Welcome to the World of Stories!
Hello there! Today, we are going to learn about Narrative Writing. Don't let the big name scare you—narrative writing is simply telling a story. Whether you are telling a friend about what happened at school or writing a story about a brave cat, you are being a narrator!
In the HKAT (Hong Kong Attainment Test), writing a good story is very important. It allows you to show off your imagination and your English skills at the same time. Don't worry if you find writing difficult right now; we will break it down into small, easy steps!
1. The "Story Sandwich" (Structure)
Think of a story like a delicious sandwich. You need a top piece of bread, a yummy filling, and a bottom piece of bread. If you miss one part, it just isn't a sandwich!
The Beginning (The Top Bread)
This is where you introduce your story. You need to answer three simple questions here:
• Who is in the story? (Characters)
• Where are they? (Setting)
• When is it happening? (Time)
Example: Last Sunday, my brother and I went to the park. The sun was shining brightly.
The Middle (The Filling)
This is the most exciting part! Something usually goes wrong, or something interesting happens. This is called the problem or the action.
Example: Suddenly, we saw a small dog stuck in a tall tree. It looked very scared and was barking loudly.
The End (The Bottom Bread)
This is how you finish the story. You tell the reader how the problem was fixed and how the characters felt at the end.
Example: Finally, a kind fireman helped the dog down. We felt very happy and relieved.
Key Takeaway: Every story needs a Beginning (Who/Where), a Middle (The Event), and an End (The Result).
2. The Five-Finger Plan
When you are planning your writing, use your hand! Each finger can represent a "W" question to help you remember what to include:
1. Who: Who is the main character?
2. Where: Where does the story happen?
3. When: Is it in the morning? Last summer?
4. What: What happened? (The big event)
5. Why: Why did it happen? Or how did it end?
Did you know? Planning your story for 2 or 3 minutes before you start writing actually makes your writing much faster and better!
3. The Golden Rule: Use the Past Tense
In narrative writing, we are usually talking about things that already happened. Because of this, we must use the Past Tense. This is the most important rule for the HKAT!
Regular Verbs
Most verbs just need an -ed at the end.
• Play → played
• Help → helped
• Walk → walked
Irregular Verbs
Some verbs are "naughty" and change their spelling completely. You should try to memorize these:
• Go → went
• See → saw
• Eat → ate
• Is/Am → was
• Are → were
Quick Review: Look at this sentence: "Yesterday, I go to the mall and buy a toy."
Is it correct? No! It should be: "Yesterday, I went to the mall and bought a toy."
4. Moving the Story Along (Connectors)
To make your story smooth, you need to use "Time Connectors." These are words that show the order of events. Without them, your story feels like a group of random sentences.
Step-by-Step Connectors:
1. To start: First / To begin with / One day
2. To continue: Then / Next / After that
3. For a surprise: Suddenly / Unexpectedly
4. To finish: Finally / In the end / At last
Memory Aid: Think of connectors as the "glue" that holds your story sandwich together!
5. Adding "Sparkle" (Adjectives and Feelings)
To get higher marks, don't just tell us what happened; tell us how it looked and how people felt. Use Adjectives (describing words).
Instead of: The dog was small.
Try: The tiny, brown dog was frightened.
Instead of: I was sad.
Try: I felt miserable and wanted to cry.
Key Takeaway: Using words like beautiful, nervous, excited, or delicious makes your story much more interesting for the teacher to read!
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't worry, everyone makes mistakes! Here are the ones to watch out for:
• Mixing Tenses: Don't start in the past and suddenly switch to the present. Stay in the past.
• Forgetting Punctuation: Every sentence needs a Capital Letter at the start and a Full Stop (.) at the end.
• "And then... and then...": Try not to use "and then" too many times. Use other words like After that or Later.
Summary Checklist
Before you hand in your writing, check these four things:
1. Does my story have a Beginning, Middle, and End?
2. Did I use Past Tense verbs (e.g., went, played, saw)?
3. Did I use Connectors (e.g., First, Then, Finally)?
4. Did I describe Feelings (e.g., happy, worried)?
You are now ready to start writing your own amazing stories. Practice a little bit every day, and you will do great in your English exams!