5

apt

Narration

L ea r n i n g
Objectives

Exploring
1 What Is Narration?
(page 70)
2 The Narrative
Paragraph (page 70)
3 Explore Topics
(page 71)
Developing
4 The Topic Sentence
(page 74)
5 The Supporting Ideas
(page 75)
6 The Paragraph Plan
(page 77)
7 The First Draft
(page 78)
Revising and Editing
8 Revise and Edit a
Narrative Paragraph
(page 78)

Pablo Pa

ul/Alamy

When investigating a crime scene, a

detective must try to find answers to the
questions who, what, when, where, why,
and how. You answer the same questions
when you write a narrative paragraph.

Writers Exchange
Work with a team of at least three students, and choose a popular fairy tale. Then
you will retell the fairy tale, but you will update it and make it more contemporary.
First, one of you begins and says one sentence. Then, switching speakers, each
person adds one sentence to the tale.
EXAMPLE: Yesterday, a young woman living in North Bay decided to
visit her grandmother.

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

69

70Part II

Paragraph Patterns

E X P LORING
Watch the Video
Paragraph Development Narration
MyWritingLab

What Is Narration?
When you narrate, you tell a story about what happened. You generally explain
events in the order in which they occurred, and you include information about
when they happened and who was involved in the incidents.
You use narration every day. You may write about the weeks events in your
personal journal, or you might send a postcard to a friend detailing what you
did during your vacation. At college, you may explain what happened during a
historical event or what happened in a novel that you have read. At work, you
might use narration to explain an incident involving a customer or co-worker.
Narration not only is useful on its own but also enhances other types of
writing. For example, Jason must write an argument essay about youth crime.
His essay will be more compelling if he includes a personal anecdote about the
time a gang of youths attacked him in a subway station. In other words, narration
can provide supporting evidence for other paragraph or essay patterns.

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Anastasios71/Sh

The Narrative Paragraph

There are two main types of narrative paragraphs.
1. Use first-person narration (autobiography).
In a narrative essay, you can use
first- or third-person narration.

In first-person narration, you describe a personal experience from your point

of view. You are directly involved in the story. You use the words I (firstperson singular) and we (first-person plural). For example: When I was a
child, I thought that the world began and ended with me. I didnt know, or
Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 5 Narration71

care, how other children felt. Thus, when schoolmates ridiculed a shy boy, I
gleefully joined in.
2. Use third-person narration.
In third-person narration, you do not refer to your own experiences. Instead,
you describe what happened to somebody else. The story is told in the third
person using he, she, it, or they. You might tell a story about your mothers
childhood, or you might explain what happened during the last election. In
this type of narration, you are simply an observer or storyteller; you are not
a participant in the action. For example: The students gathered to protest
against the war. One student threw a chair through the window of the student
centre. Suddenly, people started pushing and shoving.

Hint

Choose an Interesting Topic

When you write a narrative paragraph, try to choose a topic that will interest the
reader. For example, the reader might not be interested if you write about the act of
eating your lunch. However, if you write about a time when your best friend argued
with a waiter during a meal, you could create an entertaining narrative paragraph.
Think about a topic that you personally find very interesting, and then share it
with your readers. Try to bring your experiences to life so that your readers can share
it with you.

Explore Topics
In Writers Desk: Warm Up, you will try an exploring strategy to generate ideas
about different topics.

The Writers Desk Warm Up

Think about the following questions, and write down the first ideas that
come to your mind. Try to think of two or three ideas for each topic.
EXAMPLE:
What interesting stories have family members told you about their lives?
Life in Frobisher Bay is changingfunny story about meeting new friends from
Northern Quebec. People come from all over the world to live in Frobisher. What
else? Frobisher is home to many people.
1. What are some serious decisions that you have made? Think about decisions
related to school, personal relationships, work, and so on.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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Watch the Video

Prewriting: Questioning
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72Part II

Paragraph Patterns

2. What are some memorable parties or celebrations that you have attended?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Think about interesting true events that have happened to family members or
friends. Are some stories particularly funny, sad, or inspiring? List some ideas.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

P RACTICE 1
The author of the next paragraph was born in 1951 on Baffin Island and went to
school in Frobisher Bay, eventually becoming an artist, writer, and photographer.
Read the paragraph and answer the questions.
There are a few memories of my childhood in Frobisher Bay.
Life in the Arctic is changing fast and Frobisher has changed along
with its people. If Frobisher has a distinct character today, it is that
it has become home to many Inuit from other communities in the
North. On any given day in Frobisher you might meet an Inuk who
had come from a town as far away as Port Burwell in the east or from
Tuktoyaktuk in the west. There were Inuit from Northern Quebec,
from the High Arctic, from the Central Arctic or the Keewatin. Today
there is no surprise in meeting an Inuk from Alaska or even from
Greenland, on the streets of Frobisher Bay. Who knows, maybe one
day we will begin to see whole families coming in from Siberia to live
in Frobisher Bay!
Alootook Ipellie, Frobisher Bay Childhood

