NARRATIVE TEXT

Definition, Generic Structure, Language Features, and the Example

Definition:

 Narrative text is an imaginative story to entertain people.

 Narrative text is a spoken or written account of connected events, a story.

 Narrative text is narrated part of a literary work, as distinct from dialogue.

 Narrative text is the practice or art or narration

Generic Structure of Narrative Text:

1    Orientation: It is about the opening paragraph where the characters of the story are

introduced. (person, time, and place)

2    Complication: where the problems in the story developed.

3    Resolution: where the problems in the story is solved.

Sometimes (generic structure) narrative text can be contained:

Orientation, Complication, Evaluation, Resolution, and Reorientation. Even though

“Evaluation” and “Reorientation” it is optional; can be added or not.

Evaluation contains of controlling and evaluating a love adventure or conflict

Reorientation contains the conclusion of the end story

Language Features:

  Using part action verb: Climbed, Turned, Brought, etc.

  Using specific noun as pronoun of person, animal in the story. Example: The king, the

queen, etc.

  Using adjectives which are for noun phrase. Example: Long black, hair, two red apples,

etc.  

  Using time connectives and Conjunctions to arrange the events. Examples: Then, before,

after, soon, etc.

  Using adverbs and adverbial phrase to show the location of events. Examples: Here, in the

mountain, ever after, etc.

  Using dialogue to elicit an emotional response from the reader.

  Using Past Tense

  Using of variety of simple, compound and complex sentences

Examples of Narrative Text

Snow White

Orientation

Once upon a time there lived a little girl named snow white. She lived with her aunt and

uncle because her parents were died.

Complication 1

One day she heard her Uncle and Aunt talking about leaving Snow White in the castle

because they both wanted to go America and they didn’t have enough money to sake Snow

White.

Snow White did not want her Uncle and Aunt to do this, so she decided it would be best if

she ran away. The next morning she ran away from home when her Aunt and Uncle were

having breakfast. She ran away into the woods.

Resolution 1

Then she saw this little cottage she knocked but no one answered, so she went inside and fell

asleep.

Meanwhile, the seven dwarfs were coming home from work. They went inside. There they

found Snow White sleeping. Then Snow White woke up. She saw the dwarfs. The dwarfs

said, “what is your name?” Snow White said, “My name is Snow White.” Doc, one of the

dwarfs, said, “If you wish, you may live here with us. “Snow White said, “Oh could I? Thank
you. “Then Snow White told the dwarfs the whole story and finally Snow White and the 7

dwarfs lived happily ever after.

EXERCISE

Text 1

The Bear and Rabbit

Once upon a time, there lived a bear and a rabbit. The rabbit is a good shot. In
contrary, the bear is always clumsy and could not use the arrow.

One day, the bear called over the rabbit and asked the rabbit to take his bow
and arrows. The rabbit was fearing to arouse the bear’s anger so he could not refuse it.
He went with the bear and shot enough buffalo to satisfy the hungry family. Indeed he
shot and killed so many that there were lots of meats left after.

However the bear did not want the rabbit to get any of the meat. The rabbit
could not even taste the meat. The poor rabbit would have to go home hungry after his
hard day’s work.

The bear was the father of five children. Fortunately, the youngest child was
very kind to the rabbit. He was very hearty eater. The mother bear always gave him an
extra large piece of meat but the youngest child did not eat it. He would take it outside
with him and pretended to play ball with the meat. He kicked toward the rabbit’s
house. When he got close to the door he would give the meat with such a great kick.
The meat would fly into the rabbit’s house. In this way, the poor rabbit would get his
meal.
Text 2

The Legend of Toba Lake

Once upon time, there was a handsome man. His name was Batara Guru Sahala. He liked
fishing.

One day, he caught a fish. He was surprised to find out that the fish could talk. The
fish begged him to set it free. Batara Guru could not bear it. He made the fish free. As soon as
it was free, the fish changed into a very beautiful woman. She attracted Batara
Guru so much. He felt in love with that fish-woman. The woman wanted to marry with him
and said that Batara Guru had to keep the secret which she had been a fish. Batara Guru
aggreed and promised that hewould never tell anybody about it.

They were married happily. They had two daughters. One day Batara
Guru got very angry with his daughter. He could not control his mad. He
shouted angrily and got the word of fish to his daugters. The daughters
were crying. They found their mother and talked her about it.

The mother was very annoyed. Batara Guru broke his promise. The
mother was shouting angrily. Then the earth began to shake. Volcanoes
started to erupt. The earth formed a very big hole. People believed that
the big hole became a lake. Then this lake is known as Toba lake.