4.5 Procedural and Informational Texts

Teks Prosedur: How to Do Something

A teks prosedur tells the reader how to complete a task. Its structure is:

1. Goal (tujuan) — what the procedure will achieve.
2. Materials or tools (bahan/alat) — optional list of what is needed.
3. Steps (langkah-langkah) — numbered or sequenced actions in order.
4. Conclusion (penutup) — optional result or closing.

The defining linguistic signal is the verba imperatif (imperative verb): ' Ambil', 'Potong', 'Rebus', 'Aduk', 'Tuangkan', 'Pasang'. Steps are linked by sequence markers — 'pertama', 'kedua', 'ketiga', 'lalu', 'kemudian', 'setelah itu', 'akhirnya'. Polite imperatives such as 'silakan', 'mohon', or 'harap' also appear in formal procedural texts.

Example Procedural Snippet

Cara membuat teh manis hangat

Tujuan: membuat segelas teh manis hangat. Bahan: satu sendok teh bubuk, gula secukupnya, air panas 200 ml. Langkah-langkah:

1. Masukkan satu sendok teh bubuk ke dalam gelas.
2. Tuangkan air panas ke dalam gelas tersebut.
3. Aduk perlahan hingga teh larut.
4. Tambahkan gula secukupnya, lalu aduk kembali hingga merata.
5. Sajikan selagi hangat.

Notice how every step begins with an imperative (Masukkan, Tuangkan, Aduk, Tambahkan, Sajikan) and how sequence markers (lalu, kembali, selagi) anchor the order. A UKBI urutan langkah item might shuffle two steps and ask the correct order — the answer must respect both the sequence markers and the causal logic (you cannot add sugar before the tea dissolves).

Common UKBI Item Types for Prosedur

A frequent distractor in urutan langkah items is to swap two steps whose actions look similar (e.g., 'Tambahkan gula' and 'Aduk kembali'). The correct sequence respects the cause: the sugar is added before the final stir, so Tambahkan → Aduk is correct, not the reverse.

Teks Laporan/Informasi: Describing Classes of Things

A teks laporan (also called teks informasi) is a factual text that describes a class of things — animals, plants, phenomena, professions, or institutions — in a general and systematic way. It is the genre of encyclopaedia entries, science textbooks, and reference articles.

The structure is:

1. General classification (klasifikasi umum) — places the subject in a class.
2. Description (deskripsi) — details about features, habitat, behaviour, uses, or parts.
3. Closing (penutup) — optional restatement or additional note.

Linguistic signals: simple present tense (adalah, mempunyai, hidup, terdiri atas), formal register, no imperative verbs, no personal narration. Crucially, a laporan describes 'burung elang pada umumnya' (eagles in general), not 'seekor elang bernama Garuda' (a specific eagle) — that would be narasi.

Example Informational Snippet

Komodo

Komodo (Varanus komodoensis) adalah species kadal terbesar di dunia, yang hidup di Pulau Komodo, Rinca, Flores, dan Gili Motang, Indonesia. Reptil ini dapat mencapai panjang tiga meter dan bobot lebih dari tujuh puluh kilogram. Komodo adalah pemangsa puncak; makanannya meliputi rusa, babi hutan, dan kadang-kadang bangkai. Spesies ini diklasifikasikan sebagai terancam oleh IUCN, sehingga dilindungi oleh hukum Indonesia.

The first sentence classifies (Varanus komodoensis, the world's largest lizard), and the rest describes features, habitat, diet, and conservation status. The simple present (adalah, dapat, meliputi, diklasifikasikan) and the general-class framing ('species kadal terbesar di dunia') mark this as laporan, not narasi.

Common UKBI Item Types for Laporan

• Rincian faktual — which detail is or is not in the text. Scan for the keyword; verify the sentence.
• Klasifikasi umum — what class the subject belongs to. Find the first sentence; the class is usually named there.
• Perbedaan kelas dan contoh — distinguishing a general claim ('komodo adalah pemangsa puncak') from a specific instance ('komodo di Kebun Binatang Ragunan'). Laporan uses the general; narasi uses the specific.
• Tujuan teks — for laporan it is menginformasikan or melaporkan, the same family as eksposisi but more classification-focused.

Distinguishing Prosedur from Laporan and Eksposisi

All three are non-narrative and present-tense, so test-takers confuse them. The fastest signal is the verb mood:

• Prosedur: imperative verbs (Ambil, Rebus, Pasang) — instructs.
• Laporan: declarative present (adalah, mempunyai, hidup) — describes a class.
• Eksposisi: declarative present with a thesis-arguments-conclusion structure — explains a topic, often with the author's framing.

If a text uses imperative verbs and sequence markers, it is prosedur. If it uses declarative present tense to describe a class of things, it is laporan. If it explains a topic with a clear thesis and conclusion, it is eksposisi.

Common Distractors Across Both Genres

For prosedur: (1) swapping two causally linked steps — check which action the next step depends on; (2) listing a tool that appears in the text but is not actually used in the steps — cross-check the materials list against the steps' objects; (3) a tujuan teks option that names a step's purpose instead of the overall goal — the goal is stated at the top, not inside a step.

For laporan: (1) treating a specific instance as a general class — 'komodo di pulau Komodo', not 'komodo pada umumnya'; (2) a tujuan teks option that uses meyakinkan — laporan informs, it does not persuade; (3) a detail that is true in reality but not in the text — UKBI rewards what the passage states, not prior knowledge.