Narrative Essays
WHAT IS A NARRATIVE ESSAY?
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Narratives tell stories. Everyone has read
narratives, watched them on television or heard
them from other people. A narrative paragraph
tells a short story or describes an event.
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In other words, it is a story about a personal
memory.
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It’s about a time so important that you don’t
ever want to forget.
What Would Make a Good Narrative
and What Wouldn’t?
 Good Choice
A
house fire
 A car accident
 A death
 Getting lost
 A scary time
 Bad Choice
 Getting
out of
bed
 Eating dinner
 Meeting your
friend
A Personal Narrative is...
a story that really happened ( a true story).
 a story that happened to or observed by the
writer.
 a story that makes the reader think or feel the
same as the writer felt at that time
 a story that shows strong feelings.
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a story that is written in the first person. Use
these words:
I, me, my, us, we
A good Narration
It reveals something of importance to you (your
main point)
 It includes all of the major events of the story.
 It uses details to bring the story to life.
 It presents the events in a clear order, usually
according to when it happened.
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Common time transitions
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Before
After
During
First
Next
Second
Then
Finally
while
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Later
At last
Last
Eventually
Meanwhile
Since
Now
Soon
when
A UFO Sighting
I never believed in aliens before one night
last year. It was a cold, dark winter evening, and I
was walking home from a friend’s house. I stopped
to tie my shoe. When I looked up again, I saw a
round object coming toward me. It was very large
and shiny. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
Before I could shout or run, the object suddenly
moved and then disappeared. After the object
disappeared, I ran all the way home and called my
best friend. When she picked up the phone, I couldn’t
say anything. I knew she would think I was crazy. I
never told anyone about my UFO sighting.
Ask yourself questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
When was an important time in my life?
What has happened in my experience that I would
enjoy writing about?
Is there an event in my life that other people
would enjoy hearing about?
How did I feel about a particular experience?
Who was involved?
Why do I remember this event so strongly?
What effect did it have on me?
Did anything change because of this experience?
What interesting experiences do I know of that
happened to other people?
1. Write about a recent experience or
incident you witnessed that left a strong
impression on you.
2. Write about an event when you were
proud of someone in your family.
3. Think of a time when you had to do something
against your wishes.
Or
4. Think of a memorable experience you have had
– it could be frightening or amusing.
Activity: Complete the middle parts of the two stories below.
1)
A Fright in the forest
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Suddenly I felt very cold and scared.
I grew up in a small town in the countryside. Near my house was
a large forest, and my parents told me not to play there.
After that day, I never went back to the forest.
One day, I was playing in the forest with some of my school
friends.
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2)- A Strange Day in Class:
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I have been studying English for a few years and I really enjoy
the classes.
I heard everyone laughing. I woke up and realized it was a
dream.
One day something unusual happened in class.
The teacher was explaining grammar when I saw something
strange
Writing a Narrative Essay: Organization
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Narrative essays are organized in chronological order. They tell
a story in the order that the events happened.
Like any other essay, the narrative essay should begin with an
introductory paragraph, which will set up the events being
related.
This paragraph will be followed by a minimum of three body
paragraphs.
Always end your essay with a memorable and strong concluding
paragraph.
Always remember to stick to one point throughout the essay. Each
paragraph should flow smoothly from one to another.
What Should Be Included in a
Narrative Essay?
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It is often written in 1st person – I or we – because it
is based on a personal story
It can also be written in 3rd person
It can never be written in 2nd person
It has specific sensory details to get the reader
hooked on the story
It is developed in chronological order
It has verbs that help paint a picture and draw in the
reader.
What Else Does the Narrative Essay Need?
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Since this is a story, the narrative essay needs
everything a story needs (these are known as the
story elements):
Has a plot
 Has characters
 Has a problem
 Has a climax
 Often uses dialogue
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Let’s Read the Essay – The Introduction
It was a wonderful week to camp in the great
outdoors, even if some of their friends thought it
was a strange way to spend a vacation. Trudy
and Jeff were looking forward to their week at
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in
Tennessee. 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.
