1995 also reveals “in general, the simple past tense is the normal one for talking about the past” p. 417. It means that simple past tense always show the events
happen in the past. People tend to use simple past tense to tell the story because simple past tense is tenses to explain the past events.
6. Narrative a. Definition of Narrative
Meyers 2005 states that “narrative is one of the most powerful way of communicating with others. A good written story lets your reader response to some
event in your life as if it were own. They not only understand the event, but they can almost feel it. The action, details, and dialogue put the readers in these seem and
make it happen for them.” p. 52. Moreover, Anderson 1997 states that “narrative is a piece of text tells a story and, in doing so, entertains or informs the reader or
listener.” p. 8 Doyle at al. 2004 points out that narrative is a story of a sequence of events,
“narratives have more complex structures, although they share many of the basic features we have identified in recounts” p.60. It means that narrative tells a story
rather than exploring the past experience. Narrative and recount are different because narrative has a more complex generic structure than recount.
b. Communicative Purposes of Narrative
According to Knapp and Watkins 2005, the purposes of narratives are p.220:
To entertain the reader
To be a powerful social role beyond entertainment
Doyle at al 2004 also describes that narrative have didactic and satirical purposes. Narrative can become educational texts p.61. It means that narrative not
only tells a story for the students but also become educational text. Narrative can educate the students through its content for example from folk tales, the students can
learn about the value of life in that story.
c. Types of Narrative
There are five types of narrative according to Doyle at al 2004:60. They are: - Folk tales
- Children‟s stories and fairy tales - Novels
- Crime thrillers - Narrative poems
d. Generic Structure of Narrative
According to Hyland 2002:16, the generic structure of narrative is: 21
- Orientation It introduces the participants and informing the time and place. Where, when. In
the orientation the writer introduces the characters, time and place for the events. In narrative, the orientation often shows imaginary time for example once upon a time,
long time ago and etc. - Complication
It describes the rising problems happen within the story. In complication, there
are some problems faced by the characters. It can be more than one problem for example situation of war, conflict or love.
- Resolution Showing the way the problems are solved. In resolution, the writes show the
problem solving and the end of the story. The complication may be resolved for better or worsehappily or unhappily.
e. Grammatical Features of Narrative
The grammatical features of narrative according to Doyle at al 2004: 62:
Using Past Tense to describe the events
Using Action Verbs
Using adjectives to describe the characters and the places.
Using direct and reported speech to present the dialogue 22
