accept any reasonable answers from the text. Question 2 is to foster a discussion that will guide the rest of the lesson. Learners don't need to give full answers here as these topics will be examined in more detail.

Use the next slide to prompt the learners to give words that express the tone of the text. To help, you could ask them to contrast this with fiction to bring out the differences i.e. this text is not written to build tension or paint a vivid picture. The list of words to describe the tone is not exhaustive, so accept any reasonable answers.

Move on to Activity 2. Remind learners of the definition of discourse structure. Ask them to discuss in pairs or small groups what they think the main structural elements of the encyclopaedia entry are (e.g. main heading and subheadings). Since the discourse structure of this text is quite straightforward, this task shouldn't take too long. As an extension, ask learners to rewrite the subheading titles as either clauses or one word, e.g. Appearance could become Where they live

Next, the learners will focus on register or language features. Ask learners to read the text again, this time highlighting or underlining any words or phrases that stand out, or that help contribute to creating tone. Check to see if any learners found the same examples as in the next slide. Ask learners to match the examples to the appropriate terminology.

On the next slide, learners read the four explanations and then match with the most appropriate language feature. As an extension, learners can look for further examples of each construction in the text.

To finish analysing the text, look at the next slides regarding the online features of the text. This could be a useful opportunity to discuss verifying information and evidence online.

Finally, learners move on to Activity 3 which is a writing task. Based on the Wallaby Notes hand out, learners write an encyclopaedia entry, using the same discourse structure and language features as the Tiger entry. To check their work, learners can compare with a partner, and then with an authentic encyclopaedia entry, such as Wikipedia.

Acknowledgment

This series of resources explores how genre relates to grammar. The content of the lessons was devised and kindly provided by Prof. Andrew Goatly. You can find some of his publications for purchase on the Amazon website here.

Genre of Encyclopaedia Entries

Warm up

What kind of text is an encyclopaedia?

What is its purpose?

What makes it different from other texts?

Activity 1

Read the Tiger encyclopaedia entry.

1. What are three facts you learn about tigers?
2. How is this text written? What is the tone? Why is it written in this way?

What three words best describe the tone and style of this text?

You might have described the style of writing as: Example Answersformal, neutral, informative, clear, unbiased, factual, simple

Next, we will see how discourse structure and features of register create these effects.

Activity 2

The discourse structure of the text is made clear through the main heading (Tiger) and subheadings (Appearance, Where they live, Diet).

Why does an encyclopaedia use these headings?

Example AnswersSo that the reader can find the information they are looking for as easily as possible.

Along with discourse structure, the text uses register or language features to create a clear, informative tone. Read the text again, and highlight any phrases or constructions that help create this effect.

For example, phrases like 100 births, 9 feet, many types of forest are all examples of numbers and quantifiers. These are used to give precise, factual information.

Next, you will match more examples from the text with the correct terminology.

Submit your Answers

Answers

Each statement below explains the use of a grammatical feature from the previous activity. Read each statement and decide which grammatical feature it matches with before revealing the correct answer with by clicking the buttons 1-4.

Answer 1Stative verbs used in the present tense, these verbs describe the way something normally is or behaves in general, rather than describing ongoing or specific actions.

Answer 2Modal verbs and adverbs are used to express degrees of certainty or frequency and show that there is some possible variation in the information.

Answer 3The passive voice formed by using the verb 'be' plus a past participle, these expressions can shift the focus of a sentence, and are used to create a neutral tone.

Answer 4Expanded noun phrases are used to add extra information to a person, object or thing. This expansion can take the form of pre- or postmodification.

Read the text again and find one more example of each language feature.

This entry is taken from an online encyclopaedia.

What features show that this is an online text?

What is the purpose of these features?

Hyperlinks which connect to other encyclopaedia entries

Numbered hyperlinks that connect to the references at the bottom of the page.

Activity 3

Find the Wallaby Notes on the hand out.

Transform these notes into an encyclopaedia entry using the discourse structure and register features we have noted. You will have to add words to make complete sentences.

When you have finished, compare with a partner and explain your choices. Finally, you can compare with an actual encyclopeadia entry for Wallaby, such as from Wikipedia.