Lesson 2 | Text Hierarchy: Narrative
[2] Introducing Text Hierarchy
Now that you have learned how to discern a discourse block, it is time to explore the internal structure of a discourse block.
Two Types of Clauses
Some clauses form the backbone of a unit of discourse, while other clauses add muscle and skin to it.
In a narrative discourse block, for example, some types of clauses move the narrative forward from scene to scene (the backbone), while others give background information (muscle and skin).
We call backbone clauses mainline clauses, and all other clauses offline clauses.
(Mainline/offline clauses are also sometimes called online/offline. Same idea.)
Three Genres
Different genres show their basic structure using different kinds of verbs as mainline verbs:¹
Genre
Mainline Verb Type
Narrative
sequential-imperfect
Prophetic Discourse
sequential-perfect
Directive Discourse
commands or a command + sequential-perfect
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We will spend two lessons on narrative (Lessons 2 and 4), and one lesson on prophetic and directive discourse (Lesson 8). Poetry isn’t structured in this way, but we will still study how poetry communicates meaning in Lesson 6.
Next, let's focus on mainline clauses in narrative—where the entire lesson has been headed!