Narrative text

Definition of Narrative

Narrative is a text focusing specific participants. Its social function is to tell stories or past events and entertain the readers.

        Generic Structure of Narrative

A narrative text will consists of the following structure:

·         Orientation: Introducing the participants and informing the time and the place

·         Complication: Describing the rising crises which the participants have to do with

·         Resolution: Showing the way of participant to solve the crises, better or worse

Language Features of Narrative

·          Using processes verbs

·          Using temporal conjunction

·          Using Simple Past Tense

                Most stories are narrative. If a story consists of ORIENTATION, COMPLICATION, and RESOLUTION, surely the story is a narrative text.

 Let's see the following example of narrative text!

 The King of the Mice and the Woodcutter

happily Once, there was a king of mice. He lived inside a banyan tree in a forest. He loved the tree as his home. He lived there.

One day, a poor man wanted to cut down the banyan tree. The king of the mice was frightened so he asked the woodcutter to leave the tree standing. In result, he would give the woodcutter a gold every day. The woodcutter agreed.

Every evening, the king of the mice gave a piece of gold to the woodcutter. The gold was taken out from the roots of the banyan tree. The woodcutter was happy and took the gold home.

After a few days, the woodcutter's wife asked him, “Where does the gold come from?” So he replied, “The king of the mice gives me the golds from under the roots of the tree.” “Oh, you are stupid!” his wife said and suggested. “Why don’t you cut down the tree and take the golds all away?” The woodcutter would do as his wife said.

The following day, the woodcutter cut down the banyan tree. Unfortunately, he did not find any gold there instead the king of the mice had run away and crept up to the woodcutter’s house. The king of the mice took back all the golds.