Narration P t 5 r - Pearson · Narration not only is useful on its own but also enhances other types of writing. For example, Jason must write an argument essay about youth crime

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Writers’ Exchange

Work with a team of at least three students, and choose a popular fairy tale. Then you will retell the fairy tale, but you will update it and make it more contemporary. First, one of you begins and says one sentence. Then, switching speakers, each person adds one sentence to the tale.

EXAMPLE: Yesterday, a young woman living in North Bay decided to visit her grandmother.

When investigating a crime scene, a detective must try to find answers to the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how. You answer the same questions when you write a narrative paragraph.

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L E A r n i n g O b j E c t i v E s

Exploring1 What Is Narration?

(page 70)2 The Narrative

Paragraph (page 70)3 Explore Topics

(page 71)Developing4 The Topic Sentence

(page 74)5 The Supporting Ideas

(page 75)6 The Paragraph Plan

(page 77)7 The First Draft

(page 78)revising and Editing8 Revise and Edit a

Narrative Paragraph (page 78)

Narration 5

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70 Part II Paragraph Patterns

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EXPLOring

What Is Narration?When you narrate, you tell a story about what happened. You generally explain events in the order in which they occurred, and you include information about when they happened and who was involved in the incidents.

You use narration every day. You may write about the week’s events in your personal journal, or you might send a postcard to a friend detailing what you did during your vacation. At college, you may explain what happened during a historical event or what happened in a novel that you have read. At work, you might use narration to explain an incident involving a customer or co-worker.

Narration not only is useful on its own but also enhances other types of writing. For example, Jason must write an argument essay about youth crime. His essay will be more compelling if he includes a personal anecdote about the time a gang of youths attacked him in a subway station. In other words, narration can provide supporting evidence for other paragraph or essay patterns.

The Narrative ParagraphThere are two main types of narrative paragraphs.

1. Use first-person narration (autobiography).

In first-person narration, you describe a personal experience from your point of view. You are directly involved in the story. You use the words I (first-person singular) and we (first-person plural). For example: “When I was a child, I thought that the world began and ended with me. I didn’t know, or

In a narrative essay, you can use first- or third-person narration.

The topic sentenceexpresses the mainidea.

Supporting sentencesprovide details andexamples.

The concludingsentence bringsthe paragraph toa satisfying close.

Narration at Work

Joseph Roth, a boiler and pressure vessel inspector, used narrative writing in a memo he wrote

to his supervisor.

As you know, I recently inspected the boiler and pressure vessels in the refinery on

Highway 11. I had a few problems that I would like to mention.When I first arrived, the

manager of the unit was uncooperative and initially tried to stop me from examining the

boiler! After much discussion, I was finally permitted into the boiler room

where I noticed several defects in the operation and condition of the

equipment. Immediately, I saw that the low-water fuel cut-off chamber

was filled with sludge and could not possibly function properly.Then

I realized that the boiler heating surfaces were covered with scale.

Finally, I found stress cracks in the tube ends and in tube seats.

This is a sure sign of caustic imbrittlement, making the boiler

unsafe to operate and in danger of exploding. I have asked

that the boiler be taken out of service immediately.

We must follow up to make sure that measures

are being taken to replace the boiler.

Anastasios71/Shutterstock

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ChaPter 5 Narration 71


Hint choose an interesting topic

When you write a narrative paragraph, try to choose a topic that will interest the reader. For example, the reader might not be interested if you write about the act of eating your lunch. However, if you write about a time when your best friend argued with a waiter during a meal, you could create an entertaining narrative paragraph.

Think about a topic that you personally find very interesting, and then share it with your readers. Try to bring your experiences to life so that your readers can share it with you.

Explore TopicsIn Writer’s Desk: Warm Up, you will try an exploring strategy to generate ideas about different topics.

The Writer’s Desk Warm Up

Think about the following questions, and write down the first ideas that come to your mind. Try to think of two or three ideas for each topic.

EXAMPLE: What interesting stories have family members told you about their lives?

Life in Frobisher Bay is changing—funny story about meeting new friends from

Northern Quebec. People come from all over the world to live in Frobisher. What

else? Frobisher is “home” to many people.

1. What are some serious decisions that you have made? Think about decisions related to school, personal relationships, work, and so on.

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care, how other children felt. Thus, when schoolmates ridiculed a shy boy, I gleefully joined in.”

