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Recount Vs. Narrative

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Recount Vs. Narrative
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What is the difference?

Do you know what you are writing?

RECOUNT

  • A recount is a record of events.
  • It has an orientation which gives the background to the events that took place.
  • It has a series of events told in the past tense. Time markers such as “yesterday”, “then”, “soon” are used to sequence the events.

         It may end with a re-orientation which refers the reader back to the orientation

  • A summarising comment

The core of a recount is its sequence of events.

Recounts are used most often in : 

  •  Newspaper articles – preceedings of a trial, description of a soccer match, events before and after the occurrence of natural disasters
  •  Police Reports
  • Biographies
  • Autobiographies
  • Diary Entries
  • Historical Records

NARRATIVE

         A narrative is a story.

         It has an orientation which gives the background to the story.

         It has an element of suspense introduced by a complication. Just as in real life, some sort of problem arises which the main character or characters in the story need to deal with.

         It has a resolution which tells how the main character or characters confront the problem and resolve it.

         It has a coda which summarises the point of the story.

       For example : Although that incident happened four years ago, I can still remember every single detail of it, and I do not think I will ever forget it. My mother still has not completely forgiven me, though. How can I blame her? I have not even forgiven myself.

         The core of a narrative is the complication faced by its characters.

 

 

Narratives are used most often in :

         Fables

         Myths and Legends

         Detective Stories

         Adventure Stories

         Thrillers

         Period Dramas

  • Narratives are written mainly for entertainment. Those which not only entertain but instruct are highly valued. They carry either a moral or message derived from the events in which characters are involved.

In the Orientation stage:

 

-Characters are introduced (who?)

 

-Setting is established (where? when?)

 

In the Complication stage:

 

-One or more of the characters face a problem

 

 -A pattern of events unfolds

 

 

 

4 Stages of A

Narrative
 

In the Coda stage:

 

-Writer summarises the point of the story

 

-Main character or characters reflect on the situation and express their feelings about the situation

 

In the Resolution stage:

 

-Main character or characters confront the problem

 

-They attempt to overcome the problem

In composition writing, we write a NARRATIVE instead of a recount. And it should be written in PAST tense.