LABOV'S NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

LABOV'S NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

1. 1. ABSTRACT: It's an introduction/summary which answers the question 'what's this about?' It indicates that the speaker wants the listener's attention.

2. 2. ORIENTATION: the context in which it took place. It answers: who, what, why, where. e.g. 'When I was at university with my best friend...'

3. 3. EVALUATION: the point of interest/problem, 'then he slapped me!'

4. 4. NARRATIVE: telling the whole story

5. 5. RESULT: the point of the story, the final thing that happened.

6. 6. CODA: signals the end of the story.