1. Underline the topic sentence of this paragraph. (Remember, the topic

sentence is not always the first sentence.)
2. What type of narration is this? Circle the better answer.

a. First person

b. Third person

3. Who or what is the paragraph about? _______________________________

_______________________________________________________________
4. In a few words, explain what happened in this paragraph. _______________
_______________________________________________________________
5. When did it happen? _____________________________________________
6. Where did it happen? ____________________________________________
7. By combining your answers to questions 3 through 6, write a one-sentence
summary of the paragraph. Someone who has never read the paragraph
Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 5 Narration73

should have a clear idea of the paragraphs content after reading your
sentence.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

P RACTICE 2
Read the next paragraph and answer the questions.
The economic ups and downs caused by expansion and contraction
of the economy constitute the business cycle. A typical business cycle
runs from three to five years, but could last much longer. Though
typically irregular, a cycle can be divided into four general phases:
prosperity, recession, depression (which the cycle generally skips),
and recovery. During prosperity, the economy expands, unemployment
is low, incomes rise, and consumers buy more products. Businesses
respond by increasing production and offering new and better
products. Eventually, however, things slow down, GDP decreases,
unemployment goes up, and because people have less money to spend,
business revenues decline. This slowdown in economic activity is called
a recession. Economists often say that we are entering a recession
when GDP goes down for two consecutive quarters. Generally, a
recession is followed by a recovery in which the economy starts growing
again. If, however, a recession lasts a long time (perhaps a decade or so),
unemployment remains very high, and production is severely curtailed,
the economy could sink into a depression. Though not impossible, it
is unlikely that Canada will experience another severe depression like
that of the 1930s.
Karen Collins and Jackie Shemko, Exploring Business

1. Who or what is the paragraph about? _______________________________

2. Underline the topic sentence of this paragraph.
3. What point are the authors making about the business cycle?
4. How do the authors support the topic sentence? List the component events
that make up this narrative.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Do the supporting facts provide adequate support for the topic sentence?
___________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

business cycle:
recurring periods of
increased and decreased
economic activity

recession:
temporary decline in
economic activity

depression:
lengthy industrial and
financial decline in economic
activity

74Part II

Paragraph Patterns

DE V E L OPING
In a narrative essay, the thesis
statement expresses the
controlling idea.

Watch the Video

Paragraphs: The Topic
Sentence
MyWritingLab

The Topic Sentence

When you write a narrative paragraph, it is important to express a main point. If
you simply describe a list of activities, it is boring for the reader. To make your
paragraph interesting, make sure that your topic sentence has a controlling idea.

topic

controlling idea

When somebody broke into my house, I felt totally invaded.

controlling idea

topic

Jay learned to be responsible during his first job.

Hint

Make a Point

In a narrative paragraph, the topic sentence should make a point. To help you find the
controlling idea, you can ask yourself the following questions.

What did I learn?

How did I change?
j How did it make me feel?
j What is important about it?
j
j

EXAMPLE:
Topic:

Moving out of the family home

Possible controlling idea:

Becoming more independent

topic

controlling idea

When I moved out of the family home, I became more independent.

P RACTICE 3
Practise writing topic sentences. Complete the following sentences by adding a
controlling idea.
1. When I moved out of the family home, I felt _________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. In my first job, I learned __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. When I heard the news about ____________________, I realized _________
___________________________________________________________________

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 5 Narration75

The Writers Desk Write Topic Sentences

Write a topic sentence for each of the following topics. You can look for
ideas in Writers Desk: Warm Up on pages 7172. Each topic sentence
should mention the topic and express a controlling idea.
EXAMPLE:
Topic: A family story
Topic sentence: When my father found his first job in Canada, there
was a humorous misunderstanding.
1. Topic: A serious decision
Topic sentence:

2. Topic: A celebration or party
Topic sentence:

3. Topic: A story about someone
Topic sentence:

The Supporting Ideas

A narrative paragraph should contain specific details so that the reader understands
what happened. To come up with the details, ask yourself a series of questions.
Your paragraph should provide answers to these questions.
j
j
j
j
j
j

Who is the paragraph about?

