Narrative
Definition of Narrative :
Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or pastevents and entertain the readers.
Generic Structure of Narrative Text :
Orientation : it means to introduce the participants or the characters of the story with the time and place set.
Resolution: it is the final series of the events which happen in the story. The resolution can be good or bad. The point is that it has been accomplished by the characters
- Action verbs: Action verbs provide interest to the writing. For example, instead of The old woman was in his way try The old woman barred his path. Instead of She laughed try She cackled.
- Written in the first person (I, we) or the third person (he, she, they).
- Usually past tense.
- Connectives,linking words to do with time.
- Specific nouns: Strong nouns have more specific meanings, eg. oak as opposed to tree.
- Active nouns: Make nouns actually do something, eg. It was raining could become Rain splashed down or There was a large cabinet in the lounge could become A large cabinet seemed to fill the lounge.
- Careful use of adjectives and adverbs: Writing needs judicious use of adjectives and adverbs to bring it alive, qualify the action and provide description and information for the reader.
- Use of the senses: Where appropriate, the senses can be used to describe and develop the experiences, setting and character:
- What does it smell like?
- What can be heard?
- What can be seen – details?
- What does it taste like?
- What does it feel like?
- Imagery
- Simile: A direct comparison, using like or as or as though, eg. The sea looked as rumpled as a blue quilted dressing gown. Or The wind wrapped me up like a cloak.
- Metaphor: An indirect or hidden comparison, eg. She has a heart of stone or He is a stubborn mule or The man barked out the instructions.
- Onomatopoeia: A suggestion of sound through words, eg. crackle, splat, ooze, squish, boom,The tyres whir on the road. The pitter-patter of soft rain. The mud oozed and squished through my toes. eg.
- Personification: Giving nonliving things (inanimate) living characteristics, eg. The steel beam clenched its muscles. Clouds limped across the sky. The pebbles on the path were grey with grief.
- Rhetorical Questions: Often the author asks the audience questions, knowing of course there will be no direct answer. This is a way of involving the reader in the story at the outset, eg. Have you ever built a tree hut?
- Variety in sentence beginnings. There are a several ways to do this eg by using:
- Participles: “Jumping with joy I ran home to tell mum my good news.”
- Adverbs: “Silently the cat crept toward the bird”
- Adjectives: “Brilliant sunlight shone through the window”
- Nouns: “Thunder claps filled the air”
- Adverbial Phrases: “Along the street walked the girl as if she had not a care in the world.”
- Conversations/Dialogue: these may be used as an opener. This may be done through a series of short or one-word sentences or as one long complex sentence.
- Show, Don’t Tell: Students have heard the rule “show, don’t tell” but this principle is often difficult for some writers to master.
- Personal Voice: It may be described as writing which is honest and convincing. The author is able to ‘put the reader there’. The writer invests something of him/her self in the writing. The writing makes an impact on the reader. It reaches out and touches the reader. A connection is made
Example narrative text :
snow white
A long
time ago, a child was born to a queen and king and she was called Snow
White. When the queen died, the king married again. This new queen was
wicked and hated Snow white. The queen gave orders that Snow White was
to be treated as a servant.
