Expository or Narrative? Qualities of expository writing Qualities of narrative writing Qualities of both modes of writing

Similarities of Expository and Narrative Writing:  Paragraph structure (both should include an introduction and a conclusion)

Qualities of Expository Writing Primary purpose = to explain This can be done through: Procedural Writing (how-to) Comparison/Contrast Cause/Effect Taking a Position

The general characteristics of expository writing include: 1. Thesis Statement/Assertion--this statement must be narrow or focused enough to be supported in your writing. You should answer the question or address the topic from the writing prompt. 2. Examples/Evidence--support the thesis statement or assertion by using quotes, statistics, examples, and/or facts. Use any available resource to prove your point to the reader, including citing published books, television, internet, etc. 3. Logical organization-- depending on the type of expository text that is being written, the information could be organized chronologically, from least important to most important (or vice versa), or it could list causes and their effects. 4. Commitment to the Topic--your supporting details should not deviate from the thesis statement or assertion. 5. Effective Conclusion –this paragraph should reinforce your thesis statement or assertion. 6. Third Person Point of View-- your expository writing should stay away from “I” and “You”.

KINDS OF EXPOSITORY TEXT  Historical documents  Political documents  Textbooks  Newspapers  Magazines  Brochures  Briefings  Legal documents  Commercial ads  Catalogues  Posters  Editorials

Primary purpose = to tell This can be done through: Describing an experience Telling about an event from your past Reflecting on the consequences of the experience/event Qualities of Narrative Writing

The general characteristics of narrative writing include: 1. Revealing something of importance – narratives make a point and that point is usually defined in the first sentence but may appear as the last sentence in the first paragraph. (This is the theme!) 2. Depicting characters and setting vividly – bring the story to life by using your senses to depict the events of the story: how does it look, sound, feel, etc. Include the important events that make up the story in enough detail for your readers to understand what happened while avoiding any details that do not relate to the main point. 3. Showing, not telling – use vivid and precise verbs when describing your events. Focus on your action verbs! 4. Presenting events in a clear, chronological order – use a logical progression with good transitions (think of the plot triangle diagram) when moving from point-to-point. 5. First person point of view – since the narrative is a story from your own personal experience, you need to focus on using the pronouns “I”, “me”, “my”, and “mine”.

TYPES OF NARRATIVE TEXT  Realistic Fiction  Short Stories  Folktales  Tall tales  Myths  Fables  Legends  Autobiographies  Fantasies  Historical Fiction  Mystery  Science Fiction  Plays

Expository or Narrative? Many people have a favorite place, whether it’s a room in their home or a place in nature, such as a park or a favorite walking path. Write a personal narrative about your favorite place. Is it a room in your home, a place in nature, or someplace else? Be sure to write in detail about your favorite place and describe what makes it special for you.

Expository or Narrative? READ the following quotation: “Believe in your strength and your youth. Learn to repeat endlessly to yourself, ‘It all depends on me.’ ” Andre Gide THINK carefully about the following statement. If you believe in yourself, you don’t need help from anyone to reach your goals. WRITE an essay explaining whether you should depend only on yourself to reach a goal or be willing also to accept help from others.

Expository or Narrative? Almost everyone has experienced a time when they had to give up something they wanted to do in order to accomplish something they didn’t really want to do. Write a personal narrative about a time when giving up something you wanted to do in order to do something you didn’t want to do turned out to be fun and satisfying. Be sure to write in detail about what you had to give up and explain why what you had to do instead turned out to be a good experience.

Expository or Narrative? READ the following quotation: “Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are.” Quentin Crisp THINK carefully about the following statement. What you wear doesn’t express who you really are; it just hides what you don’t want other people to see. WRITE an essay explaining whether you believe wearing fashionable clothing expresses your personality or allows you to mask your true self.

Expository or Narrative? Life is full of surprises. Some surprises can make us happy, while others can make us feel disappointed. Write a personal narrative about a time when you were surprised by something that happened to you. Be sure to write in detail about what happened and how this surprising event made you feel.

Expository or Narrative? READ the following quotation: “The march of invention has clothed mankind with powers of which a century ago the boldest imagination could not have dreamt.” Henry George THINK carefully about the following statement. A major invention is a creative act that produces a device or a way of doing something that is innovative enough to have a profound impact on society. WRITE an essay explaining what you believe is humankind’s most important invention.