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2. CHAPTER 4: NARRATION
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3. CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter, you will learn to write a narrative
paragraph that:
 has a narrow focus,
 presents details in a clear order, and
 uses effective transitional words.
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4. WHAT IS NARRATION?
 Narration means telling a story.
 When you write a narrative paragraph, you can tell
a story about something that happened to you or to
someone else, or about something that you saw or
read.
 A narrative relies on specific details about
happenings: events, actions, incidents.
 Use vivid details so you don’t just tell the story, you
show it.
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5. WHAT IS NARRATION?
 Give the Narrative a Point
 The point will be included in the topic sentence.
 The point of a narrative is the meaning of the
incident or incidents that you are writing about.
 Hints for Writing a Narrative Paragraph
1. Be clear.
2. Be interesting.
3. Stay in order.
4. Pick a topic that is not too big.
 Use a Speaker’s Exact Words in Narrative
 Be sure to punctuate speech correctly.
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6. WRITING THE NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH IN STEPS
 PrewritingNarration—how to generate and develop
ideas for your narration paragraph
 Planning Narration—how to organize your ideas for
your narration paragraph
 Drafting and Revising Narration—how to create,
revise, and edit rough drafts of your narration
paragraph
 Proofreading Narration—how to proofread and
make one final check of your narration paragraph
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7. PREWRITING NARRATION
 Thinking of a topic for a narrative paragraph can be a
challenge.
 Narrative Questionnaire
 Freewriting for a Narrative Topic
 Narrowing and Selecting a Suitable Narrative Topic
 After freewriting, assess your writing, looking for
words, phrases, or sentences that could be
expanded into a paragraph.
 Questions can help you form the point of your
narrative.
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8. PLANNING NARRATION
 Begin with a rough outline with the point as the topic
sentence.
 Check the outline for the following:
Relevance: Do all the details connect to the topic
sentence?
Order: Are the details in a clear order?
Development: Does the outline need more
details? Are the details specific enough?
 Outline for a Narrative Paragraph
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9. DRAFTING AND REVISING NARRATION
 After you have an outline, the next step is to create a
rough draft.
 Checklist for Revising the Draft of a Narrative
Paragraph
 Revising for Sharper Details
 Checking the Topic Sentence
 Rewrite the topic sentence to fit all the details.
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10. DRAFTING AND REVISING NARRATION
 Using Transitions Effectively in Narration
 Most of the transitions in narration have to do with
time.
 A Revised Draft
 Once the time order is correct, a writer has to focus
on two issues:
1. Making sure the narrative is more than a list of
details in time sequence, and
2. Avoiding short, choppy writing.
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11. DRAFTING AND REVISING NARRATION
A good revision may include: using transitions,
combining sentences, and using exact words of
dialogue.
 INFO BOX: Transitions for a Narrative Paragraph
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12. PROOFREADINGNARRATION
 Look for errors in spelling, punctuation, or preparation of the
paragraph.
 Lines of Detail: A Walk-Through Assignment
 Topics for Writing a Narrative Paragraph
 Topics for Critical Thinking and Writing
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13. WHAT IS NARRATION?
A. Explains how to do something.
B. Tells a story.
C. Shows a reader what a person, place, thing, or situation is
like.
D. Discusses differences.
Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.

14. WHAT IS NARRATION?
A. Explains how to do something.
B. Tells a story.
C. Shows a reader what a person, place, thing, or situation is
like.
D. Discusses differences.
has a narrow focus
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15. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A HINT FOR
WRITING A NARRATIVE?
A. Be clear.
B. Be interesting.
C. Stay in order.
D. Include steps.
Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.

16. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A HINT FOR
WRITING A NARRATIVE?
A. Be clear.
B. Be interesting.
C. Stay in order.
D. Include steps.
presents details in a clear order
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17. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A COMMON TRANSITION
FOR A NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH?
A. Suddenly
B. Nevertheless
C. Similarly
D. For example
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18. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A COMMON TRANSITION
FOR A NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH?
A. Suddenly
B. Nevertheless
C. Similarly
D. For example
uses effective transitional words.
Copyright © 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.