assignment 03.06 writing narrative body paragraphs

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Part Two Paragraph Writing Skills and Essay Introduction

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

Learning Objectives

• To learn what a narrative paragraph focuses on
• To understand and practice narrative paragraphs with a focus on the use of time transitions, past tenses, descriptive vocabulary, and specific supporting details
• To study narrative paragraphs through analyzing multiple models
• To apply the writing process to plan and write narrative paragraphs

I. Warm – Up

Read Paragraph “My Worst Trip” and do the activities that follow.

My Worst Trip

          My experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to Chicago on September 29, 2007 were terrible because I could not understand English. I came from Mexico, and that was my first connecting trip out of my own country. After a long flight from my native country, I arrived at Miami Airport. I had been so excited walking in an American airport until a uniformed officer asked me something in English. I felt nervous because I did not speak English and did not know how to answer her questions. I just shook my head. I was not walking excitedly anymore because I realized that I did not speak the language. I already began to miss my own country! Suddenly, I looked at my watch, and it said 12:30 pm. I was so hungry that I needed to eat something. I had not eaten much on my first flight. I went to a small restaurant in the airport, looked at the pictures of the menu on the screen, and decided to have a coke and a sandwich. I could not see clearly or read what kind of sandwich that was, but it looked scrumptious [1] . I was just going to point to the picture and tell the waiter what I wanted. He came and spoke fast. Because I did not understand, I felt I had to say “Ok”. Well, he gave me a different meal, and it cost me almost $20! This situation was awful [2] . I ate the meal in sad silence. I could not tell what it tasted like because I was tired and upset. Finally, I got on my flight to Chicago in the evening. On the plane, I wanted to drink water, but I did not know how to ask for it. I just stayed in my seat quietly and felt despondent [3] . In the end, I met my family at the airport in Chicago at 11:30 pm. On our way home, I told them about my nightmare. They comforted me, “Don’t worry. All will be fine.” However, I could not shake off the feeling that I had just had a rocky start [4] on my life in this new country. On that day, I made a promise to myself that I would have to study English really hard.

By student,  ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

1. Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink                                               Background information – purple                          

Topic sentence – red                           Beginning of the story – green

Middle of the story – blue                  End of the story – green

Transitions – yellow                             Concluding sentence(s) – red

2. Discuss:

• What was your experience on your trip to the U.S.? Did you have a similar experience as the writer?
• Does the writer focus on telling a story, arguing for a controversial issue, or listing points to explain an idea?
• How is this paragraph similar to the ones you have studied in Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs?
• How is this paragraph different from the ones in Unit 4?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How would you improve the paragraph?
• If you could ask the writer a question, what would you ask?

II. Focus of Narrative Paragraphs

Narration is a description of an experience, an event, a story, or a situation to show a point of view. You have already studied a narrative paragraph in Unit 3: My Valuable Life Lesson.

Narrative paragraphs have:

• a beginning: How did the story start?
• a middle: How did it progress?
• an ending: How did it end?

As you are telling a story in this type of paragraph, it is important to:

• provide the background information about the story: what, who, when, where. If applicable, include the information on why and how. The information is usually given in the beginning.
• use past tenses as you narrate a past experience or event.
• guide the readers in understanding the event by using appropriate time expressions and arrange the information in chronological order, meaning time order.
• use appropriate descriptive words and details to help the readers feel as if they were experiencing the event in person.

Exercise 1. Read the following paragraph titles. Which ones can be appropriate titles for narrative paragraphs? What will the paragraphs be about?  Click “True” for appropriate narrative titles and “False” for non-narrative titles.  You will get instant feedback after each sentence. The explanation is given in blue.

III. Topic Sentence in Narration

Read Paragraph “My Worst Trip” again. How does the writer start the paragraph? The beginning contains the topic sentence and background information.

Study one more example:

Exercise 2. Use the above examples as models. Fill in the information for the next three topics. In #3, you think of a topic of your own. Try writing your topic sentence with background information in one, two, or three sentences.

