BIOGRAPHY

A. Introduction
1. Short Description

Biography is the non-fiction, written history or account of a person’s

life. Biographies are intended to give an objective portrayal of a person,
written in the third person. Biographers collect information from
the subject (if he/she is available), acquaintances of the subject, or in
researching other sources such as reference material, experts, records,
diaries, interviews, etc.

Most biographers intend to present the life story of a person and

establish the context of their story for the reader, whether in terms of history
and/or the present day. In turn, the reader can be reasonably assured that the
information presented about the biographical subject is as true and authentic
as possible.

2. Relevance
a) Study the following explanation.
Have you ever read a biography of a character? It is so pity when you
only read it without knowing the details of a biographical text.
Therefore, you will deepen what is a biographical text and how the
biographical text process is compiled or made. So, let's start right away,
check it out!

b) Understanding Biography text

In language, biography is composed of two words namely Bios which
means Life and Graphia which means writing. In English and in its
terms, Biography text is a detailed description or account of a person's
life and written by someone else, it is non-fiction text.
3. Learning guide
In this learning activities we learn biographical and how to write it well
and correctly. To begin with, you are supposed to see some examples of
biography text. You have to analyze the generic structure, the language
feature, as well as the grammar used in this kind of text. You have to
know that the main function of this text is to knowa person’s story
about his /her life outside, to give a lot of information easily and
educate the reader.
B. Main Section

TASK 1
Please watch the biography of three famous persons in the world. You
should pay attention on each detail of their life. You also have to take the
good moral values that can be learnt from it.

http://youtu.be/ReVu-BN2TWg

After you watch the videos, please fill in the table below, don’t forget to also
put the details of each event, you may mention the date and the place of the
events. Please discuss with your partner to make more detailed information.

Points to Focus Description

Who is Person?
What is the person?
His birth
Parents or family
Childhood
School life
Carrier Life
Family life
Death
Moral values
 Learning Material And Activities
 Definition

Biography text is a detailed description or account of a person’s life

and written by someone else, it is non fiction text.

 Function of Biography

 To know a person’s story about his/her life outside of any

accomplishments this person may be known for.
 To give much information easily and educate the readers.

TASK 2

WITHOUT READING the biography of Soekarno, do the task below

to find out your knowledge about our first president of Indonesia?

1. Write information you get from Vidio!

2. Compare your knowledge to your friends’ works! What do you think?
3. Do you still have lack information about him? Why? Why not? Discuss with a friend!

 Characteristic of Biografy
• Biography Is not written by subject and always written in third person.
• Based on research.
• describes the person's surroundings (where, when and how the person lived).
• use vivid language to narrate events.

 Grammar and Language features

• Use of simple past tense.

e.g. : -The family then moved to his stepfather’s home country.

-He was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

• Temporal sequence (urutan waktu) and temporal conjunction (konjungsi

temporal).

e.g. : His parents separated when he was two years old.

• Focus on Specific participant

 Use of Action verbs.

e.g. : the family then moved to his stepfather’s home country.

  Generic Structure

• ORIENTATION (INTRODUCTION)

It is the opening paragraph, gives the readers the background information of the
person.

• EVENTS

In events, should be chronological order

• RE-ORIENTATION (CLOSING)

It consist of conclusion or a comment or the writer. Tell about the echievement or

the contribution of the person

TASK 3

Now, read the text below and analyze the generic structure of the text, can you?

IDENTIFY STRUCTURE
Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky (USA). He
worked on the farm of his father. He attended school for less
than a year, but taught himself to read and write. He did
different types of jobs before he settled as a highly successful
lawyer. He was gradually drawn to politics.

The country was having problems regarding the practice of

slavery. The white men owned large farms in the southern
states, Blacks were brought from Africa to work on these farms,
They were kept as slaves. The people of northern states were
against this practice of slavery and wanted to abolish it, The
Constitution of America is based on the equality of man.
Therefore, there was no place for slavery in that country,
At this difficult time, Abraham Lincoln was elected President
of the USA in 1860. He wanted to solve the problem of slavery.
The southern states were against the abolition of slavery. This
brought the unity of the country in danger. The southern states
were prepared even to form a new country. Abraham Lincoln
wanted all the states to remain united.
He faced many problems. He wanted to preserve the unity of
the country at any cost. Finally a civil war broke out between
the northern and southern states. He fought the war bravely and
declared, 'A Nation cannot exist half free and half slave.' He
won the war and kept the country united.

Lincoln was elected president for a second term. He was not

against anybody and wanted everybody to live in peace. He
made sincere efforts to heal the people's wounds caused by the
 war. In 1862, Lincoln declared that from then onwards all
slaves would be free. This made him very popular among the
people. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in Kentucky (USA). He worked on the farm of his
father. He attended school for less than a year, but taught himself to read and write. He
did different types of jobs before he settled as a highly successful lawyer. He was
gradually drawn to politics.