2. Use third-person narration. In third-person narration, you do not refer to your own experiences. Instead,

you describe what happened to somebody else. The story is told in the third person using he, she, it, or they. You might tell a story about your mother’s childhood, or you might explain what happened during the last election. In this type of narration, you are simply an observer or storyteller; you are not a participant in the action. For example: “The students gathered to protest against the war. One student threw a chair through the window of the student centre. Suddenly, people started pushing and shoving.”

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PrActicE 1

The author of the next paragraph was born in 1951 on Baffin Island and went to school in Frobisher Bay, eventually becoming an artist, writer, and photographer. Read the paragraph and answer the questions.

There are a few memories of my childhood in Frobisher Bay. Life in the Arctic is changing fast and Frobisher has changed along with its people. If Frobisher has a distinct character today, it is that it has become “home” to many Inuit from other communities in the North. On any given day in Frobisher you might meet an Inuk who had come from a town as far away as Port Burwell in the east or from Tuktoyaktuk in the west. There were Inuit from Northern Quebec, from the High Arctic, from the Central Arctic or the Keewatin. Today there is no surprise in meeting an Inuk from Alaska or even from Greenland, on the streets of Frobisher Bay. Who knows, maybe one day we will begin to see whole families coming in from Siberia to live in Frobisher Bay!

—Alootook Ipellie, “Frobisher Bay Childhood”

1. Underline the topic sentence of this paragraph. (Remember, the topic sentence is not always the first sentence.)

2. What type of narration is this? Circle the better answer.

a. First person b. Third person

3. Who or what is the paragraph about? _______________________________

_______________________________________________________________

4. In a few words, explain what happened in this paragraph. _______________

_______________________________________________________________

5. When did it happen? _____________________________________________

6. Where did it happen? ____________________________________________

7. By combining your answers to questions 3 through 6, write a one-sentence summary of the paragraph. Someone who has never read the paragraph

2. What are some memorable parties or celebrations that you have attended?

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3. Think about interesting true events that have happened to family members or friends. Are some stories particularly funny, sad, or inspiring? List some ideas.

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should have a clear idea of the paragraph’s content after reading your sentence.

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PrActicE 2

Read the next paragraph and answer the questions.

The economic ups and downs caused by expansion and contraction of the economy constitute the business cycle. A typical business cycle runs from three to five years, but could last much longer. Though typically irregular, a cycle can be divided into four general phases: prosperity, recession, depression (which the cycle generally skips), and recovery. During prosperity, the economy expands, unemployment is low, incomes rise, and consumers buy more products. Businesses respond by increasing production and offering new and better products. Eventually, however, things slow down, GDP decreases, unemployment goes up, and because people have less money to spend, business revenues decline. This slowdown in economic activity is called a recession. Economists often say that we are entering a recession when GDP goes down for two consecutive quarters. Generally, a recession is followed by a recovery in which the economy starts growing again. If, however, a recession lasts a long time (perhaps a decade or so), unemployment remains very high, and production is severely curtailed, the economy could sink into a depression. Though not impossible, it is unlikely that Canada will experience another severe depression like that of the 1930s.

—Karen Collins and Jackie Shemko, Exploring Business

1. Who or what is the paragraph about? _______________________________

2. Underline the topic sentence of this paragraph.

3. What point are the authors making about the business cycle?

4. How do the authors support the topic sentence? List the component events that make up this narrative.

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5. Do the supporting facts provide adequate support for the topic sentence?

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business cycle: recurring periods of increased and decreased economic activity

recession: temporary decline in economic activity

depression: lengthy industrial and financial decline in economic activity



DEvELOPing

The Topic SentenceWhen you write a narrative paragraph, it is important to express a main point. If you simply describe a list of activities, it is boring for the reader. To make your paragraph interesting, make sure that your topic sentence has a controlling idea.

topic controlling idea

When somebody broke into my house, I felt totally invaded.

controlling idea topic

Jay learned to be responsible during his first job.

In a narrative essay, the thesis statement expresses the controlling idea.

Hint Make a Point

In a narrative paragraph, the topic sentence should make a point. To help you find the controlling idea, you can ask yourself the following questions.

j What did I learn?j How did I change?j How did it make me feel?j What is important about it?

EXAMPLE:

topic: Moving out of the family home

Possible controlling idea: Becoming more independent

topic controlling ideaWhen i moved out of the family home, I became more independent.

PrActicE 3

Practise writing topic sentences. Complete the following sentences by adding a controlling idea.

