Narrative

Narrative

We are told about fantasy worlds in stories, poems, and myths. These are often narrative stories with beginning (orientation), middle (compilation) and ending (resolution).

The following text is the example of narrative text.

Sophie and the giants

When Sophie is kidnapped from home by the BFG ( Big Friendly Giant), the become close friends. Unfortunately for Sophie and the BFG, the other giants are revolting and disgusting. They even guzzle and swallomp nice little childdlers.

Sophie crouched still as a mouse inside the BFG’s pocket. She hardly dared breath. She was terrified she might sneeze. The sightest sound or movement would give her away. Through the tiny peep-hole she watched the giants clustering around the poor BFG. How revolving they were! All of them had piggy little eyes and enormous mouths with big sausage lips. When the Fleshlumpeater was speaking, she got a glimpse of his tongue. It was jet black, like a slab of black steak. Every one of them was more than twice as tall as the BFG.

Suddenly, the Fleshlumpeater shot out two enormous hands and grabbed the BFG around the waist. He tossed him high in the and shouted, ‘Cath him, Manhugger!’

The Manhugger cought him. The other giants spread out quickly in a large circle, each giant about twenty yards from his neighbour, preparing the game they were going to play. Now the Manhungger threw the BFG high and far, shouting ‘Catch him, Bonecruncher!’

The Bonecruncher ran forward and caught the tumbling BFG and immediately swung him up again. ‘Catch him, Childchewer!’ he shouted.

And so it went on. The giant were playing ball with the BFG, vying with each other to see who could throw him the highest. Sophie dug her nails into the sides of the pocket, trying to prevent herself from tumbling out when she was upside down. She felt as though she were in a barrel going over the Niagara Falls. And all the time there was the fearful danger that one of the giants would fails to catch the BFG and he would go crashing to the ground.

‘Catch him, Meatdripper!’…

‘Catch him, Gizzardgulper!...

‘Catch him, Maidmasher!’…

‘Catch him, Bloodbotlter!’...

‘Catch him!... Catch him!... Catch him!...

In the end, they got bored with this game. They dumped the poor BFG on the ground. He was dazed and shattered. They gave him a few kicks and shouted, ‘Run you little runt! Let us be seeing how fast you is galloping!’ The BFG ran. What else could he do? The giants picked up rock and hurled them after him. He managed to dodge them. ‘Ruddy little runt!’ they shouted. ‘Troggy little twit! Shrivelly shrimp! Mucky little midget! Squaggy little squib! Grobby little grub!’

At last the BFG got clear of them all and in another couple of minutes the pack of giant was out of sight over the horizon. Sophie popped her head up from the pocket. “I didn’t like that’, she said.

‘Phew!’ said the BFG. ‘Phew and far between! They was in a nasty crotching mood today, was they not! I is sorry you was having such a whirlgig time.’

‘No worse than you.’ Sophie said.

‘Would they ever really hurt you?

I isn’t ever trusting them.’the BFG said.

How do they actually catch the humans they eat?’ Sophie asked.

‘They do they actually catch the humans they eat? ‘Sophie asked.

They is usually just sticking an arm in through the bedroom window and snitching them from their beds, ‘  the BFG said.

‘Like you did to me.’

‘Ah, but I isn’t eating you, ‘ the BFG said.

How else do they catch them?’ Sophie asked.

‘Sometimes,’ the BFG said, they is swimmeling in from the sea like fishes with only their heads showing above the water and then out comes a big hairy hand and grabbles someone off the beach.’

‘Children as well?

Often chiddlers,’ the BFG said. ‘Little chiddlers who is building sandcastles on the beach. That is who the swimmeling ones are after. Little chiddlers is not so tough to eat as old grandmamma, so says the Childchewing Giant.’

As they talked, the BFG was galloping fast over the land. Sophie was standing right up in his waistcoat pocket now and holding on to the edge with both hands. Her head and shoulders were in the open and the wind was blowing in her hair.

‘How else do you catch people?’ she asked.

‘All of them is having their own special ways of catching the human bean,’ the BFG said. The Meatdripping Giant is preferring to pretend he is a big tree growing in the park. He is standing in the park in the dusky evening and he is holding great big branches over his head, and there he is waiting until some happy families is coming to have a picnic under the spreading tree, the end it is the Meatdripper who is having the picnic.’

‘It’s so awful! ‘ Sophie cried.