IV. Supporting Ideas in Chronological Order and with Time Transitions

Chronological Order

The information in the middle of the paragraph is going to be the main part of the story. All the events are arranged chronologically. What happened first is written first, what happened next is explained next, and so on. One way to make sure of the correct order is to draw a timeline. This could be used as a brief outline for a paragraph. Below is a t imeline for an interview experience:

Time Transitions

Another important aspect of narration is to use appropriate time expressions. They are transitions to guide the readers through the narration. You have already learned different transitions in Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph and Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs.  ( For reviews, open Unit 3 here and Unit 4 here .)

Here are some time transitions. As you study them, pay attention to their punctuation.

Review Paragraph “My Worst Trip” in the beginning of this unit and discuss how the writer uses a variety of time transitions.

Read the new paragraph “My Memorable Interview” below.  It is developed based on the timeline above. The time transitions are underlined. Discuss:

• How does the writer begin the paragraph? What is the topic sentence? What is the controlling idea? What is the background information (what, who, when, where)?
• Does the paragraph follow chronological order?
• How are different types of time transitions used with different punctuations? (underlined)

My Memorable Interview

          In my last year of high school in Japan , I learned an important lesson from a memorable interview. I had applied to the Social Welfare Department of the college that I wanted to enter . To be accepted, I had to pass an interview and answer questions about a book the college professors had assigned . The book, What is the True Wealth, was a very famous book among the people studying social welfare in Japan. One month before the interview , I read the book but  understood  the topic only superficially [7] . To help myself understand the topic better, I then bought another book that described the current social situation in Japan. After reading it many times, I was able to understand the topic of social welfare more clearly. In the m iddle of February, I flew to the college for the interview. It was not a cold day, but I had chills  because of tension. I had never visited the prefecture where the college was located, so I felt the strain I had never felt before. The interview day arrived. The applicants were called in one by one from the waiting room. As soon as my name was called,  I took a deep breath before entering with a smile . The interview room was small, with six professors sitting across the table. It appeared to be a normal interview situation, but when five cards were put side by side on the table , I realized that it was not ! I could not understand what the cards  were for . My nervousness grew. One professor instructed, “Please choose one card on the desk. You will see our first question there about the assigned book.” It was like a card game!  Fortunately, I answer ed the question  calmly and clearly. During the interview ,   I express ed my opinions with confidence , thanks to the two books which I had read. At the end of the interview,  one professor asked me, “Have you read a nother book beside s  our assigned one?”   At that time, I thought, “Good for me!” I spoke about my additional book and explained why I had chosen it, what I had learned from it, and how it had helped me with the interview. The professors looked impressed . I was so glad that I almost jumped for joy. They nodded to me and to each other. That afternoon, I flew back home , feeling happy . From this experience, I have learned a lesson essential to my success. It is important to prepare elaborately [8] before an important event . Hard work in advance would give me confidence and help me in unexpected situations.

By C . Kotani (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

Exercise 3. Read Paragraph “The Day My Daughter Was Born” and discuss:

• How does the writer begin the paragraph? What is the topic sentence? What is the controlling idea? What is the background information (what, who, when, where, why)?
• Underline the time transitions. How are different types of time transitions used with different punctuations?

The Day My Daughter Was Born

          The day I met my daughter Ela has been the most significant day in my life. When I was in my 38th week of pregnancy, my husband and I went to the hospital for a routine pre-natal exam. While the doctor was checking me, she said, “We have to take the baby.” We were so shocked. If I had not had a problem, she would not have said such a thing. Right away, she started to explain my problem. My daughter could not move herself because there was not enough water in my womb. Upon hearing this, I wanted to go back to my house to bring the baby stuff, but she did not allow me. My husband was little panicked, for he did not know what to do. Actually, I was so scared and also excited at the same time. My daughter was coming to my life! Our family had been waiting for her arrival for a long time, and we could not wait to take her into our arms. In the next ten minutes, the doctor did some tests on me and took me to the surgery room. I was not aware how many minutes or hours had passed. When I opened my eyes, everything had already finished. My first question was if she was OK. My doctor reassured me, “Don’t worry. She is OK”. After that, the medical staff took me to my room. All my family members were waiting eagerly there. I asked my husband if he had seen our daughter. He said no. We could not wait to see her, and we were so happy, for she was born without any problem. Everybody in the room was happy and asking how I was feeling. I had totally forgotten myself! Soon, the doctor brought her to the room, and I will never forget the moment when I laid my eyes on her for the first time. I cried so much from happiness. There was my little baby Ela, so tiny and soft, and most important all, so beautiful! Her “baby smell” was the most heart-warming scent. My husband’s face was full of joyful pride. Everyone wanted to hold Ela for a second but stopped as she was sleeping soundly. At that moment, I understood that my life would change forever because of this precious new life. I promised myself and her that I would always be by her side.

