Narrative Paragraph

Basic English Skills

Eng 101
Online Class
 What Is narrative
Paragraph?
Narrative paragraphs are often used to describe what a
person does over a period of time.
Narrative paragraph tells a story or an event. Events in
narrative paragraph should be arranged chronologically.
What Is narrative Paragraph?
a narrative paragraph must have a central idea (what
the story/event is about), characters (who it about),
a plot (conflict, complication, climax, and resolution
of the story/event), adequate description, and setting
(when and where the story happens)
 Tips on Tenses

Use the simple past for succession of events.

Ex: I got up and went to the kitchen. I opened the
door and looked into the fridge.
 Tips on Tenses

Use the past continuous for interrupted actions.

Ex: Sharon was working in the garden when the
telephone rang.
 Tips on Tenses

Use the past perfect for previous actions.

Ex: We decided to go out and celebrate because we
had just finished remodeling our home.
Tips on Tenses

Use the past perfect continuous for the length of

actions.
Ex: We had been hiking for more than ten hours and
it was time to call it a day.
Linking Language
Start sentences with linking phrases such as 'Then,'
'Next,' 'Finally,' 'Before that', etc. to connect
sentences and show time relationships in your
narrative writing.
Ex: First, we flew to New York on our great
adventure. After New York, we moved on to
Philadelphia. Then, it was on to Florida for some
scuba diving.
Linking Language
Use 'before', 'after', 'as soon as', etc. to introduce a
time clause.
Ex: After we had finished our homework, we watched
a funny movie.
Descriptive Language
Use adjectives to modify nouns.
Ex: They bought a car. -> They bought a used red
Italian car.
Descriptive Language
Use prepositional phrases.
Ex: After we arrived, we were shown to our table at
the back of the restaurant..
Descriptive Language
Use relative clauses.
Ex: Next, we took the car which we had rented in Los
Angeles and drove to San Francisco.
DEVELOPING A NARRATIVE
PARAGRAPH
A good narrative paragraph normally requires three
necessary components: background information, the
story/event, and conclusion.
TRANSITIONAL WORDS IN
NARRATIVE PARAGRAPH
The common Transitional expressions used in a
narrative paragraph are: after, finally, soon, as (soon
as), later, then, before, meanwhile, upon, during,
next, when, first, now, and while.
Writing the Topic Sentence
Topic sentence names the topic and shares a specific
thought or feeling about it.
Writing the Topic Sentence
Sample Topic Sentence 1:
Whitewater rafting with my family was a crazy
adventure.
Topic: Whitewater rafting with my family
Special Thought: A crazy adventure
Writing the Topic Sentence
Sample Topic Sentence 2:
I’ll never forget the time I saw the playful polar bear.
Topic: The playful polar bear
Special Feeling: Never forget seeing it
Exercise
* Name your topic.
My first seashell hunt
* Share a specific thought or feeling about it.
A surprise ending
* Write your topic sentence.
....................................................
Writing the Body Sentences
Write body sentences that tell what happened in
your story. Include some sensory details to help
recreate the experience.
 Examples of sensory details
Sensory Details:
Sights - shiny red bucket
Sounds - crack and boom of fireworks
Smells - fishy ocean stench
Tastes - sweet juicy strawberries
Touch - sharp poke of a needle
Writing the Ending Sentence
Try these ending strategies. Then choose one or
combine two to create your ending sentence.
* Show how the story ends.
He said, “It’s your lucky day. That’s a shark’s tooth!”
*Tell readers what you learned.
The best surprises are shared with someone else.
*Share your feelings.
It made me happy to spend time with my dad.
Exercise: Read a Narrative Paragraph Draft.
Note how the writer put the parts together.
My Seashell Surprise
Topic Sentence
My first seashell hunt had a surprise ending. Early one morning my dad
and I walked to the beach with a red bucket. The sand was soft and cool.
Body Sentences
We collected orange, white, and brown shells of all different shapes and
sizes. When our bucket was almost filled, I spotted something black and
shiny pointing out of the sand. I reached down and grabbed the object
right before a wave crashed against my legs. The object felt sharp and
curvy. Finally, I opened my hand. “What is this?” I asked my dad.
Ending Sentences
He said, “It’s your lucky day. That’s a shark’s tooth!”