Narrative Paragraph

8 MARCH 2018
 Narrative paragraph
 Narrative paragraphs are often used to describe what a person does over a period of
time.
  Narrative paragraph tells a story or an event.
 It has character, setting, and action . The characters, the setting, and the problem of the
narrative are usually introduced in the beginning. The problem reaches its high point
in the middle. The ending resolves the problem.
 It could be tale, novel, an account of one’s life, natural phenomena, or social events…
 The story/events in narrative paragraph should be arranged chronologically (time
order), that is in the order in which they have happened.
 The purpose of this type of writing is to recount a personal or fictional experience or to
tell a story based on a real or imagined even.
 A narrative is a story containing specific elements that work together to create interest
for not only the author but also the reader.
 What is Narrative Paragraph?

 Almost everyone narrates, reads, or listens to stories from books, other people, or
media. However, the audience expects and needs more from a written narrative.
 Therefore, a narrative paragraph must have:
 – a central idea (what the story/event is about),
 – characters (who it is about),
 – a plot (conflict, complication, climax, and resolution of the story/event),
 – adequate description,
 – and setting (when and where the story happens).
 Organizing a Narrative Paragraph
  A good narrative paragraph normally requires three necessary components: background
information, the story/event (a summary), and the conclusion.
 Background information : The background information sets the scene for the
audience. It includes the following pieces of information.
 A topic sentence, What story/event is about, Who it is about, When it happens, Where
it happens, Where is the source of the narration. (plot)
 Note: the topic sentence of a narrative paragraph does not start the narration. It
establishes a purpose. It does not tells only a story, but also the reader's view point.
Therefore, writing a strong topic sentence is important
 The Story / Event : The story or event happens at 3 different stages: the beginning, the
middle, and the end of the story or event.
 Organizing a Narrative Paragraph

 The beginning of the story – the beginning tells what happens first in the story. It can be the
problem which makes the story or event happen.
 The middle of the story – the middle tells the main events or important activities of the
story/event.
 The end of the story – the end tells the final events, i.e. the result or what brings the end of
the story/event.
 The Conclusion It is a concluding sentence. The writer can either
 restate the topic sentence,
 give a concluding remark,
 make a prediction about the story,
 or make a suggestion.
 Generic Structure of Paragraph
1. Orientation
2. Complication
3. Résolution
1. Orientation: Setting the scene, introducing the participant/s or giving necessary
background. Who, when, and where, creating a visual picture of the setting,
atmosphere and time of the story, Characters are introduced and clues are set in
place for the coming complication.
2. Complication: Writing a crisis, in which the problem or complication arises and it
creates tension, that affects the setting, time or characters. It is carefully written
until it finds its climax. States a series of actions and clues are set in place for the
coming complication.
 Generic Structure of Paragraph

3. Resolution: Finding the end of the narration or the crisis is resolved; it can be
happy or unhappy ending. occurs. The problem is solved and the story ends.
There may be a moral or message at the end of the story.
Reorientation: Closing the narration by using personal comment or opinion; it is
optimal
 Elements of Narrative Writing
 Characters: The people, animals, or inanimate objects who are affected by the
actions of the plot or who are the cause of certain events.
 Characters, real or imaginative, should be brought to life through the narrative.
 If a character is not described well, the story will not be believable.
 Setting: Where and when the narrative takes place.
 Where and when the narrative takes place.
 Although the setting may be clear for the author, he/she must create a picture for the
readers.
 Style: The figurative language (similes, metaphors, etc.), sensory imagery, vivid
verbs, strong sentences, dialogue, and point of view that makes each author unique. 
 Every student has his/her own style and technique. Although we have the same
topic, everyone will write differently.
Similes: A simile is a comparison between two unlike things, using like or as.Examples: Her
smile was so wide it looked like a piano keyboard. He was as sick as a dog.
Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two unlike things without using like or as.
Example: The boy was a golden knight, protecting his little sister from the fire-breathing
dragon that lives in the sandbox.
Personification: Personification assigns human characteristics and traits to non-human objects.
Example: The pencil fought furiously with the eraser, battling over question number three.
Hyperbole: Hyperbole is the use of gross exaggeration to describe something that could never
happen in real life. Example: The teacher’s voice was so loud the astronauts orbiting Earth
could hear her lecture.
Alliteration :Alliteration is the repetition of two or more sounds. Example: The witch’s
washed-out, withered lips whispered, “Watch what awaits you at the bewitching hour!”
(Alliteration of the “W” sound)
Onomatopoeia :Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound. Example: The cow moos in
the pasture . (Moo is the onomatopoeia.)
 Elements of Narrative Writing
 Conflict: Person versus Self
 Person versus Person
 Person versus Society
 Person versus Machine/Technology
 Person versus Nature 
 Theme: A theme is a message revealed in the story.
 It may be directly stated, like in a fable where the moral is told at the conclusion.
 It may be indirect, leaving the reader to decide the story’s message.
 There can be more than one theme for a narrative
 Different Points of View (author)

 Who is telling the story?

 First Person point of view: 
 “I” as the narrator 
 Good for personal accounts.
Example: I will never forget the day that my hamster died.
 Third Person point of view Limited:
 “He,” “she,” “it,” “they” perspective 
 Written as if the story is observed from outside of the characters.
 Reader must guess the feelings of the characters of their action and words.
Example: “She called him a liar, though she knew he was telling the truth.”
 Different Points of View (author)

 Third Person point of view Omniscient :

 “He,” “she,” “it,” “they” perspective
 Narrator can write about the thoughts and feelings of all the
characters.
 Example: “She called him a liar, though she knew he was telling the
truth.”