By Z. Turkmen (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

V. Past Tenses in Narration

In most narrative paragraphs, you are describing past events, so you need to use mostly past tenses even though present and future tenses are also possible in some parts of the paragraph. Past tenses include simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive, and future past. However, the most common one is the simple past.

T here are detailed explanations and practice in verb tenses from Unit 11 through Unit 14  in this book.  (Open Unit 11 Present Tenses , Unit 12 Past Tenses , Unit 13 Future Tenses , Unit 14 Mixed Tenses here .)

Review paragraphs “My Worst Trip”, “My Memorable Interview”, and “The Day My Daughter Was Born”. Underline all the past tense verbs and discuss how these verbs are used.

Read another new paragraph “A significant Meeting” below and discuss:

• What is the topic sentence? What is the controlling idea?
• What is the background information (what, who, when, where)?
• Does the writer explain the event in chronological order?
• How are different types of time transitions used?
• Underline all the verbs in past tenses. Why are some verbs in past perfect (bold-faced), one in past progressive (bold-faced), and one in simple future (bold-faced)?

A Significant Meeting

          My first meeting with my future husband in real life on March 18, 2017 was so significant that it changed my life. This was my first visit to the U.S.A when I met Sergey. We had communicated and seen each other only through the Internet before that. Our meeting happened in beautiful New York City. The smell of early spring, with blooming trees, sunny weather, and breathtaking views of this city, reinforced my romantic mood. I woke up very early to prepare for the meeting that was supposed to happen at breakfast. I arrived at the restaurant before 10 am. 10 am was not a perfect time for a romantic date, but we had planned to spend the whole day together and visit sights. Just then, Sergey called to apologize that he had overslept on his flight to New York and would not arrive until 11 pm. I became very angry and disappointed. I could not believe how a person could approach [9] such an important event so irresponsibly [10] . As a result, I assumed [11] that he would not be my destiny and my second half. When I arrived back at the hotel, I suddenly noticed a man standing with flowers and staring at me with a guilty look. He was wearing a formal gray suite with a matching tie. After a couple of seconds, I realized this man was Sergey! He had gotten a few transfers to arrive earlier than expected. I was so surprised to see him at that moment. I did not know whether to be joyful or angry, but I instantly forgot about the morning case. Of course, I gave him one star for diligence [12] . During our live communication, all invisible borders were erased. We quickly connected and understood each other. His surprises did not end at our lunch. He gave me a helicopter flight over the city! I was in heaven with happiness and beauty around me. In addition, Sergey had another surprise at dinner. He produced two tickets, for the most anticipated fight show of the year by my favorite boxer Gennady Golovkin in the famous Madison Square. I could not believe that another dream would come true that day. At the end of that fantastic day, I came to realize that my future husband was very attentive [13] . He had remembered everything that I loved and dreamed about. He fulfilled my one desire after another. Sergey was like a genie [14] , and I possessed his lamp. By the end of our first day together, I had decided to give him all stars and pluses. Our meeting transformed [15] my whole life, and these first happy moments will remain forever in my memories.

By E . Yugay (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. U sed with permission.

Exercise 4. Read Paragraph “Meeting My Best Friends” and fill in each blank with the correct verb tense. When you finish this exercise, you can click “Check” to see how you did.  You can retry or see all the answers. The first one is an example.

