NARRATION

Narrating is telling 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 incident.

At home, someone might explain how a cooking accident happened.

At college, students tell stories to explain absences or lateness.

At work, a salesperson might narrate what happened on a business trip.

NARRATION

When writing the narrative essay, consider your point of view:

Use first-person narration to describe a personal experience.

To show that you are directly involved in the story, use I (first-person singular) or we (first-person plural). Ex: When we landed in Boston, I was shocked by the white

landscape. I had never seen so much snow. Use third-person narration to describe what

happened to somebody else. Show that you are simply an observer or storyteller by using he, she, it (third-person singular), or they (third-person plural). Ex: Drivers waited on the highway. They honked their horns

and yelled in frustration. They did not understand what was happening.

NARRATION

When you write a narrative essay, choose a topic that you personally find very interesting, and then share it with your readers.

For example, very few people may be interested if you simply list what you did during your recent vacation.

However, if you write about a particularly moving experience during your vacation, you can create an entertaining narrative essay.

Ensure that your narrative essay expresses a main point. Your thesis statement should have a controlling idea. Ex: The day I decided to get a new job, my life took a

dramatic turn. Ex: Sadie’s problems began as soon as she drove her

new car home.

NARRATION

In a narrative essay, the thesis statement should make a point. To help you find the controlling idea, you can ask yourself the following questions:

1. What did I learn?2. How did I change?3. How did it make me feel?4. What is important about it?For example:

Topic: ran away from home Possible controlling idea: learned the importance of family.

When I ran away from home at the age of fifteen, I discovered the importance of family.

NARRATION

Practice writing thesis statements by adding a controlling idea to each of the following sentences:

1. During her wedding, my sister realized…2. After leaving my family for college, I learned…3. When I graduated, I discovered…

Write a thesis statement for each of the following topics. Each thesis statement should mention the topic and express a controlling idea. Topic: An interesting journey Thesis statement: I went on an exciting hike in the Grand Canyon.

1. An emotional journey2. A significant experience3. An adventure with a friend

PRACTICE

A narrative essay should contain specific details so that the reader understands what happened.

To come up with details, ask yourself a series of questions and then answer them as you plan your essay. Who is the essay about? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? How did it happen?

When you recount a story to a friend, you may go back and add details, saying, “Oh, I forgot to mention something.”

However, when you write, you have the opportunity to clearly plan the sequence of events so that the reader can easily follow your story,

NARRATION

Organize events in chronological order (the order in which they occurred).

You can also begin your essay with the outcome and then explain what happened that led to the outcome.

Do not simply recount what happened. Reflect on why the event is important.

Consider the main source of the tension in your narrative. Descriptions and conflicts or tension can help engage the reader.

To make a more powerful essay, use descriptive words that appeal to the senses.

NARRATION

Using one of the thesis statements from the previous practice, generate supporting ideas. List what happened.

Ex: An interesting journey hitchhiked to the canyon descended five miles met a crazy man at the ranch saw a sheep on a narrow ledge was worn out during the final climb

PRACTICE

Here are some transitions that are useful in narrative essays.

To show a sequence of eventsAfterward finally in the end meanwhileAfter that first last nextEventually in the beginning later then

NARRATION

One effective way to enhance your essay is to use dialogue.

A direct quotation contains the exact words of an author, and the quotation is set off with quotation marks.

When you include the exact words of more than one person in a text, you must make a new paragraph each time the speaker changes. “Who did this?” my mom shrieked, as my brother and I stood frozen with fear.

“Mark did it,” I assured her shamelessly, as I pointed at my quivering brother.

NARRATION

An indirect quotation does not give the author’s exact words, but keeps the author’s meaning.

It is not set off by quotation marks.

As Mark and I stood frozen with fear, our shrieking mother asked who had done it. I assured her shamelessly that Mark had done it, as my finger pointed at my quivering brother.

NARRATION

1. What type of narration is this text?a. first person b. second person2. The thesis is not stated directly, but it is implied. Using your

own words, write the thesis of this essay.3. Knighton divides his essay into two time periods. What are

they? ____________ ____________4. How does Knighton realize that he is losing sight? In two or

three sentences, explain what happens.5. Which paragraph contains a definition of a term.6. Describe what happens during Knighton’s encounter with the

waitress.7. Write down an example of an indirect quotation from the essay.8. Write down an example of a direct quotation from the essay.9. Narrative writers do more than simply list a series of events.

Knighton explains why the events are meaningful. What did he learn?

OUT OF SIGHT