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The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: How to write a critical essay? steps for writing an critical essay, some critical styles, key points to consider, dos and don’ts, common mistakes, example.
Lecture 10 Narrative Essay Recap • How to Write a Critical Essay? • Steps for Writing an Critical Essay • Some Critical Styles • Key Points to Consider • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes • Example Narrative Essay The narrative essay tells a story It can also be called a "short story." – Conversational in style – Tells of a personal experience Examples: A narrative essay could tell of * my brother's and my fishing trips; * a boring trip to the grocery store; * my near-death experience at the beach The Narrative Essay: • is told from a particular point of view • makes and supports a point • is filled with precise detail • uses vivid verbs and modifiers • • uses conflict and sequence as does any story may use dialogue • Well Written Narrative Essay A well-written critical essay is one where the writer has made a clear argument in flawless language – Logic – sound reasoning, and – an investigative attitude are always seen by examiners as good foundations for a well-organized discussion about a set text How to Write a Narrative Essay? • A narrative essay is type of essay writing that is built around a narration of a certain event or situation • Basically, a narrative essay is a concise form of a narrative novel • Its main objective is to tell a story, so that it is both engaging and interesting How to Write a Narrative Essay? • A narrative essay, more than any other type of essay, allows you to be creative as a writer Nevertheless, there are certain rules to follow and mistakes to avoid when writing a narrative essay Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay Step # 1: Decide on a plot You should never start writing your narrative essay before you come up with the plot for it Step # 2: Do a sketch of events you plan to depict in chronological order Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay Step # 3: introduction, for the When starting on your begin by setting the scene situation you will narrate about Here, it is best to go into details and make the imagery as vivid and colorful as possible, so that the readers will be Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay Step # 4: As you go into the main body paragraphs, narrate the story Try to develop the plot gradually, starting from smaller events or incidents that lead to the main scene Don'ts • Don’t be sometimes afraid a to story be creative that unrealistic is nevertheless – sounds benefitting from all the imaginary happenings – As long as you not lose yourself to the surrealism of the described events and keep your reader interested, the essay will be a Don’ts • Don’t switch from past tense to present and vice versa; stick to one tense for the entire story • Don’t start writing your narrative essay before you decide on the ending for your story It is absolutely necessary to plan the Don’ts • Don’t change the sequence of events – this will make it much harder for the reader to follow the plot • Don’t be afraid to include elements of descriptive writing in your narrative essay Your work will only benefit from Common Mistakes • Switching from first person to the third as you narrate – You should stick with just one way of narration – either that of a detached narrator, or one of the characters of your story – Only skillful and experienced fiction writers can combine these techniques, Common Mistakes • Slang words in Direct and Indirect speech: Using slang words is an acceptable stylistic technique when you integrate it into the words of your characters (in case it goes in line with the picture you want to create), Common Mistakes • Overloading your sentences with verbs, so that you focus too much on the action and fail to construct the full picture – Always try to combine moderate usage of verbs with bright adjectives and adverbs to balance your writing Example of Narrative Essay The Biggest Nightmare? Introduction Paragraph It was a hot summer’s day Everything around me was slowly starting to melt: the trees, the houses, the sky and the pathway to my garage It seemed that I was about to melt down myself, so there would only be a small puddle of glue-like substance left on the ground I was walking very slowly My head Supporting Details I slowly turned the handle of the door, only to realize it had barely moved I took all the strength that I had left in my body and pressed the handle again No success I turned around, leaned against the door, and slowly slid down to the ground I felt faint My head was spinning I was so thirsty that I could barely think about anything else I had to get inside; had to pull myself together and open the door Otherwise, I would faint here, near the front entrance to my own house, which was not the scenario I’d prefer I pulled myself from the ground and faced the door again I closed my eyes for a second, took a deep breath, opened them, and pushed the door knob as hard as I could, at the time It gave way reluctantly If it wasn’t for the helpless shadow of a man that I was at that moment, I would definitely have screamed in happiness for finally winning, over this stubborn door knob But, all I could settle for right then was a weak smile, and a deep sigh of relief Supporting Details I went inside, and had to wait for a minute before I could make out anything It was too dark, still very hot and, somehow, very lonely inside By the time my eyes adapted to the darkness inside, I could tell no one was around What time was it? And where was everyone? The house was completely and scarily quiet The silence was unnatural There was no sound coming from the working fridge, or ticking clock; nothing I went to the kitchen to get some water, opened the tap and put an empty glass under it But there was no water, not even a drop! The glass remained empty This seemed like a complete nightmare I must be dreaming! I felt like the world had died out, everything had stopped and, somehow, I was forgotten here all alone, left to die from thirst and heat Supporting Details I was having a panic attack With the anger and strength that came out of nowhere, I ran from one room to another, looking for anyone Mom, Josh, dad, Charlie – no one was to be seen The dogs were gone too What is wrong with the place? Again, for the third or fourth time, I caught myself thinking this was just a bad dream But, my body still felt very much sore, and I could vividly feel the pain Having no clue of what else, except the pain, could help me distinguish between dreaming and reality, I had to accept the fact that I was living this nightmare for real Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from downstairs It was a very slight, faint sound that repeated in a second, only louder I ran downstairs, feeling a little scared, and, at the same time, hoping that it was someone, or Supporting Details The living room was empty The sound was coming from outside the back porch, and it was increasing in loudness with every new cycle It reminded me of when dad and I went rowing, and every time dad turned over the oars, they made the same whistling sound, cleaving the air I ran outside the Conclusion … “Jason, honey, wake up! It’s just a dream, babe You look so pale Are you okay?” My mom was standing next to my bed, trying to calm me down, as I was still screaming and flapping my arms The air was on, and the fan Summary • How to Write a Narrative Essay? • Well Written Narrative Essay • Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay • Topic Selection • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes • Example References • http://essayinfo.com/essays/narrative_essay.p • http://academichelp.net/academic-assignment • http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/narra ... a Critical Essay? • Steps for Writing an Critical Essay • Some Critical Styles • Key Points to Consider • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes • Example Narrative Essay The narrative essay tells... by examiners as good foundations for a well-organized discussion about a set text How to Write a Narrative Essay? • A narrative essay is type of essay writing that is built around a narration... a narrative essay is a concise form of a narrative novel • Its main objective is to tell a story, so that it is both engaging and interesting How to Write a Narrative Essay? • A narrative essay,