Grade 7/8 Language Arts
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An account of a sequence of events, usually
in the order that they occurred.
Narrative is the general term for telling a
story.
 There
are two main kinds of
narratives:
◦ Fictional (made up)
◦ Nonfiction (true)
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In a fictional narrative, the writer creates
the characters, decides on the setting and
plans the story to teach some kind of lesson
to the reader.
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In a nonfiction narrative, the writer learns
about a real person or event and writes a
story to tell the reader about that person or
event in an interesting way.
A non-fiction narrative can also be used to
teach the reader a lesson
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All narratives should have several characters,
different settings, some kind of conflict and a
message.
When writing it is important to plan out all of
the elements so your narrative is complete
and well thought out.
What makes up a narrative?
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Clear purpose (a message or lesson you want to
leave with your reader)
Planning (brainstorming and outline)
Organization (Sentences & Paragraphs) and…
◦ Beginning (Introduction)
◦ Middle (Body  rising action, climax, falling action)
◦ End (Conclusion)
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Dialogue (talking between people or characters)
Descriptive language (create vivid images for
reader)
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Purpose (why are you writing?)
Audience (who are you writing for?)
Form (what is the best way to communicate
your ideas?)

A narrative should always have a specific
point
◦ A narrative strives to teach a lesson or make a
specific point
◦ A narrative is not a diary entry – the story always
has a purpose
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To write with purpose you need to plan
If you don’t your story will ramble on and
on, but it will have no clear purpose and no
clear beginning, middle, and end.
A long story doesn’t equal a good story

Write a short narrative that illustrates the
importance of following directions
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As the reader, you will expect to learn why
following directions is important.
As the reader, you will also expect there to be
a twist in the action.
Here’s how you could approach it…
An Informal Outline of the Story:
 Two campers go camping and ignore rules
 They leave out food
 An animal finds the food
 One of the campers tries to scare off the
animal
 Campers learn to follow the rules
It was a wonderful week to camp in the
great outdoors, even if some of their
friends thought it was a strange way to
honeymoon. Amanda and Jeff were looking
forward to their week at Banff National Park
in Alberta. Little did they know what a
learning experience this trip would be.
Oftentimes people do not follow simple
directions. However, these campers learned
just how important following directions can
be.

Write a short narrative that illustrates the
importance of following directions
What is Dialogue?
It's the conversation that takes
place between characters in a
story.
You can tell more about your
characters' thoughts
and feelings if you include
dialogue in your stories.
Let's look at a story without dialogue.
Sharing a room with her sister wasn't
always fun. Kristi was tired of always
cleaning up after her sister Ashley.
Just because they shared a room,
that doesn't mean they had to share
the mess! Ashley was always leaving
dirty dishes on her desk, and there
were always dirty clothes under the
bed. Kristi had tried to talk to Ashley
about cleaning up the mess, but
somehow talking didn't help.
Let's add some dialogue to that story.
Sharing a room with her sister wasn't always
fun. Kristi was tired of always having to clean up
their room.
"Ashley, you've left your clothes on the floor
again! I'm not picking them up for you this time,"
remarked Kristi.
"I'm sorry, Kristi, I don't mean to be a slob!" joked
Ashley.
"I just don't notice the mess--really! I guess it just
doesn't bother me,” exclaimed Kristi.
"Well, it bothers me! You know it does," said
Kristi.
"I'll try harder, I guess," sighed Ashley. "But I can’t
promise anything. Neatness just isn't my thing!"
Your audience will have a better understanding of Kristi and Ashley
after reading the conversation that takes place between
them. It's more interesting to read...AND...it helps to
understand how both Kristi and Ashley FEEL .
Dialogue lets you tell so much more about your characters.
It allows your readers to understand your characters more too.
Reminder When writing dialogue you must remember
to:
1. Use Quotation Marks.
2. Identify who is speaking.
3. Indent each time the speaker changes.
4. Use commas and other punctuation correctly.
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Look at the example on your sheet.
Take note of what punctuation is being used
and where it is being used.
A thesaurus can extend your word power.
declared
questioned
repeated
exclaimed
replied
bellowed
shouted
responded
whispered
asked
Read the following story:
Paul and his dad were planning their first
fishing trip of the year. Paul wasn't sure
what to bring with him, so he asked his
dad. His dad told him to bring his
pole. His dad would bring everything
else. His dad also told him to dress warmly
because it's always cold in the morning
near the lake. Paul told his dad he was
excited about going and would have
trouble sleeping.
Rewrite the story adding dialogue.

Trade with a partner and look it over

Did they…
1. Use Quotation Marks.
2. Identify who is speaking.
3. Indent each time the speaker changes.
4. Use commas and other punctuation correctly.
5. Use synonyms for ‘said’
Here's a sample of what your story might look like.
Notice the quotation marks and commas.
Check your story to make sure you have the correct
punctuation.
Paul and his dad were planning their first fishing trip of the year.
"What should I pack, Dad?" asked Paul. "I don't want to forget
anything."
"Just bring your pole, Paul. I've got everything else we'll need
already in the car," remarked Paul’s Dad. "Mom's already packed us a
big lunch. We want to get an early start!"
"Should I bring a sweatshirt?" questioned Paul.
"Oh, it's always cool in the morning near the lake. You'll need more
than a sweatshirt. You need to make sure you dress warm."
Paul headed up to bed.
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep, Dad. I'm too excited!“ exclaimed
Paul.
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[Being Unprepared] Because you have been sick, out of
town, busy at work, or working on other homework, you
didn't have as much time to study for an important test as
you needed. Everyone going to school has been in this
situation. Think of a specific test that you took that you
felt unprepared for and narrate the events. Tell your
readers about the preparation that you were able to do,
the reasons that you didn't get to prepare as well as you
wanted, taking the test, and any significant events that
happened after you took the test. Your narrative should
help readers understand what it felt like to be unprepared
and why it is a good idea to be more prepared.
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[Standing Up] Choose a time when you did
something that took a lot of nerve, a time when
you didn't follow the crowd or a time when you
stood up for your beliefs. Perhaps your friends
were urging you to do something that you were
uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into
peer pressure. Maybe you took a stance on a
political issue that was important in your
community. Whatever you choose, think about the
details of the event and write a story that tells
about what happened. Your narrative should show
your readers why you decided to make a stand or
try something that took nerve, give specifics on the
events, and share how you felt after the event.
Dialogue needs to:
1. Use Quotation Marks.
2. Identify who is speaking.
3. Indent each time the speaker changes.
4. Use commas and other punctuation correctly.
5. Use synonyms for ‘said’
Why do we always have so much homework
said Tim
I think it is because sometimes we don’t work
very hard in class said Sally
I guess you’re right, sometimes I’m not very
focused
We could all do better at that. Let’s hold each
other more accountable
Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as”
Examples:
My attention was as far away as love on a battlefield.
Her skin is pale as eggshells.
Complete the following:
1.
The sun sank in the west like…
2.
The baby opened its mouth for food like…
3.
When he left, it was quiet…
4.
The shadow hung on the wall like…
5.
His words were as painful as…
6.
The sun on the water was like…
7.
On roller skates she looked as awkward as…
8.
The sky was as blue as…
9.
The clouds rolled across the sky like..
10. After our huge dinner of fish and chips, we felt like…
A metaphor is like a simile. That's because it is a comparison
that is made between things, which is not always likely or
obvious. We don’t use ‘like’ or ‘as’ in a metaphor.
We often use metaphors without realizing it. For instance,
when we say that your parents 'bark a command' at you, you
are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in
metaphor!
Other Metaphors
 A heart of stone
 He has the heart of a lion
 You are the sun in my sky
 You are the light in my life
 Love is a lemon - either bitter of sweet
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Good writers use sensory language
Sensory language addresses the five senses
When writing consider:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Smells
Sounds
Sights
Tastes
Textures
Write a 2-3 paragraph story about trip to the fair.
LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that a metaphor is a word
picture in which the writer replaces the thing to be described with
another image. It makes a more direct and vivid comparison to a
simile.
Examples:
The moon is a pearl from a necklace.
Try to write three metaphors for each of the following examples:
