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VCE VCE VM Literacy (Year 12) · Unit 3 — Informational, Organisational and Procedural Texts · 10m read

Procedural Texts — Instructions, Safe Work Procedures and Manuals

Procedural texts tell people how to do things safely and correctly — from operating machinery to following a recipe. Reading and writing them well is essential at work.

Learning objective: Follow, evaluate and write procedural texts such as instructions, safe work procedures (SWPs), recipes and user manuals.

By the end of this lesson you can:

  • I can identify the features of effective procedural texts.
  • I can follow a procedure accurately and safely.
  • I can write clear step-by-step instructions.

A procedure is a recipe for safety. Skip a step or swap the order and the result can go wrong — sometimes dangerously.

Features of good procedures

  • Clear TITLE and GOAL.
  • List of EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS and required PPE.
  • NUMBERED STEPS in logical order.
  • IMPERATIVE VERBS at the start of each step ("Turn", "Check", "Place").
  • One action per step; precise measurements and times.
  • WARNINGS and SAFETY notes before the risky step, not after.
  • Diagrams or photos where helpful.
  • Who to contact if something goes wrong.

Worked example (Medium)

Improve this instruction: "Use the slicer carefully and clean it after."

  1. Break into steps. Separate setup, use and cleaning.
  2. Add safety. Include PPE and the safety warning before use.

Answer: 1. Put on cut-resistant gloves. 2. Check the blade guard is in place. 3. Place food on the carriage and use the pusher — never your hand. 4. Switch off and unplug before cleaning. 5. Wipe the blade from the centre outwards with a damp cloth.

Common mistakes

  • Putting safety warnings at the end People may already be in danger. Fix: Place warnings before the relevant step.
  • Combining several actions in one step Steps get missed. Fix: One action per numbered step.

Practice questions

  1. Which verb form usually starts each step of a procedure?

    1. Past tense ("Turned")
    2. Imperative ("Turn")
    3. Question ("Will you turn?")
    4. Future ("Will turn")

    (1 marks)

  2. Write a five-step procedure for safely changing a vacuum cleaner bag.

    (3 marks)

Summary

  • Clear goal, equipment, PPE, numbered steps.
  • Imperative verbs, one action per step.
  • Warnings before risky steps.
  • Test instructions with a real user.

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