1. When I moved out of the family home, I felt _________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. In my first job, I learned __________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. When I heard the news about ____________________, I realized _________

___________________________________________________________________

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The Supporting IdeasA narrative paragraph should contain specific details so that the reader understands what happened. To come up with the details, ask yourself a series of questions. Your paragraph should provide answers to these questions.j Who is the paragraph about?j What happened?j When did it happen?j Where did it happen?j Why did it happen?j How did it happen?

When you recount a story to a friend, you may go back and add details, saying, “I forgot to mention something.” When you write a narrative paragraph, however, your sequence of events should be clearly chronological so that your reader can follow your story.

The Writer’s Desk Write topic sentences

Write a topic sentence for each of the following topics. You can look for ideas in Writer’s Desk: Warm Up on pages 71–72. Each topic sentence should mention the topic and express a controlling idea.

EXAMPLE: Topic: A family story

Topic sentence: When my father found his first job in Canada, there

was a humorous misunderstanding.

1. Topic: A serious decision

Topic sentence:

2. Topic: A celebration or party

Topic sentence:

3. Topic: A story about someone

Topic sentence:

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Visualizing Narration PrActicE 4

Brainstorm supporting ideas for the following topic sentence. Write some descriptive words and phrases.

topic sentence: Our camping trip exposed us to new experiences.

The Writer’s Desk Develop supporting ideas

Generate supporting ideas for each topic. List what happened.

EXAMPLE: A family story

dad saw an ad

“busboy” job

bowling alley

dad didn’t understand ad

man gave him an apron

1. A serious decision

2. A celebration or party

3. A story about someone

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The Paragraph PlanBefore you write a narrative paragraph, it is a good idea to make a paragraph plan. Write down main events in the order in which they occurred. To make your narration more complete, include details about each event.

Topic SenTence: When my father found his first job in Canada, there

was a humorous misunderstanding.

Support 1: In a newspaper, he found an ad for a busboy.

Details: —job was in a bowling alley

—dad didn’t speak English very well

Support 2: He went to the bowling alley.

Details: —applied for the job, and got it

—was excited

Support 3: On his first day, his boss asked him to put on an apron and told him to pick up some dishes in the bowling alley’s restaurant.

Details: —father was disappointed and asked, “Where’s the bus?”

—thought that a “busboy” would work on a bus

In a narrative essay, you place the thesis statement in the introduc-tion. Each main event is developed in a supporting paragraph.

The Writer’s Desk Write a Paragraph Plan

Choose one of the topic sentences that you wrote for the Writer’s Desk on page 75. Write a paragraph plan using some of the supporting ideas that you have generated in the previous Writer’s Desk. Include details for each supporting idea.

Topic sentence:

Support 1:

Details:

Support 2:

Details:

Support 3:

Details:

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The First DraftAfter you outline your ideas in a plan, you are ready to write the first draft. Remember to write complete sentences. You might include transitional expressions to help your ideas flow smoothly.

transitional ExpressionsTransitions can help you show a sequence of events. The following transitional words are useful in narrative paragraphs.

to show a sequence of Eventsafter that finally in the end meanwhile

afterward first last next

eventually in the beginning later then

The Writer’s Desk Write the First Draft

In the previous Writer’s Desk, you developed a paragraph plan. Now write the first draft of your narrative paragraph. Before you write, carefully review your paragraph plan and make any necessary changes.

rEvising AnD EDiting

Revise and Edit a Narrative ParagraphWhen you finish writing a narrative paragraph, carefully review your work and revise it to make the events as clear as possible to your readers. Check that you have organized events chronologically, and remove any irrelevant details. Before you revise and edit your own paragraph, practise revising and editing a student paragraph.

PrActicE 5

Read the next student paragraph, and answer the questions.

When my father found his first job in Canada, there was a humorous misunderstanding. My father, originally from Mexico City, had just moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba and he did not speak English very well. One day, he sees an ad for a busboy job. He wanted the job, so he called the number in the ad. Later that day, he went for an interview in a bowling alley. The restaurant manager spoke with my father and offered him the job. That night, my father went home feeling very excited. The next day, when he arrived for work, the manager gave him an apron and asked him to pick up some dishes in the bowling alley restaurant. My father, feeling confused and dissapointed, asked, “Where is the bus?” He thought that a busboy would work on a bus

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collecting tickets. The owner laught and explained what a busboy’s job is. When my father told the family this story, everybody thought it was funny, but they were also proud of his perseverance because today he has a university degree and a good job.

revising

1. Write down the two parts of the topic sentence.

topic + controlling idea

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2. What type of order do the specific details follow? Circle the best answer. a. Space b. Time c. Emphatic d. No order

3. What are some transitional expressions that the author used?

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4. What type of narration is this? a. First person b. Third person

editing

5. This paragraph contains a tense inconsistency. The tense shifts for no apparent reason. Identify the incorrect sentence. Then write the correct sentence in the space below.