the sun
clouds
a cat
fog
an apple
cheese
the ocean
anger
LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that in personification, the nonhuman is identified with the human or given human characteristics.
Examples:
The steel beam clenched its muscles.
Clouds limped across the sky.
The pebbles on the path were grey with grief.
Cricket has been good to me.
The New Zealand dollar had a quiet month.
Life dealt him a heavy blow.
Give the following items human characteristics:
wind
night
moon
refugee camp
cold
war
LEARNING INTENTION: to understand that Onomatopoeia is found in a
group of words that attempts to replicate certain sounds.
We have words like woof-woof, or bow wow, tweet-tweet, and cock-adoodle doo. However, these words are still the creation of the human
mind.
Examples:
crackle, splat, ooze, squish, boom.
The tyres whirr on the road.
The pitter-patter of soft rain.
The mud oozed and squished through my toes.
Write onomatopoeia for the following:
gun sound
bomb
planes
wind
tank
walking in snow
Show Don’t Tell
To write what is happening in the story without explicitly stating it.
Telling sentence:
Joe was old.
Showing sentence:
years
Joe creaked when he moved, his arthritic limbs
bowed beneath the weight of his eighty
Below are some telling sentences which simply state facts. Transform
them into showing sentences:
1. It was cold on the beach.
2. Dad was angry.
3. My friend is a great rugby player.
4. The house needed repairs.
5. The car braked suddenly.
You can improve your writing by removing unnecessary words. It is
possible to eliminate unnecessary words but still retain the same
information.
First Draft
Revised
The idea was thought of by Jim at four o’clock early in
the morning. (14 words)
Jim’s idea came at 4 am. (6 words)
Rewrite these sentences, eliminating all the unnecessary words to make each
sentence more precise.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
He looked at Mike. Mike was his brother.
The people that I would like to tell you about are my father and mother.
He let me know that the contest the Bulldogs were in resulted in a win for
the Bulldogs.
In the vase were some daffodils. The vase of daffodils was on the table.
This recipe deals with and describes one method used to attain the
desired result in the preparation of scrambled eggs.
We can add details to a sentence to make an image more vivid
and life-like.
Bland
The man had a hairy face.
Interesting
The hair on Mr Smith’s face didn’t grow smooth
and matted as it does on most hairy-faced men. It
grew in spikes that struck out straights like
bristles of a nail brush.
Rewrite these sentences using details to make the image live.
1. The room was dark
2. The girl ran
3. His dog was unwashed and smelly
4. The lady next door is a busy body.
We can add on sufficient information to help the reader understand
better.
Example
A boat came to the island.
What kind of boat was it?
Who was aboard the boat?
What were the feelings of the passengers about reaching
the island?
When did the boat arrive?
What was the purpose of the visit?
Read the following sentences. What questions would you ask the writer
to ensure that all the essential information was given.
1. I don’t like school.
2. My aunt is in hospital.
3. We like going out for dinner.
Rewrite each of the sentences with sufficient information.
LEARNING INTENTION: To think of as many different ways as you can to
express the same idea.
Example:
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
Mary
is
is
is
is
is
a
a
a
a
a
good person.
lovely person.
wonderful person.
superb person.
delightful person.
For my birthday I got lots of presents.
It was a lovely day.
We got off the train at Wellington.
My sister got fifty dollars a week.
In the war, lots of men got injured.
Feeling annoyed, the teacher went out of the room.
We had a nice holiday in Dunedin where we met many nice people.
By using strong verbs we can express movement and help to create a
picture in the reader’s mind.
Well-chosen verbs can give writing power.
With throttles open all the way, big bad Bruce and his gang charge down
the highway on their Harleys. Bruce blasts along the highway at top
speed. Icy wind whacks into his face. He whacks it back, twice as hard.
He zooms around corners and shoots up the straight. He pushes his
bike to the max.
from Big Bad Bruce by Dianne Bates
Write a description of the action in each of these phrases using strong
verbs.
• a man kicking a door
• a lion stalking prey
• a rabbit digging a hole
• a getaway car speeding around a corner
• a dog chasing a cat