The country was having problems regarding the practice of slavery. The white men
owned large farms in the southern states, Blacks were brought from Africa to work on
these farms, They were kept as slaves. The people of northern states were against this
practice of slavery and wanted to abolish it, The Constitution of America is based on the
equality of man. Therefore, there was no place for slavery in that country,

At this difficult time, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the USA in 1860. He
wanted to solve the problem of slavery. The southern states were against the abolition of
slavery. This brought the unity of the country in danger. The southern states were
prepared even to form a new country. Abraham Lincoln wanted all the states to remain
united.

He faced many problems. He wanted to preserve the unity of the country at any cost.
Finally a civil war broke out between the northern and southern states. He fought the war
bravely and declared, 'A Nation cannot exist half free and half slave.' He won the war and
kept the country united.

Lincoln was elected president for a second term. He was not against anybody and wanted
everybody to live in peace. He made sincere efforts to heal the people's wounds caused
by the war. In 1862, Lincoln declared that from then onwards all slaves would be free.
This made him very popular among the people. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.

TASK 4
You have to perform your monologue speaking using the chart above by
considering three speaking descriptors below:
 Speaking
No Descriptors
elements
1. Fluency a. Speaking normally
b. Speaking without hesitation
c. Spaking without too many stops
d. Speaking without too many fillers

2. Accuracy a. Speaking with full range of structure naturally

and appropriately
b. Speaking with full flexibility of vocabulary
c. Speaking with natural and accurate idiomatic
language

3. Appropriateness a. Speaking with a right topic

b. Speaking with right phrases
c. Speaking with a right way

You may explore your sentences using your own opinion or knowledge
you get from your friends or from internet. The more you know the more
you can speak up.

TASK 5
Step 1: Choose a Subject

The first step in writing a biography is choosing your subject. Is that subject living or dead?
For the most part, the process will be the same either way. You'll want to examine major life
events, relationships, and the person’s influence on society.

When choosing a subject, there are several important questions to ask yourself.

 Is the person's life interesting enough to want a biography?

 Did they make an impact or meaningful decisions that will encourage others?
 Will their life connect with an audience?
 Is the subject already famous or a lesser-known person who should be brought to the
forefront?
Writing About Celebrities

Celebrities and famous figures are universally viewed as interesting and will have a wider
audience.If you choose to write about a famous person, make sure your biography stands out
in some way from all the others.

Writing About an Unknown Person

If you know an ordinary person with an extraordinary story that could strike a chord with
people, don't be afraid to write about it. Just be sure to narrowly focus the biography on those
striking components that will connect with the readers. Someone unknown will be a tougher
sell because you have to convince people to care about this unknown entity.

Writing About a Person Who Is Dead

When writing about someone who's already passed, you won't have access to their voice and
will never know their feelings on your work. You can work with their family and former
colleagues or use personal writings like journals to help you get an intimate view of your
subject’s life.

Writing a Personal or Professional Bio

Unlike all other biographies, you are the author of your own personal or professional bio. In
literary terms, this is considered an autobiography, but in the modern world the word “bio,”
which is short for “biography,” is used. You can use the same steps for writing a biography to
write an online bio.

Step 2: Gain Permission From the Subject

Once you've chosen your subject, you'll likely need their permission. If the person is
deceased, you can ask their living family members for permission. This isn't always a
prerequisite. Plenty of "unauthorized" biographies have been written about celebrities based
on information available in the public domain. However, a biography is usually far more
compelling if the subject is willing to talk to you.

If you don't get permission and you still wish to publish, you'll have to make sure you don't
print anything untrue that could be viewed as slander or libel. If you hurt someone's reputation
through your unauthorized biography, you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit.
 Step 3: Research the Life of Your Subject

As you conduct your research, the ultimate primary source is the subject. But, whether they're
living or dead, that may not always be an option.

Using Primary Sources

Thankfully, there are other primary sources besides the subject of your biography. They
include the subject's personal writings, those with firsthand information about the subject,
original historical or legal documents, statistical records, and audio or video recordings. A
piece of writing created during the time of an important event, such as a news article, may
also be considered a primary source.

Using Secondary Sources

Secondary sources will be helpful to your research too, if you choose wisely. A secondary
source is something created by someone who didn't know the subject directly or didn't witness
an event with their own eyes.

A secondary source was created at a later time, based on primary or secondary sources, such
as a review, analysis, or documentary. When using these sources, be sure to look into the
writer's credibility to see whether they can be trusted.