Correction: _______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

6. This paragraph contains two misspelled words. Identify and correct them.

Misspelled words Corrections________________________________ ________________________________

________________________________ ________________________________

See the following chapters for more information about these grammar topics: Tense consistency, Chapter 26 Spelling, Chapter 32

vo•cab•u•lar•y bOOst

Using varied Language1. Underline the opening word of every sentence in your first draft. Check to see if some

are repeated.2. Replace repeated opening words with an adverb, such as Usually, Generally, or Fortunately,

or a prepositional phrase, such as On the other hand or Under the circumstances. You can also begin sentences with a modifier, such as Leaving the door open. In other words, avoid beginning too many sentences with a noun or transitional expression.

repeated First WordsWe opened the door of the abandoned house. We looked nervously at the rotting floorboards. We thought the floor might collapse. We decided to enter. We walked carefully across the kitchen floor to the bedroom, one by one.

varietyMy cousins and I opened the door of the abandoned house. Nervously, we looked at the rotting floorboards. Leaving the door open, we decided to enter. One by one, we walked across the kitchen floor to the bedroom.

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Grammar Hint Using Quotations

When you insert a direct quotation into your writing, capitalize the first word of the quotation, and put the final punctuation inside the closing quotation marks.j Place a comma after an introductory phrase. Vladimir screamed, “The kitchen’s on fire.”j Place a colon after an introductory sentence. Vladimir watched me coldly: “We have nothing to discuss.”

See Chapter 34 for more information about using quotations.

The Writer’s Desk revise and Edit Your Paragraph

Revise and edit the paragraph that you wrote for the previous Writer’s Desk. Ensure that your paragraph has unity, adequate support, and coherence. Also, correct any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics.

Think about what you have learned in this chapter. If you do not know an answer, review that topic.

1. In narrative writing, you ________________________________________________

2. What are the differences between the two following types of narration?

First person: _________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Third person: ________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

3. What are some questions that you should you ask yourself when you write a narrative paragraph? ___________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. What organizational method is commonly used in narrative paragraphs? Circle the best answer.

a. Space order b. Time order c. Emphatic order



Writing Activity 1: TopicsChoose any of the following topics, or choose your own topic. Then write a narrative paragraph.

More narrative Writing topicsChapter 28, Writer’s Room topic 2

(page 425)Chapter 30, Writer’s Room topics

1 and 2 (page 450)

More narrative readings“The Sanctuary of School”

by Lynda Barry (page 563)

General Topics

1. An interesting decade 2. A risky adventure 3. A move to a new place 4. An unforgettable holiday 5. A disturbing news event 6. An unexpected gift

College- and Work-Related Topics

7. An embarrassing incident at college or work

8. An inspiring teacher or instructor 9. A positive or negative job interview 10. A difficult co-worker 11. Your best experience at work 12. A proud moment at work or

college

Writing Activity 2: Photo WritingHave you ever lived through an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a large storm, an extended power outage, or any other event caused by nature? What happened? What did you do? Write a narrative paragraph about a big storm or a natural event that you have lived through.

Writing Activity 3: Media WritingWatch a popular television show or movie in which a character overcomes a challenge. Examples are the movie Picture Day and television programs such as Dragon’s Den, 7th Heaven, and The Hour. You can even go on YouTube and

Minerva Studio/Shutterstock



nArrAtivE PArAgrAPh chEcKListAs you write your narrative paragraph, review the checklist on the

inside front cover. Also, ask yourself the following questions.

j Does my topic sentence clearly express the topic of the narration?

j Does my topic sentence contain a controlling idea that is meaningful and interesting?

j Does my paragraph answer most of the following questions: who, what, when, where, why, how?

j Do I use transitional expressions that help clarify the order of events?

j Do I include details to make my narration more interesting?

how Do i get a better grade?Visit MyWritingLab for audiovisual lectures and additional practice sets about narration paragraphs.

watch some videos about people who have overcome challenges to meet their personal goals.

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Documents

Narration P t 5 r - Pearson · Narration not only is useful on its own but also enhances other types of writing. For example, Jason must write an argument essay about youth crime