The Example of Reports Text / Paragraph

Reports Text / Paragraph

Social Function:

Report Text is to describe the way things are, with reference to a range of natural, man-made and social phenomena in our environment.

Significant Grammatical Features:

• Focus on Generic Participants
• Use of Relational Processes to state what is and that which it is
• Use of Simple Present Tense
• No temporal sequence

The Example of Reports Text / Paragraph:

Whales

General

Classification                           Whales are sea-living mammals.

Description                              They therefore breathe air but cannot survive on land.

-Parts                                      Some species a very large indeed and the blue whale,

-Qualities                                 which can exceed 40m in length, is the largest animal
- Habits or behaviors                to have lived on earth. Superficially, the whale looks

  (if living);                               rather like a fish, but 

  uses (if non-natural)               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). This is up to 35cm in thickness 

                                              and serves to conserve heat and body fluids.

image from: bbc.co.uk