Step 4: Choose a Biography Format

Since a biography is a non-fictional account of a person's life, starting at the beginning will
probably set the rest of the story up nicely. That said, your audience may not want the details
of your subject's happy-yet-uneventful childhood when a heroic or evil deed is on the horizon.
So, the manner in which you organize your ideas should be determined before you really dig
in.

The key to organizing a biography is to tell a story that always comes back to a theme. Is it
about a person's resilience? Is it about their sense of adventure and exploration? Once you've
decided that, the order in which you choose to lay out the details is entirely up to you. So,
trust your instincts. Beyond that, keep to the narrative you'd like readers to pick up on.
 Step 5: Outline Their Story

Before you've gathered all your intel, you need to decide what you're going to do with it.
Generally, it's best to start with an outline so you know what details are going to be included
in the biography. Determine the main point, or thesis, then outline how each section or chapter
tells a part of the story to support that thesis.

Do you want to cover a person's entire life, or focus on one significant aspect of their story? A
timeline of their life will help you paint a picture and decide what to highlight. This will also
help you decide if you want to present your biography in chronological order, by major life
events, or in some other fashion.

Step 6: Write a First Draft

Now you know what information you need to fill in the details. Remember to present your
subject accurately and tell a compelling story. Include relevant details, stick to that theme
you're trying to convey, and draw your reader in with intrigue and motivating elements.

Have fun writing. If you're invested in the story you want to share through the chronology of
someone else's life, that will translate well. Your readers will absorb your enthusiasm and give
credence to your subject. You're about to take on a project that can shape the hearts and minds
of others. So make sure you enjoy the ride.

Step 7: Edit Your Work

As you edit, make sure you've stuck to the outline you selected, whether that's chronological,
event-based, or in media res. Tie every major element back to the theme and teach your
readers something, whether that's the power of resilience, the impact of an adventurous heart,
or the need for goodness in the world.
Do an interview for your biography writing. Before doing the
interview, discuss the questions will be asked with your partner to outline
your writing.

Who is the subject? Title

What drew your attention
to this Orientation
person?
Who…? Events
Where…?
What…?
How…?
…….
Contributions, Re-
quotes, or mottos orientation

Do your writing here. Attach his/her picture if possible.

“…............................................................”

Photo

Orientation

Event

Re-orientation
 Please consider the following writing descriptors so your
writing will be well- organized.
No Writing Elements Descriptors
1. Task Response a. fully addresses all part of the task
b. presents a fully developed position
c. fully extended and well-supported ideas
2. Coherence and Cohesion a. skillfully manages paragraphing
b. sequences information and ideas
logically
3. Lexical Resource a. provides wide range of vocabulary
b. rare minor errors occur only as “slips”
4. Grammatical Range a. provide wide range of structure with full
and Accuracy flexibility and accuracy
b. rare minor errors occur only as “slips”

C. Closing Section
1. Summary

What is Biografi
Biography is a detailed description of a person's life. It
involves more than just the basic facts like education,
work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's
experience of these life events. and may include an
analysis of the subject's personality

Generic Structure
 Orientation (Introduction) : Usually
PURPOSE Language Feature
contains narrated biodata such as
To know a person’s story about full name, place and date of birth.  Use of simple past
his / her life outside of any  Events : contains events tense.
accomplishments this person experienced by the character  Temporal sequence
may be known for and to give  Re-orientation (closing) : and temporal
lots of information easily and to contains the views of the author of conjunction
educate the readers. the narrated character
 Focus on Specific
participant
 Use of Action verbs.
 2. Reflection

REFLECTIVE SUMMARY
1) In this activity, I have
learned …………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..

2) The key features of Biography

include………………………………………………………………………….………
…………………………………………………...……………………..……

3) What I like most about this activity

is/are……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..

4) What I need to improve/learn more

is/are……………………………………………………………………………....……
………………………………………………………………………...…......

3. Test Formative

Text 1

General Sudirman was a high ranking Indonesian military officer during the Indonesian
national revolution. He was the first commander-in-chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces,
he continues to be widely respected in the country. On 12 November 1945, at an election
to decide the military’s commander-in-chief in YogyakartA. The 24 years old Sudirman
was chosen over Oerip Soemohardjo in a close votE. While waiting to be confirmed,
Sudirman ordered an assault on British and Dutch forces in AmbarawA.
The ensuing battle and British withdrawal strengthened Sudirman’s popular support, and
he was ultimately confirmed on 18 December. General Sudirman commanded military
activities throughout Java, including a show of force in Yogyakarta on 1 March 1949.
When the Dutch began withdrawing, in July 1949 Sudirman was recalled to Yogyakarta
and forbidden to fight further. In late 1949 Sudirman’s tuberculosis returned, and he
retired to Magelang, where he died slightly more than a month after the Dutch recognised
Indonesia’s independencE. He is buried at Semaki Heroes’ Cemetery in Yogyakarta.

