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Writing sometimes consists of giving instructions. They are part of our everyday life. If you buy a mobile phone or a VCD player, there will often be a small booklet inside telling you how to set it up and operate it. This  is called procedural writing. Writing up a science experiment has a definite structure. It begins with a goal or aim. Then it lists materials and requirements and tells you what you should do with them (the method). Finally there is often a summary, describing whether the experiment has been successful or not.

Another common type of procedure is  writing recipes. Note how the popular recipe below does not always use full sentences.

Barbecue-style roast duck

This recipe produces a sumptuous meal cooked in traditional manner. Duck is extremely popular in many parts of China and this is a common way of preparing this bird.

Serves: four people

Oven temperature: 180-190 degrees Celsius (350-370 degrees Fahrenheit)

Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1.75kg roasting duck

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon hoi sin sauce

1 teaspoon sesame paste

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

Half-teaspoon pepper

Method:

Wash duck inside and out. Then remove neck and giblets and keep to one side for making stock. Combine all other ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently until the honey melts and everything is mixed in together. Simmer for two or three minutes. Add a spoonful of water if it seems too thick.

Rub this mixture (or marinade) all over the outside and inside of the duck. Save the remaining marinade to serve as a sauce for the duck. Put the whole duck into an oven bag or wrap it in tin foil. If using an oven bag, follow the manufacturer's instructions and remember to put three or four holes on the top of the bag near the tie.

Place duck breast side facing down in a roasting pan and cook in a fairly hot oven for 45 minutes. Turn the duck breast side up and cook a further 45 minutes to one hour. Remove from bag, carve duck with a sharp knife and serve hot with the extra marinade, spring onions and cucumber cut into matchstick chips. Serve with rice.

Glossary

sumptuous (adj) - delicious; very tasty

succulent - juicy

giblets - a bird's internal organs

to combine - to bring together; to put together

manufacturer - somebody who makes or produces something

Comprehension

1. How many people is the recipe designed for?

2. How long does it take to cook the dish?

3. What is used for making stock?

4. What do you do if the marinade is too thick?

5. If you don't wrap the duck in an oven bag, what else can you use?

6. What sort of knife is used to carve the duck?

7. Which ingredients are cut into matchstick strips?

Writing style

In procedures, instructions are often given in a shortened form. For example, in a game handbook, instead of saying, 'Roll the dice and move your piece forward the same number of squares as the number of dots on the dice', the instructions might say, 'Roll dice and move piece'. Here are some instructions from procedures. Rewrite them into full sentences.

8. Take wires and put in socket.

9. Fry beef, add salt and put in saucepan.

10. Pick card, follow instructions.

11. Keep camera out of sunlight, in a dry place.

12. Fill bucket with water, put objects in.

13. Dive in pool, swim three lengths, climb out.

Crossword

Games often have instructions. Read the clues below and work out the names of the games. Choose the correct answer from the list and write it in the grid.

List: Chess, Monopoly, Poker, Mahjong, Scrabble, Go

1. A game where players make up words and score points for each letter

2. A card game

3. A Chinese game of strategy more than 3,000 years old, using 180 white stones and 181 black stones

4. A noisy Chinese game using tiles with four winds

5. An ancient game with pawns, kings and queens

6. Players buy real estate in this game

Answers

1. four people; 2. 1 hour 45 minutes; 3. neck and giblets; 4. add a spoonful of water; 5. tin foil; 6. a sharp knife; 7. spring onions and cucumber; 8. Take the wires and put them in the socket; 9. Fry the beef, add the salt and put it into the saucepan; 10. Pick a card and follow the instructions it contains; 11. Keep the camera out of sunlight and store it in a dry place; 12. Fill the bucket with water and put the objects in; 13. Dive in the pool, swim three lengths and then climb out

Crossword

1. Scrabble; 2. Poker; 3. Go; 4. Mahjong; 5. Chess; 6. Monopoly



Food for thought on procedural writing