Procedure is the set of steps which should be completed in the right sequence to get the goal. In our daily life, we often have to perform some steps to make or get something done. For example, early in the morning, you help your mother prepare cups of tea for all members of your family. In making cups of tea, you have to follow certain procedure in order to get a nice drink. Most of our daily activities are related with procedures. That is why, you should understand what a procedure text is, how to make and use it. The generic structure of procedure has three principal components namely (1) the goal, (2) materials and (3) steps.
A. Generic Structure of procedure
1. Goal : Title of the text (especially for a recipe)
2. Materials : Optional, not for all procedural texts
3. Steps : a series steps oriented to achieving the Goal
B. Generic Features
1. The use of Simple Present Tense, often in an imperative form e.g. Add some sugar, prepare it,.
2. The use mainly of temporal conjunction (or numbering to indicate sequence especially in written text)
a. As the sentence introducers (sequencers) especially in spoken text:
First … Firstly …
Second … Secondly …
Then … Thirdly …
After that … Afterwards …
Finally … Lastly …
e.g. Firstly, prepare some water!
b. As time introducers, especially in written text
… before …
After …
When …
While …
… until …
During …
e.g. While you are boiling the water, grind the chilies, onions and salt
Now read this text!
Goal:
How to activate a Handphone
Nowadays, we need a handphone to connect to our colleagues. We can get it easily in the shop. When we buy it we shall get a handphone, a SIM card, a battery and a charger
steps:
This is the way to activate the handphone:
· First, open the cover of the handphone
· Second, insert the SIM card after being installed
· Third, insert the battery inside
· Fourth, close the battery with a cover of handphone
· Fifth, connect the lead from the charger to the bottom of the phone.
· Sixth, connect the charger to an AC wall outlet. Charging the battery supplied with the phone may take four up to six hours.
Seventh, when the battery is fully charged, the bar stops scrolling. Disconnect the charger from the AC outlet and the phone. Then, we are ready to make a phone call.
Read this procedure text again!
Goal:
How to boil an egg
Do you know how to boil an egg? Well, this is the way!
How to boil an egg
Do you know how to boil an egg? Well, this is the way!
steps
· First, heat a saucepan of water on the stove.
· Then put the egg in the boiling water.
· After that, heat it until it boils.
· Next, cook it for three minutes.
· Don’t leave the eggs until it gets burnt.
· Now, the egg is ready to serve.
Finally, serve it with pepper powder and salt
To make it clear, please remember the concept of procedure below:
Purpose:
Procedures help us do a task or make something. They can be a set of instruction or direction
Text Organization:
Title
Goal
Materials and equipment needed (optional)
Steps
Language Features:
The use of imperative
Include technical terms
Use words that tell the reader how, when and where to perform the task
Sources:
Cahyono, Kristiawan Dwi and Eka Purnama.2006. Communicative Competence 2B: A course in Acquiring English Communicative Competence, For Senior High School Level, Grade XI Semester 2. Jombang: CV Karunia Agung
Sudarwati and Eudia Grace.2007. Look Ahead: An English Course for Senior High School Students Year I, Science and Social Study Program. Jakarta: Erlangga