From the BFG by Roald Dahl

Exploring the text:

1. As the story begins, where is Sophie and what is she doing?
2. Why was the giants physically revolting?
3. Who are the main characters in this narrative?
4. Why was it dangerous for Sophie when the BFG was being thrown into the air?
5. What evidence can you find to show that the BFG is smaller than the other giants?
6. What is unusual about the language of the BFG and other giants?
7. How do the giants usually catch the human they eat?
8. Why do the giants like to catch little children?

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Punctuation

Punctuation

Capital letters

Capital letters are very important. They are used to begin sentences. They are also used to begin the proper names of people, places, commercial products, films, books, days, months, festivals and television programs. Here are some examples:

• people: Roald Dahl, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Cathy Freeman, John Marsden
• places: Telegraph Road, London, Cape York, South America
• products: Mortein, Smarties, Sanyo, Toyota
• films: The Mummy, Star Wars, Blade Runner
• books: Harry Potter, Tyke Tiler, Going Solo, The Witches

Note: in titles, watch the little words such as the, from and in. These are not capitalised when they are used within a title; they are normally given capital letters only when they begin a title, for example, The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Using capital letters

Write out following sentences and put in the capital letters where they are needed.

1. roald dahl is the author of the autobiography, boy ..............
2. one of the biggest selling cars in the world is the toyota corolla. ..............
3. easter occurs in april, and christmas comes in december. ..............
4. disneyland is situated in los angeles. ..............
5. william shakespeare wrote romeo and juliet, twelfth night, macbeth and hamlet. ..............
6. mercedes, volvo and rolls royce are luxury cars. ..............
7. a good way to travel in london and new york is by taxi. ..............
8. most children like smarties, kit kats and mars bars. ..............

Using capitals in your everyday life

Fill in this profile card giving the required information about yourself. Be sure to use capital letters when they are needed.

My Personal Profile

Name : ………………………………………………….

Street:   ………………………………………………….

Suburb: …………………………………………………. My photo

City: ………………………………………………….

Country of birth: ………………………………………………….

Your school: ………………………………………………….

Favourite teacher: ………………………………………………….

Favourite television program: ………………………………………………….

Favourite television breakfast cereal: ………………………………………………….

A person you admire: ………………………………………………….

A book you like: ………………………………………………….

Favourite CD: ………………………………………………….

Family car: ………………………………………………….

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Writing and Speaking

Writing and Speaking

Life stories

Writing is a special craft and it takes hard work- very few professional writers comment on it being easy. One of the best ways of improving your writing is to look closely at what other writers have written. Famous writers try to learn from others. Roald Dahl  had a notebook in which he jotted down word and sentences that he liked from other writers' books.

In their autobiographies both Dahl and Oodgeroo Noonuccal have given us detailed, vivid incidents from their childhood. Famous writers John Marsden has some important advice about writing. According to him the most important fault with new writers is omitting detail. He says, 'be specific. Name everything. Instead of saying "I climbed a tree" say "I climbed the old gum tree outside my bedroom window" explain the characters' feeling all the way through. Use all the senses. Describe everything you can about a character or scene.'

As you read the passage that follows, notice how the writers gives you detailed word pictures one after the other:

• 'My mother winding her bright curls around her finger'
• 'Peggotty with eyes so dark they seemed to darken her whole face'
• 'geese at side gate who came waddling after me'.

 It is also important to notice the writers uses his senses and gives his feelings about the scene:

• 'in that mouldy air,smelling of soup, coffee and pickles'
• 'that was a place to be run past at night'.

Memories of Childhood

Looking back into my childhood the first thing I remember are my mother and my old nurse Peggotty. My mother winding her bright curls around her finger, and straightening her waist in front of the mirror, quite proud of being so pretty. And Peggotty with eyes so dark they seemed to darken her whole face, and cheeks so hard and red I wonder the birds didn't mistake them for apples.

What else do I remember? In our backyard: a birdhouse on a pole, right in the centre, without any birds in it; a great dog kennel in the corner without any dog; and a quantity of roosters that looked terribly tall to me and walked about in a menacing manner. There was one who got up on a post and crowed, and made me shiver, he looked so fierce. And geese at the side gate who came waddling after me with their long necks stretched out. I used to dream of them at night as if they were lions.

Then inside the house, there was a long passage leading from the kitchen to the front door. A dark store room opened off it and that was a place to be run past at night. Who knew what lurked in there among those jars, in that mouldy air, smelling of soap, coffee and pickles?

There are my very earliest memories.

