Elements of Narration (Part 1)

Now remember I said that each discourse type has devices attached to them?
Well the first 5 devices we are going to look at briefly are on the diagram below.

1) Exposition: background (usually the beginning of the story)
2) Rising Action: Event or action that leads to the most exciting part.
3) Climax: The most exciting part, where the most action takes place.
4) Falling Action: The action that happens right after the climax.
5) Resolution: What happens at the end




Remember the movie you just wrote about? Can you identify all of the elements above?

Narration

Now the first thing you need to know is that each discourse type has several devices attached to them. So once you see several of these devices you can easily tell which discourse type or kind of writing is being used.

For now our focus is on Narration. 
Can you remember what is the purpose of narration?
Scroll down if you can't remember.

Assignment: A Movie Recap (Due as soon as possible)
Think of any movie.
Tell me:
1) how it begins,
2) what happens throughout the movie,
3) and how it ends.

Click on comments below and begin to write.
First, ensure that you have joined the blog and are signed in.

NEAD: Discourse Types

Hi Akilah and Ian! Welcome to Jru's English A Online programme.

As you would have noticed the topic we will be examining for the next two weeks is  
NEAD: Discourse Types. 
NEAD is an acronym, which I made up.
That means NEAD each letter stands for something.
In this case the different kinds of writing (discourse) we encounter on a daily basis.

Narration 
Exposition 
Argument
Description

Now it is critical that when you are reading anything  you can identify the type of discourse or writing the author or writer uses.For example, if you are reading a story book entitled Little Red Riding Hood or Superman, right away you should be able to say in your mind that this is a narrative since it is telling a story.

Once you can identify the type of discourse (N,E,A, or D), you will know the writer's purpose.
That means, why he penned or wrote the story: to relate an event about Red Riding Hood.

Purpose of the types of discourse or the author
Before you determine the purpose you need to identify the discourse type.
Is it exposition, argument, description or narration?

NARRATION: to relate to a reader a sequence of events as they happened, 
                             or a sequence of acts as they should be performed.

EXPOSITION: to explain or inform

ARGUMENT:  to convince or persuade the reader

DESCRIPTION:  to convey to the audience the sense of what a thing (a person, a scene, a feeling) looks like, sounds like, feels like, smells like or tastes like.


Sometimes writers combine the discourse types; e.g. using both exposition and argument.
Now your first assignment is up next. Scroll up.