RECOUNT TEXT

 

🌼 Lisha’s Little Memory

Lisha sat quietly in her room one afternoon, looking at old photos on her phone.
(Lisha duduk dengan tenang di kamarnya suatu sore, melihat foto-foto lama di ponselnya.)

Each photo reminded her of moments she had experienced — her first day at school, a family trip, and a tiring but happy hike with her cousin.
(Setiap foto mengingatkannya pada momen-momen yang pernah ia alami — hari pertama sekolah, liburan keluarga, dan pendakian yang melelahkan tapi menyenangkan bersama sepupunya.)

She realized that memories become more meaningful when we can tell them clearly to others.
(Ia menyadari bahwa kenangan menjadi lebih bermakna ketika kita bisa menceritakannya dengan jelas kepada orang lain.)

At school, Lisha learned that telling past experiences in English is called recount text.
(Di sekolah, Lisha belajar bahwa menceritakan pengalaman masa lalu dalam bahasa Inggris disebut recount text.)

By learning recount text, she could share what happened, when it happened, and how she felt about it.
(Dengan mempelajari recount text, ia bisa menceritakan apa yang terjadi, kapan itu terjadi, dan bagaimana perasaannya saat itu.)

Lisha believed that even simple experiences are worth telling — as long as they are told in the right way.
(Lisha percaya bahwa pengalaman sederhana pun layak diceritakan, selama disampaikan dengan cara yang tepat.)

That was why learning recount text became important for her, and it can be important for us too.
(Itulah alasan mengapa mempelajari recount text menjadi penting bagi Lisha, dan juga bisa penting bagi kita semua.)

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After realizing how meaningful it is to share past experiences, Lisha became more curious about how to tell her stories in a clear and organized way. She learned that telling a story is not only about remembering events, but also about arranging them in the right order and using the correct language. This is where recount text plays an important role. By understanding its structure, language features, and purpose, students can retell their experiences more confidently and effectively. Now, let’s explore what recount text is, how it is structured, and how we can write our own experiences in English properly.

📘 RECOUNT TEXT

(Personal Experience)

1. What is Recount Text?

Recount text is a type of text that tells past events or experiences in chronological order.
(Recount text adalah jenis teks yang menceritakan kembali peristiwa atau pengalaman yang sudah terjadi secara berurutan.)

The purpose of recount text is to retell experiences, not to entertain like a narrative text.
(Tujuan recount text adalah menceritakan pengalaman, bukan membuat cerita khayalan.)

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2. Characteristics of Recount Text

Recount text usually has these characteristics:

• Uses past tense

• Tells events in time order

• Focuses on personal experience

• Uses time connectors (then, after that, finally, etc.)

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3. Generic Structure of Recount Text

1. Orientation
   Introduces who, where, and when
   (Siapa, di mana, dan kapan peristiwa terjadi)

2. Events
   Tells the events in order
   (Menceritakan kejadian secara berurutan)

3. Re-orientation (optional)
   Closing or personal comment
   (Penutup atau kesan pribadi)

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4. Language Features

Recount text usually uses:

• Simple Past Tense
  (went, saw, visited, enjoyed)

• Time expressions
  (yesterday, last week, two days ago)

• Action verbs
  (walked, played, studied)

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5. Example of Recount Text (Personal Experience)

My Family’s Hiking Experience at Mount Beser

Several months ago, my family and I went hiking to Mount Beser in Purbalingga.
(Beberapa bulan yang lalu, kami sekeluarga mendaki Gunung Beser di Purbalingga.)
The journey started when we rode motorcycles from our house to the Mount Beser basecamp.
(Perjalanan diawali dengan naik motor dari rumah menuju basecamp Gunung Beser.)
The road to the basecamp was smooth, but the climbs and descents were very extreme.
(Jalan menuju basecamp sudah halus, tetapi tanjakan dan turunannya sangat ekstrem.)

When we arrived at the basecamp, light rain fell continuously and thick fog covered the area.
(Sesampainya di basecamp, gerimis turun tanpa henti dan kabut tebal menyelimuti area tersebut.)
As the day turned into evening, we decided to start the hike the next morning.
(Ketika hari semakin senja, kami memutuskan untuk memulai pendakian keesokan paginya.)
That day, we only set up our tent not far from the basecamp because a camping area was provided near the hiking trail.
(Hari itu, kami hanya mendirikan tenda tidak jauh dari basecamp karena area perkemahan telah disediakan di dekat jalur pendakian.)

When night came, we cooked dinner together near the tent.
(Saat malam tiba, kami memasak makan malam bersama di dekat tenda.)
After dinner, the children quickly fell asleep because they were very tired.
(Setelah makan malam, anak-anak segera tertidur lelap karena sangat kelelahan.)

The next morning, we started the hike early.
(Keesokan paginya, kami memulai pendakian lebih awal.)
The hiking trail was quite crowded with other hikers that morning.
(Jalur pendakian cukup ramai oleh para pendaki pagi itu.)
At one of the posts, we stopped at a small food stall and bought warm milk for the children.
(Di salah satu pos, kami berhenti di warung kecil dan membeli susu hangat untuk anak-anak.)

