CH. 4 – THE NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH (a paragraph that tells a story)
Major Points:
Stories are also called NARRATIVES. They are based on a series of events. Here are questions to answer when you’re writing a narrative paragraph:
WHAT happened?
WHEN and where did it happen?
WHY did it happen?
WHAT did it mean to you?
Begin by freewriting. Think of an event or experience that caused you to feel a certain emotion – love, anger, embarrassment, loyalty.
Don’t worry about grammar or spelling at this point. Just right down whatever you can remember. By reading what you put down on paper during freewriting, you will see whether your topic is interesting enough and whether it’s worth developing and editing. Your topic sentence will underline the emotion you felt. For example: My first day at St. Francis College was the scariest day of my life.
Make up a list of details involved in the experience. To help connect your details use such words as first, then, after, next, while, during, and finally.
Be sure to give your paragraph a title. E.g. My First Day of School, The Bus Ride, How I Learned to Swim
VOCABULARY BUILDER 1. Abound. 2. Automaton. 3. Prognosticate. 4. Matron. 5. Compound.
Abound – to exist in great numbers
Prognosticate – to predict a future event
Automaton – a mechanical person; a robot
Matron – an older married woman
Compound – to increase or add to
Fill in the blanks. Some of the missing words we learned in class on Wednesday. Refer to your exercise handout.
The worlds of narrative paragraphs _________________ with wonders. Yet people who don’t like stories have ______________ that in a hundred years the humans on planet Earth will no longer need storytellers. What everyone, from a teenager to a _________ , will need is an ______________programmed to do his or her domestic tasks. To _________ the story haters’ prediction, some _________ scientists believe that before the end of this century planet Earth will be _________ with book-devouring robots.
You don’t have to bring this exercises to class. But be sure to memorize the new words and know how to use them in sentences. There may be a quiz on Monday.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1) Write a NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH, upload it to your page on the class wiki, and comment on the paragraphs written by your groupmates.
2) Memorize the TEN new words (FIVE from Wednesday’s class) and know how to use them in sentences. (You didn’t save your Wednesday’s handout?
Here are the words: voracious, indiscriminate, eminent, steeped, replete.)
3) Read the narrative paragraph written by Helen Keller (Ch. 4). Using Biography Reference Bank database on the library website (hint: click on the Find Articles link on the homepage) find the list of books written by Helen Keller, PRINT it out (the page that lists the books) and BRING the page to class. (Note that you can access the library databases from home. You will need your Blackboard login information, i.e. username and password.)
FOR MONDAY — Read the short story titled A Different Kind of Love Story and be prepared to discuss it in class. To read the short story CLICK HERE.
Any Questions?
See you on Monday.
