NARRATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

mATA kULIAH " rEADING i"

Lecturer,

Rina Nupriana. M. Pd 

NARRATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

A. Narative Text

Narative 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. Novels depict numerous episodes of action. Short stories may only contain a few or even one episode. Nevertheless, both relate a causal chain of events: each event in the story leads to another, as the protagonist, or main character, tries to reach a goal or solve a problem.

Elements that are basic to narrative text include: setting, characters, plot, conflict, and theme. Some literary experts label these elements "story grammar." That is, just as sentence grammar is used to explain and specify how sentences are constructed, story grammar delineates the basic parts of a story and how those work together to create a wellconstructed tale (Vacca and Vacca, 1993).

Example of Narrative Text  

Thirteen equals one

Our vicar is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed to get enough money to have the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been silent ever since.

One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours! Looking at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell struck thirteen times before it stopped. Armed with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer.

"Whatever are you doing up here Bill?" asked the vicar in surprise.

"I'm trying to repair the bell," answered Bill. "I've been coming up here night after night for weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise."

"You certainly did give me a surprise!" said the vicar. "You've probably woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again."

"We'll get used to that, Bill," said the vicar. "Thirteen is not as good as one, but it's better than nothing. Now let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.

Answer these questions :

1.       How long the clock was damage and has been silent ?

2.      Was the Vicar sleeping before the bell struck ?

3.      How many times does the bell struck when the vicar saw his watch it was one o’clock ?

4.      Who was trying to repair the clock ?

5.      How many days Bill Wilkins had been repair the clock ?

6.      Why Bill Wilkins didn’t let the vicar know that he was  repaired the clock ?

7.      What was the Vicar  felt when the bell was working again ?

8.      What is your opinion about the bell struck thirteen at one o’clock

9.      Why did the Vicar ask Bill Wilkins went downstairs

10.  Why the Vicar let Bill Wilkins have a cup of tea

B.  Descriptive Text

Descriptive text is a text which says what a person or a thing is like. Its purpose is to describe and reveal a particular person, place or thing.

Description is about sensory experience-how something looks, tastes. Mostly it is about visual experience, but description also eals with other kinds of perception. Kane (2000: 352)

Example of Narrative Text  

My House

I live in a small house. It has five rooms: there are two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Indeed it is a small house; but I like living in here for wasting my spare time.

When the door is open, I can see the living room. It is so small with only three chairs and a table, nothing else. I prefer reading a novel in this room.

My bedroom is in the left side living room. In this room there is a night table next to the bed, a TV, a radio, and a computer. When being bored of reading, I usually play online games, chat with my friends via facebook and so on.

Next to my bedroom is my mother’s. I do not know what is inside because I never come in to see it. In the right side of the living room there is a kitchen. In the kitchen I have everything I need when I get hungry. It is very pleasure when my mother cooks, the smell fills my whole house.

I know it is very small house; but it is the best place I have ever seen.

Answer these questions :

1.   Is my house big ?

2.  How many rooms in my house ?

3.  Which room can I see  when the door is open ?

4.  What prefer I doing in the living room ?

5.  Where does exactly the position of my bedroom ?

6.  What are things in my bedroom

7.  What are usually I do in my bedroom ?

8.  Whose bedroom next to my bedroom ?

9.  Which room I have to go when I get hungry

10.What is your favorite room in your house ?