The Bedford Reader Chapter 4: Narration The first type of essay is the narrative essay….wait, wait…there are more to come!

Narration: Telling a story Turn to page 80 and read the advertisement Now let’s read the blue box

The method The aim of a narrative essay is to describe a course of events from a subjective vantage point, and may be written in first-person present or first person past tense.

Narration is …a powerful method to engage and hold the attention of listener A Narrative You Say

Academic writing In academic writing (like for school) you will mainly use Brief narratives or ANECDOTES that recount single incidents as a way of supporting an explanation or an ARUGMENT with the flesh and blood of real life An example: pages 82 last paragraph

The process Every good story has a purpose If you have no purpose you will annoy your reader (think about a little kid who goes on and on and on and on about nothing) kid telling story

The thesis You begin with the main idea…no hook, no funny or interesting beginning…just where you are going to go. Your thesis!

The Thesis You need a memorable conclusion after your great story. See me

The narrator of the story The narrator is the speaker, the one who was there. The narrator uses details and feelings. But it can be in any point of view…I, me, she/he, they

Most history books.. …and news stories are third person narratives. Writers stick to the facts and do not invent the thoughts of participants. They stick to the facts.

What to emphasize Tell the who, what, when, why and how Let’s read p. 87 second paragraph.

Organization The simplest approach is chronological…in order that things happened. Let’s look at page 87 at the bottom.

verbs Narration really depends upon the verbs to make it alive. Let’s share some verbs!

Narration in paragraphs Writing about television

Writing in the academic discipline

Narration in practice

Turn to page 114 Read “The Market for a Yale Woman’s Eggs” Answer all the questions that follow