How to Write a Narrative paragraph?
In a world full of tweets and sound bites, it’s easy to forget the power of a well-written narrative paragraph. But whether you’re working on a novel, a blog post, or just a school assignment, writing a good narrative paragraph can be a great way to engage your readers and move your story along. Here are some tips on how to write a narrative paragraph that will hook your readers and keep them coming back for more.
What is a narrative paragraph?
A narrative paragraph tells a story. This story can be based on your personal experience, or it may be an event that happened in the past or a historical event.
The story can be real or fictional (not real).
You have to tell a story in a way that the reader feels that he was with you at the time of the event.
Click here for more information : Structure of a paragraph
Structure of a narrative paragraph
The beginning of the paragraph introduces the characters and setting of the story. The middle of the paragraph contains the sequence of the events in the story, and the end of the paragraph wraps up the story or gives a reflection on the story.
Topic Sentence
The topic sentence is very important in a narrative paragraph. The topic sentence gives the reader back ground information and the reason for writing. Moreover, it introduces the main character . It can be you or someone you are writing about. The topic sentence( first part) tells the time and place of the story.
The best day of my life
Days come and go, but some days stick to your mind and leave an indelible impression. I have one special day that stands out, and I consider it the best day of my life. It was my 9th birthday. I was living with my family in Japan.
One of the most valuable lesson
One of the most valuable lessons I learned when I was 25 years old. I was in Canada. It was cold winter morning, and I was driving my car……..
From the above two examples, you can see the time and place of the event in the topic sentence.
Click Here for more information : Classroom Activities to teach Simple past
Click Here for more information : Simple Past: Regular and Irregular Verbs – Quiz
Click Here for more information : Simple Past: Irregular Verbs Quiz
Click Here for more information : Simple past grammar activities
Click Here for more information : Simple past video lessons and Quizzes
Click Here for more information : Simple past video Quiz
Click Here for more information : Simple past video lesson and Quiz
Click Here for more information : ESL lessons and Quizzes
Supporting Sentences
Supporting sentences explain the sequence of events in the story. You may add sensory details as the story moves. It also gives an idea of how the writer feels. It shares the writer’s personal experience and feelings.
Sequence of events in supporting sentences
In supporting sentences, the sequence of events is important. You use what is called chronological-order sequencing words. First, next, then, and finally are all examples of chronological order words. You often find other words that can be used to signal chronological order as well; however, these four are the most common.
Simultaneous events in Supporting Sentences
Sometimes you need to show simultaneous events in a narrative paragraph. You can use the word “while” if you want to write about simultaneous events. For example, “While I was cooking dinner, the phone rang.” This shows that the two events are happening at the same time.
Another way to show simultaneous events is to use two independent clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. For example, “I was cooking dinner, and the phone rang.” This also shows that the two events are happening at the same time.
Other examples
I was cooking dinner and the phone rang at the same time.
Meanwhile, I was cooking dinner and the phone rang.
Use transition words to link sentences together.
A common mistake made by the writers is not using enough transition words to link sentences together. Transition words help organize the sentences and make them easier to read.
Use a variety of sentences in supporting sentences
In order to write a good narrative paragraph, you should use a variety of sentences, including:
-simple sentences
-compound sentences
-complex sentences
A simple sentence just states the facts. For example: “I went to the store.”
A compound sentence joins two simple ideas with a conjunction. For example: “I went to the store, and I bought some milk.”
A complex sentence has one dependent clause and one independent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand by itself as a complete sentence; it must be attached to an independent clause. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand by itself as a complete sentence. For example: “I went to the store because I needed some milk.”
Grammar tip for writing a narrative paragraph
One of the most important things to remember when writing a narrative paragraph is to use proper grammar.
1. Use the correct verb tense – Always use the past tense when writing a narrative paragraph. This means that you should use verbs such as “went,” “saw,” and “lived.”
2. Make sure your verbs agree with your subject – You also need to ensure that your verbs agree with your subject. For example, if your subject is singular, your verb should also be singular.
3. Use correct punctuation – When writing a narrative paragraph, you need to use correct punctuation in order to create properly formatted sentences. Specifically, you should use commas, periods, and quotation marks in the correct places.
4. Avoid run-on sentences – A run-on sentence is a sentence that is too long and does not have proper grammatical structure. In order to avoid run-on sentences, you should break your paragraphs up into shorter sentences.
5. Use proper spelling – you need to make sure that you spell all of the words in your narrative paragraph correctly.
Concluding sentence
One way to write a concluding sentence in a narrative paragraph is to sum up what has happened in the story. This can be done by giving a final thought or reflection on the story. Another way to write a concluding sentence is to leave the reader with something to think about. This can be done by asking a question or making a thought-provoking statement.
The concluding sentence gives an idea of how the writer feels at the end of the story and what he learned from it.
Narrative paragraph concluding sentence examples
- Overall, it was a difficult experience, but I’m glad I learned a lot from it.
- In the end, I was able to finish cooking dinner.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to end a narrative paragraph. Remember, your goal is to leave the reader feeling satisfied. You want them to finish reading the paragraph and feel like they learned something or had an emotional experience. With a little practice, you’ll be able to write an excellent concluding sentence.