From David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Writing life stories

Here's an opportunity to write about memories of childhood or incidents from your life. Try your hand at one of these:

1. Write down some of your memories beginning, 'I remember when...' or ' The first things I remember are...'
2. Think back over your life and then recount an experience that you'll always remember. It can be joyful, sad, exciting, dangerous, exhilarating. Read your experience to the class.
3. Write your life story and present it to the class. It's probably a good idea to start at the beginning and move through the events in chronological order to the present time. You'll need to talk about your family and friends. You may like to mention some of the important happenings and places in your life. Try and make your talk as interesting as possible.

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Going Crabbing

Going Crabbing

One day dad decided it was time to go look for mud-crabs once more. So that night mother set the alarm-clock for three the next morning, as she always did when we were going crabbing.before sunrise next day we girls were ordered to show a leg almost before the alarm had stopped ringing.

I wouldn't recommend a walk on the mud-flats, carrying gear in the form of fishing-lines, bran bags, crabs hooks, petrol and the tucker-box a half past three in the morning. I never liked it, because I was always half asleep, and because the mud-flats between our house and the boat would be almost covered with small soldier-crabs, which came out of their holes in the sand when the tide went out. Soldier-crabs are about the size of a walnut, pale-blue and yellow, and they look just like an army of marching soldiers. Even when I was wide awake, I used to watch my step, for the last thing I wanted to do was to squash a poor, innocent soldier-crabs, in spite of the fact that they were such a nuisance on the flats. I always got very upset when I stood on them. My sisters thought I was crazy. They just put their feet down expected the soldier-crabs to get out of their way. If they didn't-well, it was just too bad. Even Dad had a silent contempt for my sentiment. I could sense it. He prided himself on bringing up his children tough but not brutal. My brothers and sisters were very strong, healthy, and logical.but I was weak and sentimental.

From Stradbroke Dreamtime by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

(sometimes spelled 'Nunukul')

Exploring the text

1. What past experience is being recounted?
2. Who are the people in the story?
3. Where is the main action taking place?
4. Why didn't the writer like going crabbing?
5. When did the soldier-crabs come out of their holes?
6. In what way do the soldier-crabs behave like soldiers?
7. What were the writer's feelings when she stood on the soldier-crabs?
8. What were the writer's feelings when she stood on the soldier-crabs?
9. What was the attitude of her sisters to the soldier-crabs?
10. What do you learn about the writer's father from the story?

                                                        

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Tweedie and the Matron

Tweedie and the Matron

There was a boy in our dormitory during my first term called Tweedie, who one night started snoring soon after he had gone to sleep.

‘Who’s that talking?’ cried the Matron, bursting in. My own bed was close to the door, and I remember looking up at her from my pillow and seeing her standing there silhouetted against the light from the corridor and thinking how truly frightening she looked. I think it was her enormous bosom that scared me most of all. My eyes were riveted to it, and to me it was like a battering-ram or the bows of an icebreaker or maybe a couple of high-explosive bombs.

‘Own up!’ she cried. ‘Who was talking?’

We lay there in silence. Then Tweedie, who was lying fast asleep on his back with his mouth open, gave another snore.

The Matron stared at Tweedie. Snoring is a disgusting habit,’ she said. ‘Only the lower classes do it. We shall have to teach him a lesson.’

She didn’t switch on the light, but she advanced into the room and picked up a cake of soap from the nearest basin. The bare electric bulb in the corridor illuminated the whole dormitory in a pale creamy glow.

None of us dared to sit up in bed, but all eyes were on the Matron now, watching to see what she was going to do next. She always had a pair of scissors hanging by a white tape from her waist, and with this she began shaving thin slivers of soap into the palm of one hand. Then she went over to where the wretched Tweedie lay and very carefully she dropped these little soap-flakes into his open mouth. She had a whole handful of them and I thought she was never going to stop.

What on earth is going to happen? I wondered. Would Tweedie choke? Would he strangle? Might his throat get blocked up completely? Was she going to kill him?

The Matron stepped back a couple of paces and folded her arms across, or rather underneath, her massive chest.

Nothing happened. Tweedie kept right on snoring.

Then suddenly he began to gurgle and white bubbles appeared around his lips. The bubbles grew and grew until in the end his whole face seemed to be smothered in a bubbly foaming white soapy froth. It was a horrific sight. Then all at once, Tweedie gave a great cough and a splutter and he sat up very fast and began clawing at his face with his hands. ‘Oh!’ he stuttered. ‘Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh no! Wh-wh-what’s happening? Wh-wh-what’s on my face? Somebody help me!’

