What Are Narrative Texts?

Narrative texts tell stories. They have a beginning, a middle and an end, and are organized as a series of connected events.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Narrative texts can be split into 2 broad categories: fiction and non-fiction.

Fiction stories
Not real
Imagined by the author
May be inspired by real events or people
Examples of fiction text types
Nursery rhymes	Fairy tales		Poems
Myths	Legends		Short stories
Chapter books & novels		Comics
Non-fiction stories
Based in facts
Researched or observed by the author
Recount real events
Examples of non-fiction text types
Biographies	Autobiographies		Memoirs

Here are some of the key features of narrative texts.

Plot	The events that take place in the story
Plot	Has a beginning, a middle and an end
Characters	People, animals or creatures in the story
Setting	Where and when the story takes place
Narrator’s point of view → Who is telling the story	1st person uses I
Narrator’s point of view → Who is telling the story	3rd person uses he/she/they

Here are some examples of common elements often found in narrative texts:

Themes	Central topic or message in the story
	Lessons or morals that can be taken from the story
	Examples: friendship, courage, identity
Conflict	Problems or challenges the characters face
	Key element to the plot
	Examples: character vs. character, man vs. nature, character vs. society
Resolution	Solutions to the conflict
Resolution	At the end of the story
Tone	Mood of the story (funny, serious, scary…)
Style	Author’s choice of words
	Author’s sentence structures
	Use of figurative language
	Author’s choice of themes