What happened?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen?

When you recount a story to a friend, you may go back and add details, saying, I
forgot to mention something. When you write a narrative paragraph, however,
your sequence of events should be clearly chronological so that your reader can
follow your story.

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Watch the Video

Revising the Paragraph:
Organization
MyWritingLab

Paragraph Patterns

Visualiz ing N arration

P RACTICE 4
Brainstorm supporting ideas for the following topic sentence. Write some
descriptive words and phrases.

joste_dj/iStock/Getty Images

Jeremy Edwards/Getty Images

Topic sentence: Our camping trip exposed us to new experiences.

Steve Cole/Getty Images

76Part II

The Writers Desk Develop Supporting Ideas

Generate supporting ideas for each topic. List what happened.
EXAMPLE:
A family story

1. A serious decision

dad saw an ad

busboy job

bowling alley

dad didnt understand ad

man gave him an apron

2. A celebration or party

3. A story about someone

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 5 Narration77

The Paragraph Plan

Before you write a narrative paragraph, it is a good idea to make a paragraph
plan. Write down main events in the order in which they occurred. To make your
narration more complete, include details about each event.
Topic Sentence: When my father found his first job in Canada, there
was a humorous misunderstanding.

Support 1: In a newspaper, he found an ad for a busboy.

Details: job was in a bowling alley

dad didnt speak English very well

Support 2: He went to the bowling alley.

Details: applied for the job, and got it

was excited

Support 3: On his first day, his boss asked him to put on an apron
and told him to pick up some dishes in the bowling alleys
restaurant.

Details: father was disappointed and asked, Wheres the bus?

thought that a busboy would work on a bus

The Writers Desk Write a Paragraph Plan

Choose one of the topic sentences that you wrote for the Writers Desk
on page 75. Write a paragraph plan using some of the supporting ideas
that you have generated in the previous Writers Desk. Include details
for each supporting idea.
Topic sentence:
Support 1:
Details:

Support 2:
Details:

Support 3:
Details:

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

In a narrative essay, you place the

thesis statement in the introduction. Each main event is developed
in a supporting paragraph.
Watch the Video
Paragraph: How to write a
successful paragraph
MyWritingLab

78Part II

Paragraph Patterns

Watch the Video

Paragraphs: Drafting a
Paragraph
MyWritingLab

Watch the Video

Revising the Paragraph:
Development
MyWritingLab

The First Draft

After you outline your ideas in a plan, you are ready to write the first draft.
Remember to write complete sentences. You might include transitional expressions
to help your ideas flow smoothly.

Transitional Expressions
Transitions can help you show a sequence of events. The following transitional
words are useful in narrative paragraphs.
To Show a Sequence of Events
after that
afterward
eventually

finally
first
in the beginning

in the end
last
later

meanwhile
next
then

The Writers Desk Write the First Draft

In the previous Writers Desk, you developed a paragraph plan. Now
write the first draft of your narrative paragraph. Before you write,
carefully review your paragraph plan and make any necessary changes.

R E VISING AN D E DITING
Watch the Video
Revising and Editing Your
Own Paragraphs
MyWritingLab

Revise and Edit a Narrative Paragraph

When you finish writing a narrative paragraph, carefully review your work and
revise it to make the events as clear as possible to your readers. Check that you
have organized events chronologically, and remove any irrelevant details. Before
you revise and edit your own paragraph, practise revising and editing a student
paragraph.

P RACTICE 5
Read the next student paragraph, and answer the questions.
When my father found his first job in Canada, there was a humorous
misunderstanding. My father, originally from Mexico City, had just
moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba and he did not speak English very well.
One day, he sees an ad for a busboy job. He wanted the job, so he
called the number in the ad. Later that day, he went for an interview
in a bowling alley. The restaurant manager spoke with my father and
offered him the job. That night, my father went home feeling very
excited. The next day, when he arrived for work, the manager gave
him an apron and asked him to pick up some dishes in the bowling
alley restaurant. My father, feeling confused and dissapointed, asked,
Where is the bus? He thought that a busboy would work on a bus
Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

Chapter 5 Narration79

collecting tickets. The owner laught and explained what a busboys job
is. When my father told the family this story, everybody thought it was
funny, but they were also proud of his perseverance because today he
has a university degree and a good job.
Revising
1. Write down the two parts of the topic sentence.

topic

controlling idea

___________________________________________________________________
2. What type of order do the specific details follow? Circle the best answer.
a. Space
b. Time

c. Emphatic
d. No order
3. What are some transitional expressions that the author used?
___________________________________________________________________
4. What type of narration is this?

