Cayman Islands Writing Exemplar

Recount Writing (Non-Narrative):

Recounts are used to relate experiences or retell past events. Generally, they aim to inform or entertain and often have 

a reflective component. Recounts can be categorized as personal, factual, literary, or imaginative (fictional). The time 

span that recounts cover can vary from a small moment to many years, depending on the author’s purpose. Personal 

recounts (as well as small moment recounts and literary recounts) retell an activity or experience in which the author 

has been personally involved. The primary purpose of this type of recount is to entertain the reader. Personal recounts 

may be presented, for example, in the form of an anecdote, a diary or journal entry, or a personal letter. Factual  

recounts report the particulars of an occurrence by reconstructing factual information. Autobiographies, biographies, 

historical recounts, and accident reports are a few examples of factual recounts, as they are all documents designed 

to inform the reader. Imaginative recounts require the writer to apply factual knowledge to an imaginary role in order to 

interpret and recount events. Topics like “Diary of a Spider,” “A Day in the Life of an Egyptian,” or “Journal of an Iguana” 

are a few examples of imaginative recounts, or recounts in role. 

The samples provided in this exemplar document include personal, factual, and imaginative recounts. 

The following graphic organisers are examples of prewriting tools that can support students in the planning phase of 

writing. The suitability of each graphic organiser will depend on year level and student ability. This is only a sample 

and not an exhaustive list of graphic organisers.

 

---

51