Writing a Story
LAYOUT
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1. INTRODUCTION
Write a few sentences to set the scene and to introduce the characters.
It was a beautiful day in spring. The night before my cousin Sam, my boyfriend and I had
decided to go canoeing down the river. We had arranged to meet at eight o’clock. When I
arrived, Sam was waiting and looking at his watch……..
To set the scene use Past simple or Past Continuous
To say what had happened before use Past Perfect
………………………………………………………………………………………………2. BEGINNING
OF THE NARRATIVE
Describe the main action. Include some details. Add some dialogues.
Suddenly, it started to rain heavily. We kept on canoeing and twenty minutes later, we came to
some rapids. For ten minutes I was absolutely terrified and then Sam shouted: “Look over there!”
“What is it!” I screamed. “It looks like…”
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3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE NARRATIVE
Write what happened next.
We got out of the canoes and started to look for Sam. There was no sign of him anywhere so,
we decided to get help. Luckily, I …
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4. CONCLUSION
Write a suitable ending to your story. Don’t forget to finish it with the
sentences with the task instruction.
At last, we saw a group of people coming towards us… We all felt very happy to be back home.
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USEFUL LINKING WORDS
during, before that, after, as soon as, just then, suddenly, while,
immediately, in the end…
homework
### Lesson Plan: Writing a Story Based on Pictures
**Duration:** 40 minutes
**Target Group:** High school students
**Topic:** Writing a story based on pictures
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#### Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will be able to identify the main elements of a narrative story (introduction,
beginning of the narrative, narrative development, and conclusion).
2. Students will apply grammatical structures (past simple and past perfect) in writing a
story.
3. Students will develop creative thinking through picture interpretation and create a
unique story.
4. Students will use linking words (e.g., during, suddenly, just then) to connect events in
a story.
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### Lesson Flow:
#### 1. Introduction (5 minutes)
- **Activity:** The instructor introduces the topic of the lesson: "Writing a story based on
pictures."
- **Instructions:** Brief discussion about what makes a good story (introduction, plot
development, conclusion) and which tense is used to narrate past events.
- **Guidelines:** Review of grammatical structures: past simple, past continuous, and
past perfect.
#### 2. Picture Review and Analysis (10 minutes)
- **Activity:** The instructor displays the pictures from the material and invites students
to analyze them.
- **Instructions:** In small **groups**, students identify key elements and brainstorm
ideas for stories based on the pictures. For example, discussing the picture with the rich
man ("James Cash") or the story with the postman and UFO.
- **Questions for Students:** What is happening in each picture? Who might the main
characters be?
#### 3. Writing the Story (15 minutes)
- **Activity:** Students work individually to write their story, following the structure:
- **Introduction:** Setting the scene and introducing characters.
- **Beginning of the Narrative:** Describing the main event with some dialogue.
- **Narrative Development:** What happens next?
- **Conclusion:** Wrapping up the story.
- **Instructions:** Students are encouraged to use the past tense and linking words from
the material.
#### 4. Peer Review and Feedback (10 minutes)
- **Activity:** Students share their stories in **pairs** and read them to each other.
- **Instructions:** Partners provide constructive feedback on each other’s story (clarity of
events, grammatical accuracy, engaging plot).
- **Conclusion:** The instructor highlights examples of good storytelling and gives
overall feedback.
#### Homework:
- **Task:** Students complete the story they started and consider adding extra details or
characters.
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This plan includes both group and pair work, fostering active student participation and
encouraging them to use creativity and grammatical structures in a writing exercise.
1. **Introduction (5 minutes)** – Keep this short and focused. Give clear instructions
on the story elements and grammar in just a few minutes.
2. **Picture Review and Group Brainstorm (7 minutes)** – Instead of full analysis,
have students quickly brainstorm key elements of the story in **small groups** (e.g.,
setting, characters, and initial ideas). They don’t need to plan every detail, just get the
story's basic framework.
3. **Writing the Story (15 minutes)** – Encourage students to focus on completing
at least one or two paragraphs, like the **introduction and main event**. They can finish
the story at home if time runs short.
4. **Pair Review and Feedback (8 minutes)** – Limit feedback to **one key
suggestion** per partner to make it quicker.
5. **Wrap-up (5 minutes)** – Quickly highlight good examples and give overall
feedback.
With this adjusted plan, students should be able to complete the core tasks within the
40-minute timeframe, focusing on starting the story and using key grammatical
elements. If they don’t finish, they can continue writing at home.
