Social function:
to describe the way things are, with reference to a range of natural, manmade and social phenomena in our environment.
Generic structure:
- General classification : introducing the thing that will be talked about.
- Description : elaborating and reporting on the subject in detail.
Language features:
- Focus on generic participant
- Use simple present tense
- No temporal sequence
example:
Whales [title]
Whales are sea-livings mammals. [general classification]
They therefore breathe air but cannot survive on land. Some species are very large indeed and the blue whale, which
can exceed 30 meters in length, is the largest animal to have lived on earth. Superficially, the whale looks rather like a
fish, but there are important differences in its external structure; its tail consists of a pair of broad, flat horizontal
paddles (the tail of a fish is vertical) and it has a single nostril on top of its large, broad head. The skin is smooth and
shiny and beneath it lies a layer of fat (blubber). It can be up to 30 meters in thickness and serves heat and body fluids. [ description]
Sources: Active English XI