VI. Descriptive Vocabulary and Details in Narration

Words are your tools in writing. Choosing specific, descriptive words will help your readers “see” or “picture” the event you are describing. Read the pairs of sentences below and discuss which sentence is better in each pair.

• They have a large house.
• They have a 2-story, red brick house.
• An old man walked on the street.
• An eighty-seven-year-old man stumbled [16] along Algonquin Road.
• Mrs. Kim is the best teacher I have ever had.
• Mrs. Kim is the most humorous and hardworking teacher I have ever had.

In each pair, the second sentence helps the reader “see” the house, the man, and Mrs. Kim more vividly [17] . Using descriptive words will make your writing more interesting and effective.

Words like “big, good, nice, great, bad” are very general and can be replaced by other better, more interesting ones. Many of the words below are “sensory” words that describe sight, sound, smell, flavor, and feeling.

Before you use any new vocabulary, make sure you check an English-English dictionary to see its exact meaning and use it only when appropriate. Try using two or three new descriptive words in each paragraph you write.

Details are the key to interesting paragraphs. In a narrative paragraph, details in the middle of the narration – how the story progresses – are even more critical [18] .

As you learned in the earlier units, color-coding is a helpful strategy to make sure:

• The paragraph has all the essential parts.
• All the parts are in the right order.
• Some parts need to be longer and more detailed.

Here is the color-coded paragraph “The Worst Trip” you read in the beginning of this unit. Discuss:

• Which color covers the most information?
• How does the part in blue help you “see” or “experience” what the writer was going through?
• Underline some descriptive or specific vocabulary . In what way does it make the paragraph more interesting?

          My experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to Chicago on September 29, 2007 were terrible because I could not understand English. I came from Mexico, and that was my first connecting trip out of my own country. After a long flight from my native country, I arrived at Miami Airport. I had been so excited walking in an American airport until a uniformed officer asked me something in English. I felt nervous because I did not speak English and did not know how to answer her questions. I just shook my head. I was not walking excitedly anymore because I realized that I did not speak the language. I already began to miss my own country! Suddenly, I looked at my watch, and it said 12:30 pm. I was so hungry that I needed to eat something. I had not eaten much on my first flight. I went to a small restaurant in the airport, looked at the pictures of the menu on the screen, and decided to have a coke and a sandwich. I could not see clearly or read what kind of sandwich that was, but it looked scrumptious. I was just going to point to the picture and tell the waiter what I wanted. He came and spoke fast. Because I did not understand, I felt I had to say “Ok”. Well, he gave me a different meal, and it cost me almost $20! This situation was awful. I ate the meal in sad silence. I could not tell what it tasted like because I was tired and upset. Finally, I got on my flight to Chicago in the evening. On the plane, I wanted to drink water, but I did not know how to ask for it. I just stayed in my seat quietly and felt despondent. In the end, I met my family at the airport in Chicago at 11:30 pm. On our way home, I told them about my nightmare. They comforted me, “Don’t worry. All will be fine.” However, I could not shake off the feeling that I had just had a rocky start on my life in this new country. On that day, I made a promise to myself that I would have to study English really hard.

Exercise 5. Try to write a new sentence with descriptive vocabulary by replacing the words underlined.

Example :       

The family carried the big mattress into the small apartment.

Improved:  The family carried the bulky mattress into the one-bedroom apartment.

• The big cruise ship has 18 decks and is 1188 feet long.
• My upcoming interview is going to be important to my career.
• The family made a big decision to immigrant to the U.S. one year ago.
• The mother walked into the baby’s room quietly.
• The graduates walked proudly onto the stage to receive their diploma.
• Some parents have a bad influence on their children.
• In darkness, I was very afraid when I heard a strange noise behind me.
• I love looking at the stars in the night sky.
• The mom said no, but the boy still asked for more ice cream.
• The students are nervous about their grades.

Exercise 6. Use Paragraph “My Worst Trip” you just discussed as an example. Color code Paragraph “My Memorable Interview” as follows and discuss the questions below.

