Text types in literature form the basic styles of writing. Factual texts merely seek to inform, whereas literary texts seek to entertain or otherwise engage the reader by using creative language and imagery. There are many aspects to literary writing, and many ways to analyse it, but four basic categories are descriptive, narrative, expository, and argumentative. Narrative text type Based on perception in time. Narration is the telling of a story; the succession of events is given in chronological order. Purpose The basic purpose of narrative is to entertain, to gain and hold readers' interest. However narratives can also be written to teach or inform, to change attitudes / social opinions e.g. soap operas and television dramas that are used to raise topical issues. Narratives sequence people/characters in time and place but differ from recounts in that through the sequencing, the stories set up one or more problems, which must eventually find a way to be resolved. The common structure or basic plan of narrative text is known as the "story grammar". Although there are numerous variations of the story grammar, the typical elements are: Settings — when and where the story occurs. Characters— the most important people or characters in the story. Plot - the events of the story, consisting of the initiating event--an action or occurrence that establishes a problem and/or goal--one or more attempts by the main character(s) to achieve the goal or solve the problem, and the Resolutions--the outcome of the attempts to achieve the goal. Conflicts/goal — the focal point around which the whole story is organized. Theme - the underlying meaning of the story...why the author wrote it...a truth he wants us to learn or realize from the story. Theme isn't specifically stated--it must be discerned. The graphic representation of these story grammar elements is called a story map. The exact form and complexity of a map depends, of course, upon the unique structure of each narrative and the personal preference of the teacher constructing the map. Kinds of narrative There are many kinds of narrative. They can be imaginary, factual or a combination of both. They may include fairy stories, mysteries, science fiction, romances, horror stories, adventure stories, fables, myths and legends, historical narratives, ballads, slice of life, personal experience, or historical. Features: Characters with defined personalities/identities. Dialogue often included - tense may change to the present or the future. Descriptive language to