NARRATIVE TEXT

Social function/ purpose: To amuse/ entertain the readers and to tell a story, entertain and to deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways. Narrative deal with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution.

Generic structure

1. Orientation: sets the scene and introduces the participants.
2. Complication : a crisis arises
3. Re-orientation : optional

Dominant language features:

1. Using past tense
2. Using action verb
3. Chronologically arranged

Example:

MARGARET DALE

Orientation

Margaret Dale is twenty four and a nanny. She is the daughter of a well known surgeon. When she was young, Margaret and her sister, Barbara, had a nanny. She dressed them and took them to school in the morning. She prepared their breakfast and their lunch box, to take to school. She met them after school and took them home. After tea, she used to read to them in bed. On Barbara’s birthday she organized a fantastic party. It was then Margaret decided that she too would be a nanny.

Complication

Her farther was furious when she wanted to become a nanny. Like most parents he wanted Margaret to go to university and hold a good position in society.

Resolution

But Margaret decided to go to college after leaving secondary school. There she studied all the subjects necessary to look after children. She got her certificate and she has been working for four years as a nanny. The main thing is she is enjoying herself. She gets a lot of personal satisfaction in her job. And her father sees a young, happy girl with a lot of enthusiasm for life.