Text types: Stories

Linking clauses to create a story

Leaving out words and using substitute words

In the narrative Adventure at Ocean Park the storyteller often leaves out words or uses substitute words. This helps to keep the plot moving along and helps to keep the reader interested because unnecessary words are not used. Leaving out words in this way also builds the atmosphere and increases the feeling of suspense.

There was the horse with the blue ribbon but [there was] no Rosie.

"First [she goes on] the merry-go-round, then [she goes on] the little train, the [she goes] up the path to the pandas, and then [she goes to] her favourite - the Butterfly House," she thought.

[There was] No Rosie.

But Rosie wasn't there - [she was] not anywhere.

[It was] "A sparkly butterfly clip - just like the ones Rosie wears in her hair."

Then [she picked up] another one ...

The storyteller also uses substitute words. For example, in this section the words one and ones are substituted for the words butterfly clip and butterfly clips:

This extract is an important part of the plot. It is the beginning of the SOLUTION stage in which Lara finds Rosie's butterfly clip trail. In this extract the substitute words become part of two other types of links across the clauses:

	vocabulary patterns: (The substitute words become part of the repetition of the words sparkle, butterfly and clip)
	pronoun chains: (The substitute words become part of the pronoun chains, together with the pronouns it and them)

To see how these interacting links weave the clauses together into a tightly woven cohesive text, click here: