Text type: Instructions

“What do I do to send a text?” “Like this!” “Okay, I’ll write it down for you!” When you show and describe how something should be done you are writing instructions. You’ve probably read instructions at some time. Maybe a recipe, game rules, or an assembly guide. Instructions should be clear, and show step by step how something should be done. The person who reads them might not have performed a task like this before, but still needs to be able to understand what to do.

Start with the title. For example: Write and send a text. Then explain why this task should be performed: what the purpose is. “Best way of telling a friend something quickly: send a text message.” Next, it’s time to say what is needed to perform the task. It might be ingredients, tools, or something else.. like a mobile phone, and the phone number of the recipient of the text message.

Carefully consider in what order the tasks should be performed. Remember that you are to explain all the steps so that anyone could understand them. No matter how obvious they might seem. Selma’s grandpa might not even understand that he needs to start his phone. So she needs to begin with that.

You can write the instructions in “you”-form... Like this: First you switch your phone on. When you use this form, the verbs are always written in present tense. For example: switch, press But you can also write the instructions a little more directing, using imperative form. Switch the phone on.

Press the symbol for message. Type in the recipient’s number. If you write using imperatives, you need to number every step. Numbered imperatives are a clear way to explain something. But if you talk to your granddad or a best friend you may want to use wording that flows together to make the text feel more personal.

You still need to say in what order the tasks should be performed, though. How do you do that without numbering the sentences? It’s easier if you use temporal words: first, then, after that, now, finally Like this: ..First you switch your phone on. ..Then you press the symbol for messages. ..After that you type in the number for the recipient of your message. ..Now you can write your message. Finally you press send In some instructions you use abbreviations. In a recipe for example you use ‘tbsp’ for ‘tablespoon’ and ‘min’ instead of ‘minutes’.

Your instructions might also need abbreviations. Selma’s texting instructions might not need abbreviations, but symbols. Like this perhaps: “Use emoticons to make the text more fun, or simply to express feelings. A heart means that you like someone, and a happy smiley that you are happy.” Do you need to add some pictures to make the instructions clearer? You can draw the pictures, download them from the Internet, or cut them from magazines.

Some instructions only use pictures. Do you need to warn about something in your instructions? The sender of a text needs to check carefully that it’s being sent to the right recipient, because it can seem a little weird otherwise. So that should go in the instructions. Done!

Thank you sweetheart. But could I get it on paper? Where can I find the heart and the kiss? Grandpa, who are you texting to?