For examples:
They never went to school, they always skipped class. She worked at the movie theater after school.
e. Past Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations, which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite
similar to the expression “used to.”
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For examples:
He was in the office yesterday. We spent in Kuningan last month.
From several statements above, we can get the conclusion that the Simple Past Tense should be noted that use of the Past Tense located situation in the past,
without saying anything about whether that situation continuous to the present and future. We also use the Simple Past Tense when the time is clear and giving older
information. One of the most common uses of the Simple Past Tense is to convey any event or action which is done in the past.
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Retrieved from http:www.englishpage.comvervpagesimplepast.html, November 24, 2010 at 11.00 pm.
B. NARRATIVE TEXT
Based on generic structure and language feature dominantly used, texts are divided into several types. They are narrative, news story, anecdote, recount and
spoof, procedure, explanation, report, exposition, discussion, description, review, news item, and commentary. These variations are known as genre.
This genre is introduced in both of Junior High School and Senior High School. One of the texts that is taught in Junior High School level is narrative text. It
is a kind of story genre.
1. Definition of Narrative Text and Its Purpose
Before turning into narrative text, someone should know what text is. People live in a world of words. When these words are put together to communicate a
meaning, a piece of text is created. When people speak or write to communicate a message, they are constructing a text. When they read, listen to or view a place of
text, they are interpreting its meaning. Creating a text requires to make choices about the words is used and how to
put them together. If people make the right choices then they can communicate with others. Their choice of words will depend on their purpose and their surroundings or
the context.
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There are two main categories of texts; literary and factual. Within these are various text types. Each type has a common and usual way of using language.
Factual texts include advertisements, internet websites, current affairs shows, debates, recipes, reports and instruction. They present information ideas and aim to
show, tell or persuade the audience. The main text types in this category are recount, response, explanation, discussion, information report, exposition and procedure.
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Literary texts include aboriginal dreaming stories, movie scripts, limericks, fairy
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Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 2, Sydney, Australia: MacMillan, 1997, p. 1
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Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types 2 …, p. 2
tales, plays, novels, song lyrics, mimes and soap operas. They are constructed to appeal to their emotions and imagination. Literary texts can make people laugh or
cry, think about their life of consider their beliefs. There are three main text types in this category: narrative, poetic and
dramatic. Media texts such as films, videos, television shows and CDs can also fall in this category.
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A narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format as a work of speech, poetry, prose and picture that describes a sequence fictional or non-fictional
events. The word story may be used as a synonym of narrative, but can also be used to refer to the sequence of events described in a narrative. A narrative can also
be told by a character within a larger narrative.
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According to Chatman, S. and B. Attebery 1993 “narrative is the telling of a story or communication of a chain of events, fictive or real. Aspects of narrative
include how the story is told, the context in which it is presented and the construction of th
e story.”
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From several statements it concluded a narrative is a text that tells a story and in doing so, entertains the audience. The purpose of a narrative, other than providing
entertainment, can be to make the audience think about an issue, teach them a lesson, or excite their emotions. Narratives can be presented as written or spoken texts.
Written narratives often take the form of novels. The story is usually told by a narrator. If the narrator is one of the characters in the story, the story is said to be told
in the first person. If a person outside the story is the narrator, then the story is being told in the third person.
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Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types 2 …, p. 1
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Retrieved from http:www.msu.edukruttlinnarrative.html. November 26, 2010 at 12.00 pm.
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Chatman, S. and B. Atterbery, Reading Narrative Fiction, New York: McMillan, 1993, p. 15
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, Sydney, Australia: MacMillan, 1998, p. 3
Examples of narrative texts include: Myths
Fairytales Aboriginal dreaming stories
Science fiction Historical fiction
Romance novel
The purpose of narrative text is to present a view of the world that entertains or informs the reader or listener.
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From the description above, it can be said that narrative text has many meanings. Narrative text has been learned since Junior High School until now.
Actually, narrative text is same with the story. It is only different in term. When we were child, we have been read Cinderella story, it is kind of narrative text. It consists
of fiction story.
2. Schematic Structure of Narrative
a. Orientation
In this paragraph the narrator tells the audience who is in the story, when it is happening, where it is happening and what is going on.
b. Complication
This is the part of the story where the narrator tells about something that will begin in a chain of events. These events will affect one or more of the characters. The
complication is the trigger.
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types 2 …, p. 6
