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Writing a Recount

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Writing a Recount

Study the short recount, notice how it is organised, then plan and write your own recount about a car wash fundraiser. A recount retells events that have already happened.

Read like a writer

The Saturday Car Wash Last Saturday, our group held a car wash fundraiser outside the community hall. We hoped to raise money for new sports equipment, but the morning began with a problem: the hose connector kept slipping off. First, Ruben tightened the connector while Harrison put up our price sign. Finn greeted the first driver and explained what we were raising money for. Soon, a queue of cars stretched along the driveway. We worked in teams, so one person soaped each car while another rinsed it. Cold water splashed my sleeves, and the air smelled of wet concrete and car shampoo. Just after midday, a gust of wind sent our sign tumbling across the driveway. We laughed, caught it before it reached the road, and weighed it down with a bucket. By the end of the afternoon, we had washed twelve cars and collected $186. I felt tired, but proud that our teamwork had turned a tricky start into a successful day.

1.What is the main purpose of the recount, “The Saturday Car Wash”?

To retell a real or imagined experience in the order it happened
To explain how to wash a car
To persuade readers to buy sports equipment
To describe different types of cars

2.Copy one detail from the opening paragraph that tells when or where the event happened.

3.True or false: The recount mainly uses past-tense verbs because the fundraiser has already happened.

TrueFalse

4.Number these events from 1 to 3 in the order they happened: the sign blew over; Ruben tightened the hose connector; the group counted the money at the end.

5.Write down two words or phrases from the recount that help the reader follow the order of events.

6.The writer says, “Cold water splashed my sleeves, and the air smelled of wet concrete and car shampoo.” What effect do these details have on the recount?

7.Rewrite this sentence in the past tense: “Finn greets the first driver and explains the fundraiser.”

8.Imagine you helped at this car wash fundraiser. Jot down the setting, one problem, two events in order, and how the day ended. You may invent details, but keep them believable.

9.Write a recount of the fundraiser using your plan. Include an opening that tells when and where it happened, events in chronological order, past-tense verbs, at least two vivid details, and a concluding reflection.

10.Reread your draft. Find one past-tense verb and one sequencing phrase, then copy them below. If either is missing, revise your recount before answering.