Elements of a Story

Inha TESOL

Why extensive reading?

• Krashen and others have argued that language acquisition comes from exposure to comprehensible input.

• They also recommend extensive reading as an important source of comprehensible input. Materials for extensive reading can come from many sources including story books, which are some of the most enjoyable and accessible extensive reading materials available.

• And so, as language teachers we should constantly be encouraging our students to read longer works.

• This means that, as language teachers, one task we will be confronted with is talking about stories, which is the goal of today’s class.

Goal

To be able to describe the elements of a story using natural flowing English.

This language can be used to discuss novels, plays, fairy tales, short stories, and even movies.

What are the elements of a story?

(1) Artists (2) Genre (3) Setting and Mood (4) Character (5) Plot

(6) Climax Resolution

The Artists

• When discussing the people who have worked on a story we often use the passive voice:

It was written by . . . It was illustrated by . . . It was directed by . . .

Genre

• There are many different story genres. Here are some:

science-fiction, mystery, western, crime, detective, romance, adventure, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, biography, comedy, action, war, satire, fairytale, folktale, and drama.

Setting

• Setting tells us the time and place.• It answers the questions when and where.

Language Focus: Setting

There are several formulaic ways to talk about the setting of a story:• The story begins (time and/or place).• The story starts off (time and/or place).• The story takes place (time and/or place).• The story is set (time and/or place).• The story happens (time and/or place).

The story begins

The story begins in a classroom in a small elementary school in the country on the last day of school

The story starts off

• The story starts off in the country in the middle of winter

The story takes place

• The story takes place on an alien world in the future.

The story is set

• The story is set during the American Civil War.

The story happens

• The story happens in a an old house on the top of a hill on a stormy Halloween night

Character

• Characters are the people (or personified animals, robots, aliens, ghosts etc.) that experience the events in the story.

• They provide the action and dialogue within the story.

Heroes

• The main character of a story is called the protagonist.

• Some people refer to the protagonist as the hero of the story, though protagonists are often not heroes or even heroic. The protagonist can even be evil.

• Many people refer to the main character of a story as simply ‘the main character.’

Villains

• The character that comes into conflict with the protagonist is called the antagonist.

• Some people refer to antagonists as the villain, though not all antagonists are villains or even bad.

• In some stories there is no antagonist to confront the protagonist.

Language Focus: Character

There are several standard ways to introduce a character:• The main character is . . . named (name)Often character and plot can be introduced at the same time. • The main character is . . . who (situation)• The story is about . . . who . . . (situation)

The main character is . . .named

• The protagonist is a firefighter named John.• The hero is a young boy named Harry Potter.• The main character is a woman named

Tiffany.

The main character is . . . who

• The protagonists are three orphan children who are forced to live with her evil Uncle.

• The hero is a detective who solves unusual crimes in 19th century London.

• The main character is a stingy old man who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas eve.

Plot

• We often use character plus a relative clause to introduce the plot.

• It’s about a (character) who (plot) . . .

Movie Variations

• With movies we can include another element: the actor.

. . . is in it.. . . stars in it.

It’s starring . . .

Combining Actor with Other Elements

We can combine actor with plot, character, and genre when talking about movies.

It’s a (genre) starring (actor). He/she plays (character) who (plot).

It’s a sci-fi action movie starring Will Smith. He plays a detective who hunts aliens.

It’s about . . .

• It’s about a young boy who sees dead people.• It’s about a whaling captain who hunts a great

white whales.• It’s about a young boy who sails down the

Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave.

Climax and Resolution

• The climax is often the big final confrontation or struggle in the story. It is the point where the tension that is building finally bursts.

• The resolution is how the struggle ends or the problem is solved.

Language for Discussing Climax and Resolution

In the end . . .In the end, the family of superheroes saves the world from the evil robot.In the end, the count escapes from the dungeon.In the end, the boy gets the girl.In the end, the detective catches the thief.