Title – pink                                                 Background information – purple

Topic sentence – red                             B eginning of the story – green

Middle of the story – blue                     End of the story – green

Transitions – yellow                                Concluding sentence(s) – red

• Underline the descriptive or specific vocabulary. In what way does it make the paragraph more interesting?

VII. More Narrative Paragraph Examples

As you read more narrative paragraphs below, you may color code them as you have done for the earlier paragraphs.

• How does the writer start the paragraph? How many sentences does the writer have for the topic sentence and background information? What is the controlling idea?
• Does the background information include what, who, when, and where?
• Are the events arranged in chronological order?
• What different types of time transitions are used?
• Does all the information in the story support the main idea?
• Is the middle of the story the longest in the paragraph?
• Underline some specific descriptions. How do they help make the story more interesting?
• Does the writer use past tenses to narrate the story? Are present and future tenses used? If so, why is the past tense changed to a present or future one?
• What do you like about the paragraph? How would you like to improve it?
• If you could ask the writer one question, what question would it be?

Exercise 7. Read the following two paragraphs. You may color code them as you have done for the earlier paragraphs. Discuss the following questions in your group.

• What is the topic sentence? Is there a controlling idea in the topic sentence? If not, write one.
• Does the background information include what, who, when, and where? If something is missing, add it.
• Are the events arranged in chronological order? If not, correct the order.
• Does all the information in the story support the main idea? If anything is irrelevant, cross it out.
• Are the transitions used appropriately? If a transition is wrong, correct it. If a transition is missing, add it.
• Are there enough descriptive details in the middle of the story? What more ideas can you add?
• Does the writer use correct past tenses to narrate the story?
• Are there any present and future tenses? If so, why is there a shift in verb tenses?
• What do you like about the paragraph?
• If you could ask the writer one question, would question would you ask?

VIII. Unit Review Practice: Writing Assignments

Now you are ready to write your own narrative paragraph! As you have learned in Unit 2 The Writing Process, ( Open Unit 2 here. ) the best way to plan a paragraph is to follow the proper steps.

Narrative Paragraph Writing Assignments

You will be writing two at-home narrative paragraphs. The second one will start after the first one is complete. For both assignments, follow the instructions below.

Purpose : To show your understanding of planning and writing a narrative paragraph. Use the writing process to help you.

Topic :  Choose from the list below.

Brainstorm and Outline : Brainstorm for ideas. Then use one of the templates below to make an outline. Your outline is due on _________. Bring it to class.

Paragraph : Your paragraph should have a title, a topic sentence, background information, beginning of the story, middle of the story with details, the end of the story, a conclusion, and appropriate time transitions.  Include at least 5 descriptive vocabulary from Section VI in this unit (Descriptive Vocabulary and Details in Narration).

Format: Type your paragraph, double spaced, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on four sides of the page. Type your name, class, and date on the upper right-hand corner of the page. The first line of your paragraph should be indented. Save your paragraph in a Word file.

Self Checklist : When you finish writing, use the Self Checklist below. Put a checkmark beside each item if you think you did a good job in that area.  Otherwise, improve your paragraph until you can check off the item. Save your work again.

Submission : Submit your paragraph on the Blackboard.  Go to your Blackboard course site and follow the instructions there.  Due by __________.

Choose one of the following topics.  If you wish to write about a topic of your own, discuss with your professor first.

• Your first class (reading, writing, grammar, communication skills, or another class) experience at Harper College
• A time when you helped someone in need
• Your proudest moment
• Your most embarrassing experience
• A disappointing shopping trip
• An experience where you got to know yourself better
• An experience where you got to know another person better
• An experience that changed your opinion of an event
• An interview you had (any kind of interview)
• The day when you got your first cell phone

Narrative Paragraph Outline Template #1

Topic: _____________________

Controlling idea: ____________________

Background information:

What: ____________________________________

When: ____________________________________

Where: ___________________________________

Who: _____________________________________

Topic + controlling idea + background information (1 – 3 complete sentences):

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Narrative Paragraph Outline Template #2

