Page 5 - Narrative Text e_module by PRAPTIW

e-module
BIG-3.8/4.8/2/3.3

Narrative text is writing in which a story is told; the details may

be fictional or based on fact. Typically, the events described in
narrative text are written sequentially. The primary purpose of

narrative writing is to entertain. There are some narrative text such

as fable, fairy tales, myth and legend. The social function of a

legend is often intended to pass on cultural traditions or beliefs.
Language features vary in different narrative genres.

Presented in spoken or written form; may be

augmented/supplemented/partly presented using images (such as

illustrations) or interactive/multimedia elements (such as hypertext/
images/ video/ audio); told/written in first or third person (I, we,

she, it, they); told/written in past tense (sometimes in present

tense); chronological (plot or content have a chronology of events that
happened in a particular order); main participants are characters with

recognizable qualities, often stereotypical and contrasting

(hero/villain); typical characters, settings and events are used in each
genre; connectives are widely used to move the narrative along and to

affect the reader/listener: to signal time (later that day, once);

to move the setting (meanwhile back at the cave, on the other side of

the forest); to surprise or create suspense (suddenly, without warning).
Decide on your intended style and impact.

The Characteristics / Language Feature of Narrative Text:

✓ Past tense (killed, drunk, etc)
✓ Adverb of time (Once upon a time, one day, etc)

✓ Time conjunction (when, then, suddenly, etc)

✓ Specific character. The character of the story is specific, not general.
(Cinderella, Snow White, Alibaba, etc)

✓ Action verbs. A verb that shows an action. (killed, dug, walked, etc)

✓ Direct speech. It is to make the story lively. (Snow White said, ”My
name is Snow White.”). The direct speech uses present tense.

English for Senior High School Semester 2
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