Lesson 2: Narrative Strategies

When a passage tells a story, it is called narration. Writers use narrative strategies to make
their stories more vivid. They add movement to the story by describing characters doing
things and moving from place to place. They use description—details that appeal to the
five senses—to help the readers see the characters, the setting, and the action. Writers also
create uncertainty in the reader’s mind about what will happen next, a technique known as
suspense.

DIRECTIONS: Read the following excerpt from Anzia Yezierska’s novel, The Bread
Givers, in which the narrator, Sara, describes what happens when her sister Mashah is
jilted by her fiancé, Jacob. Then answer the questions that follow.

1 When Jacob didn’t come back that evening, Mashah tried to push it aside and tell
us it was so much business about the concert that he couldn’t come back. But we
ourselves had heard him tell her at the door that he would be sure back that evening.
And we knew it was a bad sign if he didn’t come.
2 The next evening was the evening of the concert. And Mashah rushed into the
house with a frightened, worried look and asked anxiously if Jacob had come. She
looked at the clock. From six it went over to seven and then to eight. As the hours
passed, she grew more and more excited.
3 No Jacob. No letter. No message.
4 I had heard Jacob tell Mashah where he was to give his concert, and I stole out of
the house and took the car to the concert hall. At the front door I stopped, shaking
with excitement. There was Jacob Novak’s picture, as big as life, and under his
picture, his name, in big printed letters.
5 I had no money for the ticket, so I stood at the side of the man who was collecting
the tickets, watching the crowd go in. When the first sounds of the music started, I
ran from that place as one runs from a house on fire. The hurt of the great wrong
burned my flesh. How could that concert go on and Mashah not there!
6 When I got back home Mashah was still waiting for Novak.
7 The clock went on ticking the seconds, the minutes, the hours. Everyone went to
sleep. But still Mashah waited. At every sound, she listened for him.
8 It was midnight. But Mashah still sat waiting for Jacob to come. “He will come. He
must come,” she kept talking to herself.

Reading Strategies and Literary Elements • Grade 7 9

 9 Suddenly, when every one was sound asleep, a terrible cry tore through the air—
the cry of somebody murdered with a knife—the choked bleeding wail of a dying,
broken heart.
10 In one leap we rushed out of bed. We found Mashah with her head on the window
sill, her whole body shaking with sobs—sobs that could not cease—and could not be
consoled. Like dumb things, we all cried with her—all through the night.

1. Look for two sections where the writer uses suspense to show us Mashah’s feelings.
Identify these two sections in the space below, and explain what each one shows us
about Mashah’s feelings.

2. What other narrative strategies does the author use to keep the reader interested in the
story? State at least two strategies, and identify where they can be found.

3. Which strategy plays the most important role in making the story interesting and
dramatic? Explain your answer.

10 Reading Strategies and Literary Elements • Grade 7

 Composition Reteaching
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

1.2 Collecting Information

Key Information
A journal is a private place for you to You can use a learning log to jot down
record your thoughts and feelings. You notes, comments, or questions about
can write about the things that happen what you are studying in school.
each day and how you feel about them.

■ A. Keeping a Journal
Try your hand at journal writing. Think of three things you have done in the past
week. Write three or four sentences that tell about each activity. Be sure to include
thoughts, feelings, and reactions.

■ B. Using a Learning Log

Pick one of your favorite classes in school. Keep a learning log for that class for seven
class sessions. Jot down notes about what happened in the class on each day. Include
informal comments, thoughts, and questions. If you want to include a sketch or diagram,
that’s fine, too. Use the format below. If you need more space, write on a separate sheet of
paper.
Date Class What we did today How I felt or thought Questions I have

2 Writer’s Choice: Composition Reteaching, Grade 7, Unit 1

 Composition Practice
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

1.2 Collecting Information

Key Information
Record daily happenings in a journal. By writing in a journal, you can explore your reactions
to events in your life. A journal can serve as a snapshot of you and your world for every day
that you write in it.

■ A. Examining Your Day

Yesterday may have been a typical day, or it may have been special. Think about yester-
day. Record what you did during each part of the day. For each part, comment about
your feelings.
What you did Your feelings
In the morning _____________________ _______________________
At lunchtime _____________________ _______________________
After lunch _____________________ _______________________

■ B. Writing a Journal Entry

Write a journal entry about the day you described above. Remember that a good jour-
nal entry is one that includes events as well as your reactions to them. Use words that
you use in everyday conversation, as if you were talking to yourself or a friend. Make
sure you write something you can share with your teacher.

