First, select the words from the genres box next to each text. Then drag and drop the descriptions from the language features box next to each text.

Objects to move

  • Imperatives (orders) are used to direct the reader and if numbers or bullet points are not used, the writer uses sequencing and organizing connectives such as ‘first’ and ‘next’. Technical vocabulary and phrases are used throughout.
  • This employs a fairly chatty, informal style by referring to the reader directly as ‘you’. It also uses expressions offering advice and opinions and includes quite a lot of descriptive detail with abundant use of adjectives and adverbs.
  • This narrative can be written in the first person ‘I’ or the third person ‘he/she’. It can be very descriptive as the writer often needs to paint a scene or describe a situation or talk about people’s feelings and emotions.
  • This genre commonly uses technical and scientific expressions within the framework of a traditional novel or story. The narrative voice can be first person ‘I’ or third person ‘he/she’ and the story line often involves war, colonization or the end of the world.
  • This style of writing commonly uses formal vocabulary and formal, distancing grammatical structures such as the passive voice are very common. The overall tone is formal, distant and yet neutral in terms of politeness.
  • Short, factual sentences are common in this genre. Where sentences are longer, they tend to be active independent clauses joined with simple connectives such as ‘and’ or ‘but’.
  • This is a fairly personalized piece of writing using ‘I ‘ and ‘you’ to refer to the sender and receiver. The tone is generally neutral in terms of formality and directness but polite. The writer presents the content in a clear and concise way avoiding old-fashioned jargon and verbose expressions.
  • The objective content of this genre is achieved through consistent use of the passive voice. Because of the nature of the text, there is a strong focus on the past tense and a more academic style of vocabulary and grammar.
  • This genre is dominated by its informal style in which short forms, contractions, informal vocabulary, unusual punctuation, incomplete or grammatically cut sentences are all common features. This genre also quite descriptive and often has a humorous or positive feel to it.
  • This style of writing uses academic or technical terminology with a strong passive or objective focus usually presented in the present tense.


1 Undo the shaft-wrench on the grondle-spigot and then insert the mainstay into the cleft on the right hand side of the jack-end bite snap.
Genre Language features
    2 Perhaps your best bet for accommodation would be to stay at one of the numerous family run hotels in the city centre. They are usually very friendly, clean and remarkably good value and most of them serve reasonably priced food.
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      3 After dinner, Greene sat and waited in his room over the old bakery in Admiralty Street. Down below he could hear the tourists on their way to the evening market or one of the many average eateries that lined the water front – the children were shouting and screaming out of control while their parents called after them not to get lost. How strange he thought, do they think their children would get lost on purpose? Then he smiled to himself – why not, he had.
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        4 Zarkon V was situated deep in Sector Two, light years from the nearest United Planetary Confederation’s observation station. As a result, the colony was a largely lawless society and not one for the faint-hearted.
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          5 Completed form AP/714 together with transcripts and original qualification certificates must be submitted to the Secretariat by the end of the month. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the instant termination of the candidate’s application.
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            6 The suspect, a 43 year old man, was arrested at his home in Sai Kung in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police would not comment on the identity of the man but stated later that he was helping them with their enquiries into a recent bank robbery in Central in which three bank employees were injured.
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              7 I would like all staff to attend an emergency departmental meeting in the conference room after work. I apologize for the late notice but I’m afraid that we have some very important issues to discuss. Thank you for your understanding.
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                8 The data was obtained from interviewing 150 year one students about their experiences during their first month at university. The respondents were asked 20 multiple-choice questions divided in to four sections on orientation, course information, socializing and belonging. The questionnaires were administered at the end of September and the results collated the following month
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                  9 Hi there ! Having a great time ! Sun, sea and sand !!! Food’s fantastic and the people are great. Off to the night market this evening and then up Mount Palawag on Saturday – hope I’m fit enough!!! Trust all’s well at work – see you soon. C & E.
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                    10 Some verbs are used transitively and intransitively with different kinds of subject; the intransitive use has a meaning rather like a passive or reflexive verb and these verbs have commonly become known as ergative verbs.
                    Genre Language features