1. What is the monologue about?

 a. A biography of General Soedirman
b. The family of General Soedirman
c. The death of General Soedirman
d. A spirit of General Soedirman for the Indonesian Armed Forces
e. The military forces commanded by General Soedirman

2. What can we infer from the monolugue?

a. His uncle’s name was also Soedirman
b. January is the month of Maulud
c. Soedirman was shot and died in the military war
d. Soedirman died when he was relatively young
e. Soedirman died on 1 March 1949

Text 2

Picasso was one of the most outstanding and important artists of the 1900’s. He is best
known for his paintings. Almost every style in modern art is represented in Picasso’s
works.
Picasso was born in 1881 in Malaga, Spain as the son of an art teacher. He studied
painting from his father and his college level course of study at the academy of arts in
Madrid.
From about 1895 to 1901, he painted realistic works in a traditional stylE. He, then,
entered what was called the Blue PerioD. During this time, he only used shades of blue
in his paintings to show the poverty he saw in Barcelona.
After 1908, he entered into the style of cubism. Among his well-known cubist
paintings are “Three Musicians” and “Man with a Guitar”.
Picasso died in Moughins, France in 1973. He was really great artist.
3. Why did Picasso become so popular? because ….
a. he was the most outstanding artist of the 1990’s.
b. he was known for his great paintings
c. he painted in traditional style.
d. he was son of an art teacher.
e. he studied in art school.
4. According to text, Picasso ….
a. died in Spain 1973
b. was born in Malaga, Italy.
c. was famous for his painting style.
d. had a father who worked as an art teacher.
e. finished his study at the academy of Arts in Madrid.
5. What can be inferred from the text?
a. Picasso’s father was not good at art.
b. Picasso passed away at the age of 92.
c. Picasso was unpopular artist of 1990’s.
d. Blue Period shows the prosperity in Barcelona.
e. For 8 years, Picasso painted realistic works in a traditional style.

Text 3
 Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809. He
came from a wealthy family and never had to work. He studied medicine and theology. In
1831 he graduated from University of Cambridge with a degree of theology.
He began a career as a scientist quite by chancE. On December 27,1831, 22 years old Charles
Darwin joined the crew of the HMS Beagle as a naturalist.The five years expedition collected
hydrographic, geologic, and meteorologic data from South America and many other regions
around the worlD. Darwin’s own observation on this voyage led to his theory of natural
selection.
Charles Darwin was greatly influenced by the geologist Adam Sedgwick and naturalist
John Henslow in his development of the theory of natural selection, which was to become the
foundation concept supporting the theory of evolution. Darwin’s theory holds that
environmental effects lead to varying degrees of reproductive success in individuals and
groups of organisms. Natural selection tends to promote adaptation in organisms when
necessary for survival. This revolutionary theory was published in 1859 in Darwin’s now
famous On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
6. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution believed that ….
a. people could defend themselves naturally
b. environment affected natural election
c. organism needed adaptation to survive
d. people and nature supported to each other
e. natural selection tend to adapt organism to survive
7. How was Darwin’s theory of natural selection developed?
a. Adapted by the necessary for survival
b. Influenced by his collection.
c. Supported the effect of environment.
d. Influenced by John Henslow.
e. Affected by groups of organisms.
8. The famous Darwin theory was published based on ….
a. theories developed by other scientists
b. the influence of organisms adaptation in survival living
c. the success of his observation supported by geologist and naturalist
d. his expedition and natural observation data a scientist
e. the observation of other geologists’ natural selection

Text 4

Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress,

fashion designer and business woman. She was born on April 17, 1974, in Essex, EnglanD.
She became famous in the 1990’s with the pop group “The Spice Girl”and was known as Posh
SpicE. In 1999, she married the Manchester United and England footballer, David Beckham.
They have four children, three sons and a daughter.
After The Spice Girl split up, she pursued a solo singer career, but also started her own
fashion range called dVb StylE. Since this initial foray into fashion Victoria Beckham has
brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled “Intimately Beckham”and a
range of handbags and jewelry.
In addition she had written two best-selling books: one her autobiography and the
other, a fashion guide.

9. We found in the text that ….

a. Victoria named her fragrance by dVb style
 b. Beckham is Victoria’s autobiography
c. Spice Girls is Victoria’s label for her wardrobe
d. Posh Spice is the title of her new album
e. Beckham is Victoria’s brand for her fragrance
10.Based on the text, what do we know about Victoria?
a. She is an ordinary woman
b. She is a multi-talented woman
c. She designed The Spice Girls
d. She married to an ordinary person
e. She arranged many songs for The Spice Girls

Answer key
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. B
9. E
10. B