Narrative writing is story writing: the story may be true or fictional. Stories can be told in many different ways:
In this 11-plus English quiz you are going to learn about some of the terms (literary elements) used in describing, analysing and interpreting stories. Don't worry if you don't know all the terms, but make sure that you learn them.
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The protagonist is also known as the 'hero' of the story; he is the person with whom the reader is meant to identify, e.g. 'Hawkeye' in James Fenimore Cooper's 'The Last of the Mohicans'
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The plot describes the events that make up the story and the way they are connected with each other
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In a murder novel, it could be the identification of the murderer
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How the story makes you feel when you read it is called the 'mood'. Note: 'mood' describes your feelings towards the story, but 'tone' describes the narrator's feelings towards it
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For example: a castle in tenth century England
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Think of the struggle between good and evil in J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'. A good 'conflict' keeps you reading!
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The antagonist does not always have to be human: if someone is trying to conquer a mountain, the antagonist could be the mountain
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Themes are usually universal ideas that are explored in the story. For example, one of the major themes of J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' is wisdom
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It can also mean 'the reader's point of view of the story'. Note: a story can be told in the first person or the third person
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For example: it could be the moment that things start to go bad, but at the last moment the hero is saved. Not surprisingly, the turning point comes right before the climax
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