Setting the Scene of the Story
After a scenic drive through the glorious
mountains, Trudy and Jeff arrived at the camping
area. A ranger at the booth handed them a map
and asked, “Have you ever camped with us
before?”
“A better question would be if we ever
camped before,” Jerry answered amusingly.
“You’ll be fine. Just remember, this isn’t a
hotel. We do have bears and other animals in the
area, so lock your food up in the car,” said the
ranger as he handed them a lists of Do’s and
Don’ts.
Developing the Plot
Exhausted from their first attempt at
setting up a campsite, Trudy and Jeff
crawled inside the tent that evening,
giggling and whispering to each other.
They doused the light inside the tent
and ignored the world outside. The
ranger’s list was left laying on the tent
floor.
Continuing the Action – Vivid Word Choices
Just before sunrise, Jerry was awakened by the
sounds of metal ripping. He quietly slipped out of
the tent. A fully grown black bear was sitting on
their picnic table busily prying the lid off the
cooler they neglected to store in the car the night
before. Finding the pound of meat he prized, the
bear leaned back on his hind haunches and began
to devour the meat. Jerry started screaming at the
bear, “Get out of here! What do you think you’re
doing?”
Reaching the Climax
By this point, most of the other campers had
exited their own tents and watched the scene
unfold. The bear was not amused by Jerry’s
threatening, especially with the remainder of the
meat at stake. The black bear stood on top of the
picnic table to his full height. While the bear
actually stood only four feet tall, the extra height
of the table caused him to loom over Jerry’s
head. The bear suddenly fell forward, striking
the table with his full weight and snarled. The
table moaned in response.
The Climax Continues
Much more quickly than anyone anticipated,
the bear reached out his huge, menacing paw
towards Jerry. Fear leapt into Jerry’s eyes as he
turned and ran back into his tent. Close the tent
quickly!
Now, one can only imagine how much time
passed before Jerry and Trudy realized the
futility of his preventive actions. How was a
flimsy flap of cloth going to stop a full-sized,
angry bear?
Finding the Solution
Fortunately, the bear was much more
interested in the left-over meat than in Jerry and
Trudy. The bear cautiously turned around,
climbed back on top of the table, and continued to
eat his early breakfast. He carefully examined the
remaining contents of the cooler. Finding nothing
else as delicious as the meat, the bear jumped off
the picnic table, grunted, licked his paws and
mouth, and then lumbered off into the deeper
woods that surrounded the campground.
The Concluding Paragraph
The audience that had gathered
applauded spontaneously, then slowly
returned to their own campsites, shaking
their heads in disbelief. Meanwhile, inside
the thin tent, Trudy and Jeff had lit their
lantern and were carefully studying the
items listed on the Do’s and Don’ts list. The
rest of their trip was blissfully peaceful as
they made sure to follow all the rules at the
campsite.
Verb Tenses in Narration
(1)- Simple Past: It is used to express a completed action at
a definite time in the past. It is also used to describe the sequence
of events in a narrative.
1.Mohammed
was driving along the road when suddenly he
saw a camel run out in front of him. He braked as hard as he
could but couldn't stop in time. The car hit the camel. The
man got out of the car and checked to see if the animal was
alive.
2.The two men were crossing the desert when they heard a
loud bang. It sounded like a rifle but they were not sure.
They heard another shot but this time something hit the side
of the car. Now they were sure it was a gunshot.
Verb Tenses in Narration
(2)- Past Continuous: (1) It is good for setting the scene; it is used to
describe the situation in which the events of the narrative occurred.
1- When I woke up at 8am (1) the sun was shining (2) and the birds
were singing (2). I had a shower (3), ate some breakfast (4) and left
for work at 9am.(5)
(2) It is used for an action that was in progress for some time and is
usually used with an action in the simple past.
1.
2.
3.
Mohammed was driving along the road when suddenly he ran out of petrol.
As the two men were crossing the desert, they saw a camel.
When the lights went out, I was talking to my brother.
