Narrative

Narrative is a text which contains about story and its plot consist of climax of the story then followed by the resolution.

Purpose The basic purpose of narrative is to entertain, to gain and hold a readers' interest. However narratives can also be written to teach or inform, to change attitudes / social opinions eg soap operas and television dramas that are used to raise topical issues. Narratives sequence people/characters in time and place but differ from recounts in that through the sequencing, the stories set up one or more problems, which must eventually find a way to be resolved. Types of narrative There are many types of narrative. They can be imaginary, factual or a combination of both. They may include fairy stories, mysteries, science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends, historical narratives, ballads, slice of life, personal experience. Features

Characters with defined personalities/identities. Dialogue often included - tense may change to the present or the future. Descriptive language to create images in the reader's mind and enhance the story.

Generic structure: Orientation = sets the sceme and introduces the participants. Evaluation = a stepping back to evaluate the plight. Compilation = a crisis arises. Resolusion = the crisis is resolved, for better or for worse. Re-orientation = optional Examples: An old woman, having lost the use of eyes, called in a physician to heal them. Then, she made this bargain with him in the presence of witnesses: that if he could cure her blindness, he would receive from her a sum of money; but if her infinity remained, she should give him nothing. This agreement being made, the physician, time after time, applied his salve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her property little by little. And when he had got all the women had, he heald her and demanded the promised payment. When the old woman recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house , she would give nothing. However, the physician insisted on his claim. As she still refused, the physician summoned her before the judge. Later the old woman, standing up in the court, argued,this man here speaks the truth in what he says; for I did promise to give him a sum of money if I should recover my sight. But if I continued blind, I was to give him nothing. Now he declares that I am healed. I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind for when I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels and valuable goods. But now, though he swears I am cured of my blindness, I am not able to see a single thing in it.

Structure In a Traditional Narrative the focus of the text is on a series of actions: Orientation: (introduction) in which the characters, setting and time of the story are established. Usually answers who? when? where? eg. Mr Wolf went out hunting in the forest one dark gloomy night.

Complication or problem: The complication usually involves the main character(s) (often mirroring the complications in real life). Resolution: There needs to be a resolution of the complication. The complication may be resolved for better or worse/happily or unhappily. Sometimes there are a number of complications that have to be resolved. These add and sustain interest and suspense for the reader. Language

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: o What does it smell like? o What can be heard? o What can be seen - details? o What does it taste like? o What does it feel like? Imagery o 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. o 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. o Onomatopoeia: A suggestion of sound through words, eg. crackle, splat, ooze, squish, boom, eg. The tyres whir on the road. The pitter-patter of soft rain. The mud oozed and squished through my toes. o 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: o Participles: "Jumping with joy I ran home to tell mum my good news." o Adverbs: "Silently the cat crept toward the bird" o Adjectives: "Brilliant sunlight shone through the window" o Nouns: "Thunder claps filled the air" o Adverbial Phrases: "Along the street walked the girl as if she had not a care in the world." o 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.

Recounts
Recount is a text which retells events or experiences in the past. It purpose is either to inform or to entertain the audience. There is no complication among the participant and that differentiates from narrative

Purpose The purpose of a recount is to list and describe past experiences by retelling events in the order in which they happened (chronological order). Recounts are written to retell events with the purpose of either informing or entertaining their audience (or both). Types of recount

Personal recount These usually retell an event that the writer was personally involved in. Factual recount Recording an incident, eg. a science experiment, police report. Imaginative recount Writing an imaginary role and giving details of events, eg. A day in the life of a pirate; How I invented...

Features of recounts

focuses on individual participants/events Generic structure of recount:

a. Orientation : Introducing the participants, Place and time. b. Events : Describing series of event that happened in the past. c. Re-orientation : It is optimal. Stating personal comment of the writer to the story. * Examples : Once I lived a dormitory with some Australian student. There were about twenty of us on the same floor and there were only two fridges available. Our neighbours were so friendly, but problems first emerged when my Singaporean neighbor put her chopped garlic in the fridge. All the Australians complained about the garlic. But the asian complained about smell of pasta (noodle) which to us, smeled like a toilet! At last, we decided to wrap garlic and pasta before placing them in the fridge. This taught us to understand and respect each others cultures. So, it is not good to fry ikan asin or sambal terasi if you life very near Australian!

Structure

the recount has a title, which usually summarises the text specific participants (Mum, the crab) The basic recount consists of three parts: 1. the setting or orientation - background information answering who? when? where? why? 2. events are identified and described in chronological order.

3. concluding comments express a personal opinion regarding the events described details are selected to help the reader reconstruct the activity or incident (Factual Recount) the ending may describe the outcome of the activity, eg. in a science activity (Factual Recount) details of time, place and incident need to be clearly stated, eg. At 11.15 pm, between Reid Rd and Havelock St a man drove at 140 kms toward the shopping centre (Factual Recount) descriptive details may also be required to provide information, eg. He was a skinny boy with a blue shirt, red sneakers and long tied back hair (Factual Recount) includes personal thoughts/reactions (Imaginative Recount)

Language

is written in the past tense (she yelled, it nipped, she walked) frequent use is made of words which link events in time, such as next, later, when, then, after, before, first, at the same time, as soon as she left, late on Friday) recounts describe events, so plenty of use is made of verbs (action words), and of adverbs (which describe or add more detail to verbs) details are often chosen to add interest or humour to the recount. use of personal pronouns (I, we) (Personal Recount) the passive voice may be used, eg. the bottle was filled with ink (Factual Recount)

1st Group Members:

Arpan Sapari Bayu Priyuda Desi Nathalia Sintya Erviana