Beginning of the story:

Middle of the story:

End of the story:

Narrative Paragraph Self Checklist

Note:  #7 – #10 may include more specific aspects of grammar depending on how many editing units you have already studied.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts for Writing in Appendix A. ( Open Appendix A here. ) Choose two topics to write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then revise and edit the paragraphs using the Self Checklist above. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit.  The best way to learn them is to guess the meaning of each word from the context.  Then hover your computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

• A narrative paragraph focuses on describing an event, an experience, or a story.
• A narrative paragraph should have a title, a beginning with a topic sentence and background information, a middle with details, and an ending.
• Descriptive vocabulary and details will make the paragraph interesting.
• The story should be narrated in the chronological order and should use proper time transitions.
• Past tenses are used primarily, but other tenses are often needed, too.
• Following the writing process (pre-writing, writing, and post-writing) can ensure a well- organized and well-supported paragraph.

Media Attributions

• a man sitting on a chair at an airport © Photo by Marco López on Unsplash
• an opened book with a leaf © Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels
• interview timeline
• a hand holding pink and blue heart-shaped lollipop candy © Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
• a cruise ship © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• a narrative timeline © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay
• scrumptious: adjective, delicious ↵
• awful: adjective, terrible ↵
• despondent: adjective, feeling sad and hopeless ↵
• a rocky start: noun phrase, not a smooth beginning ↵
• exhausting: adjective, very tiring ↵
• Misfortune goes hand in hand: a saying, bad things happen one after another. ↵
• superficially: adverb, on the surface, not deeply ↵
• elaborately: adverb, with great care and effort ↵
• approach: verb, handle, deal with ↵
• irresponsibly: adverb, not responsibly, carelessly ↵
• assume: verb, guess or think based on what has happened ↵
• diligence: noun, good efforts ↵
• attentive: adjective, giving careful attention ↵
• genie: noun, a spirit that makes wishes come true for people ↵
• transform: verb, change in significant ways ↵
• stumble: verb, walk unsteadily, as if going to fall ↵
• vividly: adverb, lively and brightly ↵
• critical: adjective, extremely important ↵

Building Academic Writing Skills Copyright © 2022 by Cui, Lin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Narrative Writing: Drafting Body Paragraphs

Description.

In this lesson, students continue drafting the body paragraphs of their narratives by focusing on incorporating the narrative techniques of pacing and dialogue. Students begin by examining body paragraphs from the article, “The Flight of Apollo 11,” and the narrative model College Application Essay, focusing on the use of pacing and dialogue to develop experiences, events, or characters within each narrative. Students then participate in a brief activity centered around developing distinct character voices. Finally, students draft their own body paragraphs, continuing the work done in Lesson 7.

There may be cases when our downloadable resources contain hyperlinks to other websites. These hyperlinks lead to websites published or operated by third parties. UnboundEd and EngageNY are not responsible for the content, availability, or privacy policies of these websites.

• Writing Module, Unit 3, Lesson 8

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Writing a Narrative Paragraph

Once you finish prewriting, you are ready to write your paragraph. These writing activities will help you create a topic sentence, body sentences, and an ending sentence. You'll also read another student's paragraph to see how all of the parts came together.

Writing the Topic Sentence

Your narrative paragraph should begin with a topic sentence . It names the topic and shares a specific thought or feeling about it.

Sample Topic Sentence 1:

Whitewater rafting with my family was a crazy adventure.

• Topic: Whitewater rafting with my family
• Special Thought: A crazy adventure

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

Write your topic sentence.

Respond to the first two items below, and use your responses to help you write a topic sentence for your narrative paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template .

My first seashell hunt

A surprise ending

My first seashell hunt had a surprise ending.

Writing the Body Sentences

Body sentences are the middle part of a paragraph. They tell what happened in your story in time order . Body sentences may also include details about the setting as well as conversations between characters .

Write 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 are given below. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template .

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

Body Sentences

(Answers will vary.)

Teaching Tip

Remind students that narratives bring stories to life. Adding sensory details will help readers feel like they are part of the story.

