Mastering the art of narrative essays

Practice Activities

What is a Narrative Essay?

The structure

Examples

Frustration at the Airport I had never been more anxious in my life. I had just spent the last three endless hours trying to get to the airport so that I could travel home. Now, as I watched the bus driver set my luggage on the airport sidewalk, I realized that my frustration had only just begun. 2 44 Unit 2 • Narrative Essays 3 I tried to ask a passing businessman for help, but my words all came out wrong. He just scowled and walked away. What had happened? I had been in this country for a whole semester, and I could not even remember how to ask for directions. This was awful! Another bus arrived at the terminal, and the passengers came out carrying all sorts of luggage. Here was my chance! I could follow them to the right place, and I would not have to say a word. 4 I dragged my enormous suitcase behind me and followed the group. We finally reached the elevators. Oh, no! They all fit in it, but there was not enough room for me. I watched in despair as the elevator doors closed. I had no idea what to do next. I got on the elevator when it returned and gazed at all the buttons. Which one could it be? I pressed button 3. The elevator slowly climbed up to the third floor and jerked to a stop. A high, squeaking noise announced the opening of the doors, and I looked around timidly. 5 Tears formed in my eyes as I saw the deserted lobby and realized that I would miss my plane. Just then an elderly airport employee shuffled around the corner. He saw that I was lost and asked if he could help. He gave me his handkerchief to dry my eyes as I related my predicament. He smiled kindly, and led me down a long hallway. We walked up some stairs, turned a corner, and, at last, there was customs! He led me past all the lines of people and pushed my luggage to the inspection counter. 6 When I turned to thank him for all his help, he was gone. I will never know that kind man’s name, but I will always remember his unexpected courtesy. He helped me when I needed it the most. I can only hope that one day I will be able to do the same for another traveler who is suffering through a terrible journey.

The hook in an essay is part of the introduction, the first few sentences that grabs readers’ attention. Hooks are especially important because they help set the stage for the story. The hook makes readers start guessing about what will happen next.

Frustration at the Airport

First Impressions

The man box

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1. Setting: The setting is the location where the action in a story takes place. 2. Theme: The theme is the basic idea of the story. Very often the theme will deal with a topic that is common in life or human nature, such as independence, envy, courage, failure, and success. 3. Mood: The mood is the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the story. It could be happy, hopeful, suspenseful, or scary. Both the setting and descriptive vocabulary create the mood in a narrative. 4. Characters: The characters are the people in the story. They are affected by the mood of the story, and they react to the events in which they are involved.5. Plot: The plot is what happens in the story, that is, the sequence of events. The plot often includes a climax or turning point at which the characters or events change.

Narrative essays also include these elements: Thesis- sets up the action in the introduction Transition sentences- connect events and help the reader follow the story Conclusion- ends the story action and provides a moral, prediction, or revelation

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The statement must be: Arguable, Specific and Without Personal Voice or Pronouns.

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Then interactivity will be your best friend.

Do you want your content to be clear and fun?

Select an element and click on the Interactivity icon above it: Tooltip, Window, Reveal, Link, Go to page, Audio, Full-screen, Interactive questions... You choose!

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A narrative essay tells a story. In fact, narrative is another word for story

Narratives can tell long stories or just a few minutes’ worth of excitement. While the narrative essay has a particular structure, narrative ideas are often used in different writing tasks, such as argument or compare-contrast.