A Narrative - telling a story
A narrative paragraph tells a story. Something happens first, second, third, etc. You can use the first person narrative style and include words that clearly refer to you (I, me, my, mine, etc.), or you can try to tell the story from a purely objective point of view that is not personal, but gives a straight-forward, factual account of what happened.
Elements of the narrative paragraph
- character(s),
- setting
- events (plot)
The events (plot) cover
- goal
- obstacle or conflict
- climax
- resolution
Transition Words
| First Body Paragraph |
Second Body Paragraph |
Third Body Paragraph |
Conclusion Paragraph |
To begin with,
To begin,
First,
To start off with,
Foremost,
To start,
The first reason,
Firstly, |
In addition,
Also,
The second reason,
Another reason
Next,
The next reason,
Moreover,
Furthermore,
Secondly,
Next,
Equally important,
Subsequently, |
Finally,
Moreover,
Furthermore,
Last but not least,
Lastly,
Most importantly,
The third reason,
Most of all,
The most important reason,
Last,
The best part of all,
To end with,
The last reason, |
In conclusion,
To conclude,
In summary,
To sum up,
To summarize, |
| |
|
|
|
Expository words for clarification (inside a body paragraph):
Also,
Besides
Accordingly,
For this reason,
Therefore,
In fact,
As an illustration,
Consequently,
Although
For instance,
For Example,
In other words,
As a result,
However,
Although,
Otherwise,
On the other hand,
Even though,
In the same way,
How to write a good narrative paragraph
- Choose a topic.
- Plan your topic sentence ( main/controlling idea of the paragraph).
- List all the events that come to your mind when you think about the story you have chosen.
- Choose the important events (supporting ideas), dropping any that do not directly relate to your controlling idea.
- Put your list in the correct time sequence.
- Write one complete sentence for each of the events you have chosen from your list, adding any significant details.
- Write a concluding statement that gives some point to the events of the story.
- Copy your sentences into standard paragraph form.
- Always make a final check for spelling errors and other mistakes, such as omitted words.
Ex.1. Read the following paragraph and answer questions after reading.
My twelfth birthday was originally a disappointment that turned into my best birthday ever. For five or six months preceding the big day, I begged my parents for a certain new bicycle. I had seen one in a medium price range that I figured my folks could afford. I hinted and even pleaded outright, promising to do extra chores if I got it. Pointing out that the only bike I had ever had was a hand-me-down from my older brother. I showed them how rusted the frame was. Meanwhile, my brother was begging for a set of tires for the car he had bought. When my birthday finally came, my hopes were so high. Instead of the bicycle, though, I got a new shirt, a pair of sneakers, and an envelope. At first, I thought it was just a card, but it turned out to have enough money for the bike in it. It also contained five “contracts” for extra work around the house that I could do to earn enough money for a much nicer bicycle. My parents gave me the gift of upgrading from the bike I settled for. I ended up getting a great new bicycle that I helped to buy with money I had earned myself.
1. What is the topic sentence?
2. Which sentence is not in unity with the rest of the paragraph?
3. What do you think is the writer’s reason for writing this paragraph?
Ex. 2. Write your own narrative paragraph about The Warmest Memory of Your Childhood.
- Write out the topic sentence and circle the point of view.
- List any background information.
- Briefly summarize the incident (write several sentences telling what happened in your own words)
- Do all of these sentences support your point of view?
- Are the events in the story in chronological order?
|