Procedure Text: "Let's learn how to do it!"

In Indonesian junior high schools (SMP), procedure text is something that we will find if we study the subject of English language. Procedure text is basically a text which tells its reader how to do something or how to make something. In our daily life, we can easily find examples of procedure text on food wrappers, recipe books, or manual books of electronic devices. Cooking shows like Farah Quinn's "Ala Chef" or creativity shows like Disney's "Art Attack" actually serve the same objective with this kind of text.

A typical procedure text consists of three parts:

A. Goal
This part tells readers of the objective of the whole text or in the other words, what readers will be able to do after they finish reading it. This part also usually serves as the title.
Example:

• "How to Make Fried Rice"
• "Chicken Satay"
• "Cooking Instructions"
• "Nokia 3230: Manual Book"
• etc.

B. Materials
When it comes to materials, it means that we talk about the tools and ingredients needed to fulfill the goal.
For example, if we read a recipe for Indonesian fried rice, we might find these things as the materials:

• Kitchen Utensils:

* Wok
* Spatula
* Mortar (Indonesian: ulekan / cobek) or blender
* Knife
* Plate
* Cutting board

• Ingredients:

* Rice
* Vegetable oil / Margarine
* Eggs
* Chili peppers
* Shallots
* Garlic
* Dried shrimp or shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi )
* Salt
* Sweet soy sauce
* Crackers
* Fresh cucumber and tomato
* Pickles

C. Instructions / Steps
As the name implies, instructions or steps contain chronological order of explanation about particular phases the writer should do. Instructions or steps are usually written with imperative verb, an infinitive form of verb which is used to give order or request to somebody--in this case, the readers.
A recipe for Indonesian fried rice, for example, might contain instructions like these ones:

1. Grind or blend the spices (shallots, garlics, and chili peppers) together with dried shrimps and salt. Do it over and over until the ingredients turn into paste.
2. Turn the stove on, put the wok on it.
3. Wait until the wok absorb enough heat, put the vegetable oil / margarine in.
4. When the oil temperature is hot enough, put the spice paste in. Let the aroma comes out.
5. Crack the egg into the wok, and scramble it together with the spice paste.
6. Put the rice in, and stir well. 
7. Add some sweet soy sauce, according to your taste. Stir well once again.
8. Taste it to see whether it already has the right taste or not. Add some extra salt or sweet soy sauce if needed, and stir it.
9. Stir it thoroughly until approximately seven to ten minutes, to ensure all the seasonings give the perfect taste to the rice. 
10. Turn off the stove
11. Put the rice on your plate. Serve it with crackers, slices of cucumber, and pickles. Your tasty Indonesian fried rice is ready to rock your palate! 

Well, I guess that is all. We have discussed about the procedure text, its definition, generic structures, and grammatical features. I hope it will be useful for you. See you again next time, fellows! :)

Exercise:
Browse YouTube with your browser, and find a video clip from a cooking show or any other tutorial video. Watch it thoroughly, and make a procedure text based on that video. Have fun!

[AP/SmartStudents]