WRITTEN GENRE BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

This study presents a research conducted on written genre by university students. The objectives were to describe the types of genres, the dominant ones, schematic structures of each genre and its linguistics realizations as found in the students essays. It was presented a qualitative descriptive research. The sources of data were taken from essays of sixty students of forth semester of English Department of Letters Faculty of State University of Medan. Sixty essays were taken as sample of the research. The data were collected by applying the purposive technique. The essays were written in free topics at least 150 words in 60 minutes. Based on the obtained information, the data were analyzed. Systemic Functional Linguistics Theory was applied as the theoretical framework and the analysis was conducted by applying the pattern of schematic structures (Beginning Middle End) of each essay. The data analysis found out the findings indicates that were six types of genres produced by the students, they were 20 (33. 33 %) Exposition, 15 (25%) Description, 8 (13.33 %) Discussion, 7 (11.66%) Recount, 6 (10 %) Report, and 4 (6.66%) Explanation. It was found that Exposition was dominantly applied. The findings indicate that there were schematic structures of the six types of genres. They were as follows: Exposition (Thesis^Argumentations ^Conclusion), Recount (OrientationAEventA Reorientation), Report (Orientation ADescriptionsA(closingExpression)), Description (IdentificationADescriptions ^(closingexpression/Conclusion),Discussion(IssueAArgumentsfor^Argumentsagai ^Conclusion), Explanation (GeneralAA sequence explanation of why or how something occurs). The finding shows that this study has significance implications in teaching and learning English especially in writing for specific purposes in the classroom. Therefore it is suggested written genre should be taught by lecturers and practiced by students in various purposes of writing. Finally, the finding shows that linguistics realizations are found in six types of genre in the students essays. It is proved that the students have fulfilled the standard in certain genres as stated by Gerot (1994).