Writing the Ending Sentence

Write your ending sentence..

Try these ending strategies. Then choose one or combine two to create your ending sentence . Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template .

He said, “It’s your lucky day. That’s a shark’s tooth!”

The best surprises are shared with someone else.

It made me happy to spend time with my dad.

Ending Sentence

Read a narrative paragraph draft.

Note how the writer put the parts together.

Listen to "My Seashell Surprise"

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!”

Students will recognize many parts of this paragraph, such as the topic sentence, body sentences, and ending sentence. Help them see the choices the writer has made in drafting.

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• Writing Paragraphs

How to Write a Narrative Paragraph

Last Updated: December 5, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Grant Faulkner, MA . Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.  There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 324,198 times.

A narrative paragraph tells a story, either real or fictional, by introducing a topic, giving more details, and then ending with a reflection or transition to another paragraph. Being able to properly write a narrative paragraph is an essential skill for anyone who wants to write or tell stories, from authors to journalists to advertisers and beyond. Learning the essential elements (an introduction, necessary details, and a conclusion) and how to put them together concisely will enable you to craft brief but complete stories for any audience. Plus, you'll become a better, more confident writer, too!

Introducing Your Story

• You could relate something that happened to someone else, even a fictional person.

• The exception would be if you were switching between the current discussion of the story’s meaning (in present tense) and the narrative of the story’s events (past tense).

• A good first-person topic sentence might be, “I’ll never forget the time I picked out my new puppy.” If you were using third person, the same topic sentence would be written, “He would never forget the time he picked out his new puppy.”

• For the first-person example about picking out a new puppy, you might continue, “My mom drove me to the breeder, which was 45 minutes away.”

• You might say: “I was 11, so the car ride seemed like an eternity. We lived in Wisconsin at the time, and the breeder was in Chicago.”
• All background information after the topic sentence, such as other characters and where the story takes place, should be approximately 1-4 sentences long.

• While the length of your paragraph will vary based on the content, a standard 5-sentence paragraph likely will not provide enough detail to tell a complete narrative.

Providing Narrative Details

• You could say, ”When we arrived at the breeder, I felt dismayed. I didn’t see any puppies at all.”

• You might continue, ”The breeder whistled. I was relieved when the puppies bounded around a corner and into the entryway. I saw a puppy in my favorite color—white—with two black spots. ‘Mom, can we keep him?’ I asked hopefully. She paused for a minute, seeming to reconsider getting a puppy at all.”

• You could end, “Then, mom smiled. ‘Only if we can name him Oreo.’ I hugged her, and Oreo gave me a lick of approval.”
• Resolution could be as brief as 1 sentence or as many as 3.

Concluding Your Story and Proofing Your Paragraph

• Regarding the puppy story, you might say, ”It was the happiest day of my life.”
• The nature of your conclusion will depend greatly on the tone and content of your story as well as the perspective the story is told from.

• Reading your story out loud is a great way to listen for grammar problems and other spots that don’t quite flow.
• Don’t rely on spell-check, as it won’t catch everything!

Template and Example of a Narrative Paragraph

Expert Q&A

• To make your narrative paragraph engaging, bounce story ideas off a friend before you begin writing. It’s best to focus on a moment that was special and transformative for you or your narrator rather than simply relating day-to-day events. [10] X Research source Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• The sentence parameters outlined here are simply guidelines rather than hard rules. When needed, narrative paragraphs can run slightly shorter or longer to suit their content. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/verb_tenses/verb_tense_consistency.html
• ↑ https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/lessonplan/writing-narrative-paragraph
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/paragraph-development-examples/
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/10-1-narration/
• ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/buildingblocks/chapter/narrative-paragraphs/
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Proofreading.html
• ↑ Grant Faulkner, MA. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 8 January 2019.
• ↑ https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/chapter/chapter-12-peer-review-and-final-revisions/

