Reading Personal Narratives
Before you share a story about a time when you learned a valuable lesson, you'll want to see how other students explored their topics. Read the sample paragraph and narrative essay in this lesson and answer the questions about them. Think about how the writer puts ideas together and how you might do so in your own narrative.
Reading a Narrative Paragraph
A narrative paragraph briefly shares a story about something that happened in the writer's life. It includes three parts: The topic sentence introduces the story. The body sentences describe what happened in time order. The ending sentence tells why the experience was important, possibly by stating a lesson learned.
Sample Narrative Paragraph
Listen to "Saying Good-Bye"
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Saying Good-Bye
Topic Sentence The news broke during a family meeting, the first I can ever remember my parents calling. Mom and Dad sat my brother Patrick and me down in the living room. “We have some big news,” said my Dad, his voice cracking. He paused. My mom continued, “Your dad’s company is transferring him to the United States, and we’re going with him.” Body Sentences My mind went blank. The United States? I had never even visited anywhere outside of my home country, the Philippines. My eyes welled with tears. “What!” I stood and exclaimed. But my protests were no use. In ten days, we would be leaving the only home I’d known. Those last days were filled with last-minute packing, final meals, and final good-byes. I met my best friend Nicole for one last cheese ensaymada at our favorite bakery. Ending Sentence The flaky sugar-coated pastry never tasted so bittersweet.
Respond to the narrative paragraph.
Answer these questions about the reading. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.