Unit 7 Lesson 5: Plot in a Narrative

Question 1

flashback

Answer 1

an interruption in a narrative that gives readers information about something that happened at an earlier time

Question 2

flash-forward

Answer 2

an interruption in a narrative that gives readers information about something that happens in the future

Question 3

linear

Answer 3

moving forward in order or in a straight line

Question 4

nonlinear

Answer 4

not in time order; not in a straight line

Question 5

plot

Answer 5

the main events or action in a narrative

Question 6

benfits of linear plot

Answer 6

A linear plot is generally easier for a reader to follow than a nonlinear plot. Narratives tend to move more smoothly from one event to the next when writers use a linear structure, moreover. A linear plot makes it easy to see how the climax of the story follows logically from what happened earlier. Finally, many authors find it easier to write a narrative that uses a linear plot.

Question 7

benfits of non linear plot

Answer 7

Both writers and readers alike may enjoy the challenge of determining how the parts of a nonlinear narrative fit together. In addition, nonlinear narratives can be used to increase tension in a story by ordering events not by chronology, but according to what they reveal about a character’s feelings or motivations. A nonlinear plot structure can allow the writer to provide background information on a particular character or characters

Question 8

Writers use different techniques to construct non-linear plots, including flashbacks and flash-forwards:

Answer 8

• With a flashback, the narrative is briefly halted while the action “flashes back” to an event that took place earlier. Flashbacks are often used to provide backstory about the characters. By describing something that happened before the narrative begins, authors can fill in details about the characters or help readers to understand their actions and feelings.
• A flash-forward is the opposite of a flashback. Instead of interrupting the narrative by going back in time, the author puts the narrative on hold and goes forward in time. In the story about Sam and Pete, the author might put in a flash-forward that shows the ship in a gale, with Sam calmly at the helm.

Question 9

coherent

Answer 9

unified, consistent, and logical

Question 10

climax

Answer 10

the turning point in a narrative

Question 11

exposition

Answer 11

important background information in a narrative, including the setting and characters

Question 12

falling action

Answer 12

the events in a narrative that tell what happens in the aftermath of the climax

Question 13

transition words

Answer 13

words that alert a reader to a change of time or location

Question 14

rising action

Answer 14

the events in a narrative that tell what happens as the character tries to handle their problem

Question 15

resolution

Answer 15

the part of a narrative that tells how the characters solve their problem