About This Article

A narrative paragraph tells a chronological story that can either be real or fictional. A good narrative starts with a strong topic sentence that draws the reader in and introduces the tale you’re going to tell. For example, you might start your paragraph with "I'll never forget the day I picked out my new puppy." Once you hook your reader, introduce any major characters involved in the tale. After you set the scene, introduce the main conflict in the story, which you'll want to resolve by the end. For instance, you might write "When we arrived at the breeder's, I was disappointed. There weren't any puppies in sight. But then I heard a whistle and saw a bunch of puppies race around the corner." Your narrative paragraph should be around 9 sentences long. For tips on how to proofread your narrative paragraph, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Adult Education English 3

In English 3, the writing and insights of authors throughout our history are explored and analyzed. Students gain an appreciation of American literature and the ways it reflects the times in which it was written. They discovered how people thought and lived and wrote about their experiences. Students are also asked to observe, investigate, and report on stories of today. The goal is for students to be thorough, accurate, and compelling in their writing.

Projects Offering: If you would like more information on enrolling in our AE English 3 Projects offering please go to this listing .

Major Topics and Concepts

• 01.01 Interpretations with American Drama
• 01.02 Interpretations with Shakespearean Drama
• 01.03 Using Context Clues to Make Meaning
• 01.04 Denotations and Connotations
• 01.05 19th Century Foundations of American Literature
• 02.01 Citing Textual Evidence
• 02.02 Sequence of Events and Central Ideas
• 02.03 Analyzing Effectiveness
• 02.04 Integrating and Evaluating Sources
• 02.05 Thesis Statements
• 02.06 Creating An Outline
• 02.08 Developing Body Paragraphs
• 02.09 Writing an Effective Conclusion

Module Three

• 03.01 Making Inferences
• 03.02 Determining Themes
• 03.03 Analyzing Author’s Choice
• 03.04 Establishing Narration
• 03.05 Writing Narrative Introductions
• 03.06 Writing Narrative Body Paragraphs
• 03.07 Revising the Narrative Essay
• 03.08 The Narrative Essay Final Draft

Module Five

• 05.01 Hyphenation and Syntax
• 05.02 Reading Poetry
• 05.03 The Art of Language
• 05.04 Understanding 20th Century Poetry
• 05.05 Analyzing 20th Century Poetry
• 06.01 Analyzing Language
• 06.02 Evaluating a Speech
• 06.03 Evaluate Reasoning
• 06.04 Analyzing Purpose
• 06.05 Evaluating Rhetoric
• 06.06 Gathering Information
• 06.07 Integrating Information

Module Seven

• 07.01 Evaluating a Speaker
• 07.02 Establishing Argument Writing
• 07.03 Developing a Claim
• 07.04 Introductions to Argument Writing
• 07.06 Writing an Argument
• 07.07 Conclusions in Argument Writing
• 07.08 Revising Arguments
• 07.09 Presenting an Argument

Competencies

Informative texts.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of informative texts by summarizing an informative text using textual evidence, formulating a response using multiple sources of information in different media or formats, and creating a structured informative text following an outline.

Literary Interpretation

Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary interpretation by explaining interpretation strategies, comparing interpretations of Shakespearean drama, and describing representations of nineteenth-century American culture in literature.

Narrative Writing

Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative writing by analyzing an author’s craft and structure within a story, and creating a story using narrative techniques.

Reading Informational Texts

Students will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze, and critique a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts – including texts for science, social studies, and technical subjects.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of poetry by comparing the treatment of similar themes or topics within contemporary American poems, explaining historical and cultural influences on early-twentieth-century poetry, and creating a multimedia presentation on poetry analysis.

Rhetoric and Research

Students will demonstrate an understanding of rhetoric and research by analyzing a speaker’s use of persuasive appeals, explaining the themes and purpose of a presidential address, evaluating source credibility, and documenting research.

The Argumentative Writing Process

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the argumentative writing process by formulating the elements of an argument, creating a structured argumentative essay following an outline, explaining the process of revision, and creating a multimedia presentation to deliver an argument.

• Level Adult Ed
• Credits 1.0
• Estimated Completion Time 36 weeks
• Notes Meets English graduation requirement

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