c. Plot
Every story has on going events, plus actions by characters. A writer usually starts a story by introducing characters and problems that
they face. The sequence of main actions by characters, as they respond to and solve problems, is called plot.
d. Conclusion
At the end of a story, the author brings action to a climax the most exciting point in the whole story. Then events are brought to a
“conclusion” here the writer brings together all the important things that happened in the story, and tells how events work out for the characters.
From the definitions above, a narrative text can be defined as a text that consists of a story that involves some characters and has a purpose to
entertain or amuse the readers. So, the readers are expected to enjoy the text which being read.
People read narrative text might be for enjoyment and happiness; to get a reader’s interest. It means they like enjoying themselves to read any
kinds of story because they may have similar feelings in like situations. It is in line Andersons who stated that the purpose of narrative that is to present
a view of the world that entertains or informs the reader or listener.
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In addition, the aim of narrative, other than providing entertainment, can be to
make the audience thinks about an issue, teach them a lesson, or excite their emotions.
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2. The Schematic Structures of Narrative Text
In constructing narrative text, there are several steps that should be considered by the author. The elements of them are also provided to guide
the readers in reading the text.
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, ..., p.3
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, ..., p.6
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 2, South Yarra: Macmillan, 1997, p. 9
a. Orientation
This is the part in which the narrator tells the audience about who is in the story, when the story is taking place and where the
action is happening. It can also be called as introductory part of a story. So the reader can figure out what will happen next and who
are involved in it. b.
Complication This is the part of the story where the narrator tells about
something that will begin a chain of events. These events will affect one or more of the characters. The complication is the
trigger. From this part the story begins. This is the part where the characters totally play their role.
c. Sequence of events
This is where the narrator tells how the characters react to the complication. It includes their feelings and what they do. The
events can be told in chronological order the order in which they happen or with flashbacks. The audience is given the narrator’s
point of view. d. Resolution
This is the part that can be found in the end of the story. In this part of the narrative where the complication is sorted out or the
problem is solved. e. Coda
In some narratives, the narrator includes a coda if there is a moral message to be learned from the story. That is only the
optional part of a story. In the following is the example of schematic structure of
narrative text:
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Josephine S.M., English on Sky SMP Book VIII , … p. 124.
The Stingy and the Generous
Long, long time ago there lived two brothers. They had completely different characters. The big brother was very stingy
and greedy. He never shared his wealth with poor people. The little brother was exactly the opposite. He was generous and kind to
poor people. He even had no money left because he had shared it
with the poor. Orientation
One day, the generous brother was sitting in his garden when suddenly little bird fell on his lap. It was wounded. He took
care of it, fed it and put it in a nice cage. After the bird was healthy, the generous brother let it fly. After some time, the bird returned to
him and gave him a watermelon seed. Complication
The generous brother, then, planted the seed and watered it until it grew into a good watermelon plant. Yet, the plant was very
strange. It had only one fruit; a big and heavy one. When the watermelon was ripe enough, the generous brother picked it and
cut it into two. How surprised he was. The watermelon was full of
gold. The sequence of events
The generous brother sold the gold and became very rich. He built a big house and bought a very large field. Still, he never
forgot to share his wealth with the poor. Resolution Adopted from 2
nd
grade English text book 3. The Language Features of Narrative Text
The language features usually found in a narrative are: Specific characters
Time words that connect events to tell when they occur Verbs to show the actions that occur in the story
Descriptive words to portray the characters and settings
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Mark and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 2, ... , p.8.
In the following is the example of language features of narrative text related to the story above:
Table 2.1 Language Features of Narrative Text
Adapted from Josephine S.M., 2007 The language features shown above are being used by a narrator.
There always be specific characters in every story. For instance, in the story of the stingy and the generous above, the specific character is the
generous. Time words are also used in that s tory, for example “Long time
ago ...”. And also the last two language features.
The language features are provided to help the readers in understanding the story. By past tense used, the readers will know what
happened in the story. Conjunction is also really important to describe the characters and settings of the story.
No Linguistic Features Examples
1 Specific Participants
Generous 2
Generic Participant The stingy
3 Past Tense
There lived two brothers.
They had completely different characters.
He took care of it …….
Yet, the plant was very strange.
The generous brother sold the gold….
4 Past Perfect Tense
He even had no money left because he had
shared it with the poor 6
Adverb of Time Long time ago
One day 7
Adverb of Place In the garden
8 Coordinate Conjunction
And
In conclusion, the language features play significant role to assist in getting the meaning of a story. For instance, through past tense
appeared, it tells the readers exactly as a major feature of a story used. Next, the use of conjunction is relatively necessary to describe the
characters and settings. Hence, all of the language features are conveyed to construct the story more alive.
B. Cooperative Learning