2 Writer’s Choice: Composition Practice, Grade 7, Unit 1

 Grammar Practice
Name  Class  Date 

8.3, 5 Subjects and Predicates

Key Information
All of the words in the subject make up the The red car and its driver are in the lead.
complete subject. The main word or group
When the simple subjects are joined by
of words in the subject is called the simple
and, the compound subject is plural and
subject. All of the words in the predicate
takes the plural form of the verb. When the
make up the complete predicate. The
simple subjects are joined by or or nor, the
main word or group of words in the predi-
verb agrees with the nearer subject.
cate is called the simple predicate.
Either the red car or the two blue ones
The simple subject is usually a noun or a
use gasohol.
pronoun; the simple predicate is always
a verb. A compound predicate has two or more
verbs with the same subject.
The red car is in the lead.
He skids but stays ahead.
A compound subject has two or more
simple subjects joined by and, or, or nor. The verbs are joined by and, or, nor, but,
or yet.

■ A. Recognizing Sentence Parts

Underline each complete subject once and each complete predicate twice. Write each
simple subject and simple predicate, or verb.
1. Shama exercises every day. __________________________________________________
2. Children at the party scrambled for the balloons. ________________________________
3. My brother met his best friend and went to the movie. ___________________________
4. The cactus, the century plant, and sagebrush grow in the desert. ____________________

■ B. Combining Sentence Parts

Combine each pair of sentences by forming a compound subject or compound
predicate. Remember to use the correct form of each verb.
1. Usually, on a picnic, ants sting me. Or a bee stings me.____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. The cloth has a high price. But the cloth is just right for your costume._______________
_______________________________________________________________________

2 Writer’s Choice: Grammar Practice Workbook, Grade 7, Unit 8

 Grammar Enrichment
Name ...................................................................................... Class .................................................. Date ................................

8.3, 5 Subjects and Predicates

■ A. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
In the sentences below, underline each simple subject. Then underline the correct form
of the verb in parentheses.
1. Some teens (adore, adores) sports.
2. My parents, sisters, and brother (argue, argues) about their favorite teams.
3. My sisters (enjoy, enjoys) basketball.
4. Silvia or Bella (score, scores) the most baskets when we play.
5. Baseball or tennis (is, are) my parents’ favorite sport.
6. My brother and his friends (play, plays) football all the time.
7. Either my mother or my father (come, comes) to my soccer games.
8. My sisters and brother (memorize, memorizes) statistics.
9. The television or the radio (broadcast, broadcasts) a sports event almost every day.
10. Neither rainstorms nor snow (prevent, prevents) us from playing.

■ B. Writing Sentences
Write one sentence using each of the sentence elements indicated below. Make sure the
verb agrees with the subject.
1. (compound subject joined by and) ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. (compound predicate joined by but) __________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. (compound subject joined by or, with each subject singular) _______________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. (compound subject joined by or, with the first subject singular and the second
subject plural)
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. (compound predicate joined by or) ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. (compound subject joined by or, with the first subject plural and the second
subject singular)
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

2 Writer’s Choice: Grammar Enrichment, Grade 7, Unit 8

Name 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭 Date 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭 Class 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭

Lesson 2 Multiple-Meaning Words

If you’re like most people your age, you probably need more time and input to make decisions about
your future. Even if your dreams change and take different shapes, it’s important to keep telling your-
self that you can achieve your personal goals if you’re willing to work for them. In this lesson, you’ll
learn words related to personal dreams and goals.

Word List
apathy comply exotic neglected
asset emerge motive resigned
burden exhibit

EXERCISE A Multiple-Meaning Words

Use context clues to determine the meaning of the boldfaced word. Then, write the
dictionary definition that applies.

1. Not wanting to burden her mother further, Sally rode her bike to soccer practice.

2. Greg was resigned to helping his father build a shed all weekend.

3. Exhibit A at the trial was a tearstained letter of farewell from the dying wife.

4. Lou felt only apathy toward the student proposal about fees.

5. Phil the Groundhog had to emerge from his hole before the witnesses could declare an early spring.

6. We studied motive energy in physics class last month.

7. Courtiers had to comply with court protocol when they had an audience with King George.

Vocabulary Power Unit 1, Lesson 2 3

Name 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭 Date 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭 Class 㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭㛭

8. The loan officer told me that I need to have an asset to use as collateral for a loan.

9. James was reprimanded because he neglected to salute his superior officer.

10. The giant panda at our zoo is exotic—it’s native to China!

EXERCISE B Questions and Answers

Answer each question based on your understanding of the boldfaced word.

1. What do you feel is the best way to get people to comply with antilittering laws?

2. What actions might you take if you are feeling neglected by your friends?

3. What do you feel is your strongest asset as a member of a class committee?

4. Describe an exotic place you would like to visit and explain why you would like to visit it.

5. Is student apathy a problem at your school? Why or why not?

6. Describe the mood of the movie audience at the moment when the monster is about to emerge
from the darkness.

7. Describe a time when you felt resigned to a situation.

8. What might be someone’s motive for doing volunteer work?

4 Unit 1, Lesson 2 Vocabulary Power