Explanation Text

 

Explanation text is text to provide a clear explanation. Usually, explanation text contains explanations about social, natural or cultural phenomena. The purpose of writing this text is to tell the reader about how something works or why something happens.

I. Explanation Text Structure 

1. General statement (General Statement) Provides an introduction to the topic such as an explanation of general information.

2. Explanation (explanation) Use paragraphs or statements that explain how or why something happened. Write down connections such as cause and effect or temporal sequence. 

3. Closing (cover) Contains a strong concluding paragraph or sentence that ties together the general statement and previous explanation.

II. Example of Explanation Text 

A. (General Statement) 

Lightning is a natural phenomenon that usually appears in the rainy season when the sky gives rise to a momentary flash of blinding light. A few moments later, followed by a thunderous sound called thunder. This difference in time of appearance is due to the difference between the speed of sound and the speed of light. 

B. (Explanation) 

Lightning occurs because there's a potential difference between the cloud and the earth or with other clouds. The process of the occurrence of charges on the cloud because it moves continuously regularly, and during its movement it will interact with other clouds so that negative charges will gather on one side (up or down), while positive charges gather on the opposite side. If the potential difference between the cloud and the earth is large enough, there will be a discharge of negative charges (electrons) from the cloud to the earth or vice versa to reach equilibrium. In this discharge process, the medium through which electrons pass is air. When electrons are able to penetrate the air insulation threshold, a sound explosion occurs. 

C. (Closing) 

Lightning is more common in the rainy season, because in that condition, the air contains a higher moisture content so that the insulation power drops and the current flows more easily. Because there are negatively charged clouds and positively charged clouds, lightning can also occur between clouds of different charges.