a. First person
b. Third person
Editing
5. This paragraph contains a tense inconsistency. The tense shifts for no
apparent reason. Identify the incorrect sentence. Then write the correct
sentence in the space below.
Correction: _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. This paragraph contains two misspelled words. Identify and correct them.
Misspelled words

Corrections

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

vo cab u lar y BOOST

Using Varied Language
1. Underline the opening word of every sentence in your first draft. Check to see if some
are repeated.
2. Replace repeated opening words with an adverb, such as Usually, Generally, or Fortunately,
or a prepositional phrase, such as On the other hand or Under the circumstances. You
can also begin sentences with a modifier, such as Leaving the door open. In other words,
avoid beginning too many sentences with a noun or transitional expression.
Repeated First Words
We opened the door of the abandoned house. We looked nervously at the rotting
floorboards. We thought the floor might collapse. We decided to enter. We walked
carefully across the kitchen floor to the bedroom, one by one.
Variety
My cousins and I opened the door of the abandoned house. Nervously, we looked at
the rotting floorboards. Leaving the door open, we decided to enter. One by one, we
walked across the kitchen floor to the bedroom.

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

See the following chapters for more

information about these grammar
topics:
Tense consistency, Chapter 26
Spelling, Chapter 32
Watch the Video
Tense
MyWritingLab
Watch the Video
Spelling
MyWritingLab

80Part II

Paragraph Patterns

Grammar Hint

Using Quotations

When you insert a direct quotation into your writing, capitalize the first word of the
quotation, and put the final punctuation inside the closing quotation marks.
j Place a comma after an introductory phrase.

Vladimir screamed, The kitchens on fire.
j Place a colon after an introductory sentence.

Vladimir watched me coldly: We have nothing to discuss.
See Chapter 34 for more information about using quotations.

The Writers Desk Revise and Edit Your Paragraph

Revise and edit the paragraph that you wrote for the previous Writers
Desk. Ensure that your paragraph has unity, adequate support, and
coherence. Also, correct any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation,
and mechanics.

Think about what you have learned in this chapter. If you do not know an answer,
review that topic.
1. In narrative writing, you ________________________________________________
2. What are the differences between the two following types of narration?
First person: _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Third person: ________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. What are some questions that you should you ask yourself when you write a
narrative paragraph? ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4. What organizational method is commonly used in narrative paragraphs? Circle the
best answer.

a. Space order

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b. Time order

c. Emphatic order

Chapter 5 Narration81

Writing Activity 1: Topics

Choose any of the following topics, or choose your own topic. Then write a
narrative paragraph.
General Topics
1. An interesting decade
2. A risky adventure
3. A move to a new place
4. An unforgettable holiday
5. A disturbing news event
6. An unexpected gift

College- and Work-Related Topics

7. An embarrassing incident at
college or work
8. An inspiring teacher or instructor
9. A positive or negative job interview
10. A difficult co-worker
11. Your best experience at work
12. A proud moment at work or

college

Writing Activity 2: Photo Writing

Have you ever lived through an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a large storm, an
extended power outage, or any other event caused by nature? What happened?
What did you do? Write a narrative paragraph about a big storm or a natural
event that you have lived through.

Minerva Studio/Shutterstock

Writing Activity 3: Media Writing

Watch a popular television show or movie in which a character overcomes a
challenge. Examples are the movie Picture Day and television programs such
as Dragons Den, 7th Heaven, and The Hour. You can even go on YouTube and
Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.

More Narrative Writing

Topics
Chapter 28, Writers Room topic 2
(page 425)
Chapter 30, Writers Room topics
1 and 2 (page 450)

More Narrative Readings

The Sanctuary of School
by Lynda Barry (page 563)

82Part II

Paragraph Patterns

watch some videos about people who have overcome challenges to meet their
personal goals.

Watch the Video

Paragraphs: Revising the
ParagraphA Checklist
MyWritingLab

N A RR ATIV E PA R AGR A P H CH E C K L IST

As you write your narrative paragraph, review the checklist on the
inside front cover. Also, ask yourself the following questions.

j Does my topic sentence clearly express the topic of the narration?

j Does my topic sentence contain a controlling idea that is meaningful
and interesting?

j Does my paragraph answer most of the following questions: who, what,

when, where, why, how?

j Do I use transitional expressions that help clarify the order of events?

j Do I include details to make my narration more interesting?

How Do I Get a Better Grade?

Visit MyWritingLab for audiovisual lectures and additional practice sets about narration
paragraphs.

Copyright 2015 Pearson Canada Inc.