Writing. Part 2. Домбровская И.В - 3 стр.

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                                  NARRATIVES:
        -Stories (imaginary stories, true stories, describing experiences, tales etc)
        -Factual reports (news reports: events, current affairs, accidents, etc)
        In narratives we use a variety of past tenses such as: Past Simple, Past
Continuous, Past Perfect etc. Each paragraph deals with a different idea which is
developed through it. The last sentence of each paragraph should lead to the next
paragraph.
        When writing a narrative composition, you should always keep in mind
the kind of reader you are writing for. In other words, writing a fictional short
story is completely different from writing a factual report. For example, a story
should display both atmosphere and our emotions at the time.
        Punctuation is very important as narratives include Reported or Direct
Speech (see Appendix for Punctuation). Use of short forms is acceptable in
stories but not in factual reports, unless we use Direct Speech.
        When writing a narrative, keep a time sequence in mind. Factual reports
and stories describe a sequence of events and these events are linked with
appropriate sequence words such as:

First                 Finally                 No sooner…than      While
Then/Next             As soon as              Hardly…when         Until
After/Before (that)   The moment that         Immediately         By the time
During/               As                      Since               As long as
Meanwhile

        A story can be written either in the 1st person (personal style) or in the 3rd
person and it describes a sequence of real or fictional events. It must be exciting,
strange or funny in order to entertain the reader. Successful beginnings and
endings are the most important factors in story writing. A good beginning will
stimulate the reader’s interest and curiosity. (NOTE: In the FCE exam the
opening sentence may be given.) A good ending satisfies the reader’s interest
and his/her curiosity. Keep in mind that a boring ending can spoil a good story.
A story may end with a conclusion, a question, a surprise or it can end in
suspense. (NOTE: In the FCE exam the closing sentence may be given.)
        Factual reports describe a series of events and can be written only in
the 3rd person (impersonal style). The passive is frequently used as well as a
variety of past tenses. When writing factual reports we should stick to the facts
and use reporting verbs (e.g. comment, complain, add etc) in Direct or Reported
Speech.