Narrative - what is it? What are its features?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

One of the types of functional-semantic type of speech is a text-narrative. What is it, what is typical for it, features, distinguishing features and much more you can find out by reading this article.

Definition

In the narrative we are talking about developing events, processes or states. Very often this type of speech is used as a way of presenting sequential, developing actions that are spoken of in chronological order.

The narrative can be depicted schematically. In this case, it will be a chain, the links of which are stages of actions and events in a certain time sequence.

How to prove that this is a narrative

Like any type of speech, narrative has its own characteristics. Among them:

• a chain of semantically related verbs that are presented in the text in the order of the sequence of actions;
• various verb tenses;
• use of verbs that are characterized by the meaning of a sequence of actions;
• various verb forms denotingoccurrence of actions or signs;
• dates, numbers, circumstantial and any other words that demonstrate the temporal sequence of actions;
• conjunctions denoting alternation, juxtaposition or occurrence of events.

Composition structure

The narrative text consists of elements such as:

• exposure - introductory part;
• string - the event that became the beginning of the action;
• development of action - the events themselves;
• climax - the result of the plot;
• denouement - an explanation of the meaning of the work.

These are the building blocks that usually make up a story. What it is, you can understand by reading the examples of texts. Quite often this type of speech is found in the scientific literature. Here it is presented with biographical notes about the history of discoveries, the study of various scientific problems and stages, which are presented as a sequence of changes in historical stages, stages, and so on.

Narrative features

The main purpose of this type of speech is to consistently describe certain events and show all stages of its development, from the beginning to the finale. The developing action is the main object to which the narrative is oriented. That this is exactly the case can be seen by familiarizing yourself with the signs of this type of speech, including:

1. The dynamics of the narrative is a constant change of time.
2. The described events are in the nature of clarification orchronological development.
3. Temporary logical sequence of actions.

Description VS Narrative

That these are two different types of speech is known, of course, to everyone, but not everyone is aware of what their main differences are. Basically, they differ in the features of syntactic constructions and types of communication in sentences. The main difference between description and narration is expressed in the use of different aspectual-temporal forms of the verb. So, in the first one, predominantly perfective verbs are used, and in the second - imperfective ones. In addition, the description is characterized by a parallel connection, for the narration - a chain one. There are other signs by which these types of speech can be distinguished. Thus, impersonal sentences are not used in the narrative, but vice versa in descriptive texts.

This type of text, like any other, has its own characteristics and characteristics that must be taken into account before deciding or asserting that this is a description or narrative. What it is - you can easily determine by reading all the signs presented above.