Verb Tenses in Narration
(3)- Past Perfect Simple: It is to show an action or situation happened
BEFORE another event in the past.
1.
2.
3.
When I woke up at 8am (1), the sun was shining and the birds
were singing. I had slept (2) really well the night before. I had
a shower (3), ate some breakfast (4) and left for work at 9am.
(5)
The car was speeding down the deserted highway when the
accident happened. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and
driven straight into a tree. Another car passed by. The driver saw
what had happened and stopped his car. He called the police and
said that he had witnessed an accident.
I woke up at 7am and left for work after I had had a shower and
eaten some breakfast.
Verb Tenses in Narration
(4)- Past Perfect Continuous: It is used for longer activities that
were happening continuously up until a specified time in the past.
1.
He looked very tired (1) because he had been working
very hard (2) over the past three weeks.
2.
He hadn't heard the telephone ring because he had
been reading.
Activity 1: Change the verbs in brackets to the past tense: simple, continuous, or
perfect
1.
2.
3.
While I _______________________(play) football I_______(hurt)
my leg.
The police _____(go) to the bank after a neighbour ______(phone)
to tell them what __________(happen). They soon ____________
(discover) that the robbers _____________ (escape) in a stolen car.
The men _________ (kill) one of the guards who _________(try) to
stop them as they _____________ (drive) away. The guard
______________ (jump) out in front of them but they just
_________________ (run) over him.
Suddenly they _________(hear) a strange noise and _______(look)
at each other in terror. All evening they ___________ (play) cards
and ____________ (watch) TV without thinking of the ghost.
Activity 2: Change the verbs in brackets to the past tense: simple, continuous, or
perfect
The Unlucky Burglar
One evening Paul (watch) ____________ the television and
(eat)____________ his supper when the door suddenly (open)
____________ and a burglar (come) ____________ in. He (wear)
____________ a mask and (carry) ____________ a sack. Before
doing anything else, he (tie) ____________ Paul to the chair. Then
he went upstairs to look for money. Although he (not find)
____________ any money, he (find) ____________ a lot of jewelry,
which he (put) ____________ into his sack. In his rush to get
downstairs, he (not see) ____________ the dog that (lie)
____________ at the bottom of the stairs, and he (fall)
____________ over it, losing his glasses. ____________ the burglar
(look for) ____________ them, Paul (try) ____________ to free
himself. Finally, Paul (manage) ____________ to escape and he
(phone) ____________ the police. When the burglar (find)
____________ his glasses, he (run) ____________ out of the house.
However, unfortunately for him, the police (wait) ____________
for him at the end of the garden.
Activity 3: Complete the following with a suitable past tense:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
My landlord threw me out of my flat because (not pay the rent for
six months and break all the windows)
When I eventually got to the meeting, I was bad tempered and
exhausted! I (sit in traffic jam for 45 minutes, a motorist bump
into me, and get completely lost)
By the time 5 o'clock arrived, Brenda was furious. She (wait for an
hour, drink six cups of tea, and they not arrive.
I was so depressed that I couldn't do the exam. I (study every day
for two months and give up see my friends)
After I (finish) my lunch, I went back to work.
When the police (interview) me, they let me go home.
As soon as I got home my brother (go out).
The children had to stay in until the rain (stop).
Activity 4: Correct the mistakes with the simple past and the past continuous tense:
When I am a university student about two years ago, I
enrolled in a scuba diving course. My scuba diving teacher
was having a big surprise: I wasn’t knowing how to swim. In
fact, I had a big fear of water. When I was a child, my
parents try to help me, so they make me take many
swimming lessons. Although I try hard, I didn’t learning to
swim. When I enrolled in the scuba diving course, I was still
afraid of water. Everyday I entered the swimming pool, I
battle my fear. Fortunately, my courage won every time.
Finally, one day while I practicing my dive, I realized I was
do very well. So, finally, after six months of hard work, I
completed the course. It is true that I was always the worst of
the group, but in my own evaluation, I was a champion
because I conquer my fear of water. For me, this experience
was very important. It was a test of courage, and I pass it.