We passed each post slowly but steadily until we finally reached the top of Mount Beser.
(Kami melewati pos demi pos dengan pelan namun pasti hingga akhirnya sampai di puncak Gunung Beser.)
We rested for a while and took photos together to capture the moment.
(Kami beristirahat sejenak dan berfoto bersama untuk mengabadikan momen tersebut.)

After that, we went down to the camping area.
(Setelah itu, kami turun kembali menuju area tenda.)
When we arrived at the tent, my younger sister, who had gone down earlier, was cooking instant noodles.
(Sesampainya di tenda, adik perempuan saya yang turun lebih dulu sedang memasak mi instan.)
We ate the instant noodles eagerly because we were very hungry.
(Kami menyantap mi instan dengan lahap karena sangat lapar.)

After we enjoyed the atmosphere of the camping area, we packed our things and returned home.
(Setelah menikmati suasana area perkemahan, kami berkemas dan kembali pulang.)
Although we were tired, we felt very happy because we shared a meaningful hiking experience together as a family.
(Walaupun lelah, kami merasa sangat bahagia karena mengalami pendakian yang bermakna bersama keluarga.)

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6. Difference Between Recount and Narrative (Simple Explanation)

Recount Text	Narrative Text
Tells real experiences	Tells imaginary or fictional stories
Focuses on events	Has conflict and resolution
Uses past tense	Uses past tense
No moral lesson required	Often has a moral lesson

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7. Closing Statement

Recount text helps us share our past experiences clearly and meaningfully. By writing recount texts, students can practice using past tense while learning how to organize events in the correct order. Everyone has experiences worth telling — even simple moments can become meaningful stories.

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Now you have learned what a recount text is and how past events are told step by step. The story you read shows how experiences can be shared clearly and meaningfully. It’s time to check your understanding and sharpen your skills. Don’t worry about making mistakes—each question is a chance to learn and grow. Read the questions carefully, think about the text, and enjoy the process. Let’s move on to the exercises and show what you’ve got! 💪📘

🚩 EXERCISES

(Questions 1–5 are based on the text “My Family’s Hiking Experience at Mount Beser”)

1. What was the family’s first activity before starting the hike?
   A. Walking directly to the mountain
   B. Riding motorcycles to the basecamp
   C. Preparing food at home
   D. Taking photos at the peak

2. Why did the family decide to postpone the hike until the next morning?
   A. The trail was too crowded
   B. The children were tired
   C. It was drizzling and foggy, and it was getting late
   D. They forgot their equipment

3. Where did the family set up their tent?
   A. At the mountain peak
   B. In the middle of the trail
   C. Near the basecamp at the camp area
   D. Inside the forest

4. What did the family buy at one of the posts during the hike?
   A. Snacks
   B. Bottled water
   C. Instant noodles
   D. Warm milk for the children

5. Who was cooking instant noodles when the family returned to the tent?
   A. The writer
   B. The father
   C. The younger sister
   D. The children

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(Questions 6–10 are NOT based on the text)

6. Which sentence is written in the simple past tense?
   A. I hike the mountain every year.
   B. I am hiking with my family.
   C. I climbed the mountain last year.
   D. I will climb the mountain tomorrow.

7. The main purpose of a recount text is to ….
   A. Describe a person or place
   B. Explain a process
   C. Tell past experiences or events
   D. Give instructions

8. Which of the following is usually found in a recount text?
   A. Argument
   B. Recommendation
   C. Orientation, events, and reorientation
   D. Complication and resolution

9. Which time expression is commonly used in recount text?
   A. Next week
   B. Right now
   C. Last month
   D. Tomorrow

10. Which verb is the past form of “go”?
    A. Goes
    B. Going
    C. Went
    D. Gone

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(Fill in the blanks with the correct answer)

11. Yesterday, my family ________ (go) to the basecamp early in the morning.
    

12. We ________ (decide) to stay at the camp area because it was raining.
    

13. The children ________ (sleep) soundly after dinner.
    

14. At the peak, we ________ (take) photos together.
    

15. Even though we were tired, we ________ (feel) very happy.

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(Questions 16–20 )

16. The family decided to delay the hike until the next morning because of the weather and time. What value can be learned from this decision?
A. Being brave in every situation
B. Never changing a plan
C. Prioritizing safety and wise decision-making
D. Reaching the destination as fast as possible

17. If the family had continued hiking in the rain and fog that evening, what might have happened?
A. The hike would have been more exciting
B. They would have reached the peak faster
C. The risk of accidents could have increased
D. The weather would have improved

18. Why do you think the writer included small details such as buying warm milk and eating instant noodles?
A. to increase the children’s stamina
B. so that the children would not feel hungry
C. To make the recount text more vivid and realistic
D. To explain how to cook

19. How would the story change if it were written in the present tense instead of the past tense?
A. It would become a descriptive text
B. It would sound like a plan for the future
C. It would no longer function properly as a recount text
D. It would be easier to understand

20. Which of the following alternative titles would BEST match the message and tone of the text?
A. A Dangerous Night on the Mountain
B. My First Solo Hiking Experience
C. A Meaningful Family Hiking Experience
D. Cooking Instant Noodles at the Camp Area