The Matron threw him a face flannel and said, ‘Wipe it off, Tweedie. And don’t ever let me hear you snoring again. Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to go to sleep on your back?’

With that she marched out of the dormitory and slammed the door.

 From boy by Roald Dahl

Exploring the text

1. Where is the action taking place?
2. Who are the people involved in this recount?
3. What was the matron’s feeling about snoring?
4. ‘We shall have to teach him a lesson.’How does the matron do this?
5. “None of us dared to sit up in bed’. What explanation would you give to this?
6. What effect did the soap-flakes have on Tweedie?
7. How did Tweedie react when he woke up?
8. ‘She slammed the door’. What does this show about the matron?
9. What do you think was Roald Dahl’s purpose in recounting this story?
10. What comments would you make about the Matron’s character?

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American Customs.

Preview the following passage. Then answer questions below. Time limit thirty seconds to preview.

American Customs. 

America is well-known for its equality, liberty, fraternity. Everyone is very friendly and informal. Children often call their parents by their first names and at work, subordinates do not normally use "Mister" when addressing their supervisors. To those visitors who come from a more rigid and stratified society, such casualness can be confusing, leading to egregious blunders. Conversely, many worldly, sophisticated Americans appear mortified because they feel America is not "civilized," with a capital "C." However, we know of terribly embarrassing incidents from mistakes which only an innocent foreigner would have made.

Public displays of affection between the sexes are very common, unlike perhaps where you have come from. In many cities, especially San Francisco, homosexuality is an accepted way of life. You may therefore see men being affectionate with men and women with women. If you disapprove of homosexuals because of your religious or cultural beliefs, please keep it to yourself. You might even find yourself a guest in a gay person's home-and might become shocked to realize that your host is a normal human being like any other and that you are actually enjoying his hospitality. Many couples also live together without being married-and may never marry. But you must realize their bond is probably as strong as the bond of marriage. So don't think one of them is available for a "date." 

America is a notoriously "open" society, and to most foreigners Americans often appear exceptionally and "instantly" friendly. But sometimes such openness can lead to serious misunderstanding, especially between men and women. A casual invitation to have drinks and/or dinner does not mean that your American host also wants to become "intimate" with you afterwards. So be careful not to read too much into a friendly invitation.

Answer these questions. Do not look back the passage.

1. Where do you think this story originally appeared?
2. Is this passage fiction or nonfiction?
3. What is the passage about?
4. What thing in America which differ from own culture?
5. How to avoid culture misunderstanding with America?

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Understanding and Overcoming Motion Sickness

By Judith Weaver

Kate will never forget that two-hour cruise on a small boat off the coast of Depoe Bay, Oregon. With about 25 other tourist, she was excited about sailing on the pacific ocean, but within half an hour, she felt dizzy, nauseous, and weak. Kate spent the next 90 minutes lying down in misery, counting the time until she could get back on solid ground. Motion sickness ruined the cruise and she has never ventured out on the ocean again.

Motion sickness comes in many forms, not just seasickness. Ninety percent of the human race is susceptible to motion sickness of one kind or another. Some people become sick when they sit in the back-seat of a car; others cannot read or look at map in any kind of moving vehicle. People get motion sickness on airplanes, motorcycles, amusement park rides, and even on camels.

Scientists have learned that motion sickness occurs when the brain is trying to make a sense of situation and there are too many conflicting messages. While the eyes are sending one message, the ears are trying to send a message about balance. The skin and bone joints, sensitive to air pressure, send still another message.

Many people who have experienced violent motion sickness try to avoid travel. But that is not always possible. So travelers should employ some well-known strategies to avoid getting sick. The most useful strategy concern food: eat a light meal before travelling and bring along a packet of plain soda crackers to snack on regularly. Avoid alcoholic and carbonated beverages, high-fat foods, and spices. Care in choosing the location of your seat is another important strategy. In a car, sit in the front seat.on a plane, sit near the wings. On a boat, sit at the front and keep your eyes fixed on the horizon.

People who still get sick after trying these strategies can try medical help. Some rely on over the counter medications, although some of them can make you sleepy. Others use simple ginger capsule to settle their stomach. A large number of travelers use pressure bands on their wrists. It is not clear how these bands work, but they do prevent motion sickness.

Answer these questions. Do not look back at the passage.

1. Where do you think this story originally appeared?
2. Is this passage fiction or nonfiction?
3. What are some ways that people can get motion sickness?
4. What parts of the body are involved in motion sickness?
5. Is there any hope for people who suffer from motion sickness?

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