WRITING YOUR NARRATIVE ESSAY Talking about the life of

someone you care about

REVIEW: WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY? (15’)
1) Write at least 5 sentences with
times included.
2) Read the sentences to your
partner.
3) The partner listens and makes 4
questions to know more details.
WH- + DID + SUBJ +VERB + Example: I woke up at 5am.
EXTRA INFO? Really!? Why did you wake
up so early?
 PARTS OF THE ESSAY: THE INTRODUCTION
Introduction: 1) Not too long
2) “Catchy”: It makes the reader interested in your story.
3) Say what you will do in the essay
Don’t do: “Parents are the best, so I interviewed my mum and dad.”
DO:
A quote (indicate source)
A little anecdote
A little reflection
INTRODUCTION SAMPLES
Sample 1:
There is a phrase of the poet Jorge Manrique which says: “…cómo, a nuestro
parecer, cualquier tiempo pasado fue mejor.” We all have said that we want to grow
when we were children, but when we grow older we realize that we are wrong. That
is what happened to José Miguel. He is very important for me, and I hope that
through this investigation of his life, I will learn a little more about him. This is the story
of his childhood, of my boyfriend’s childhood.
Sample 2:
Different colors, different memories. When you think about the past, there is going
to be many things coming to mind, such as sad, funny and also tragic experiences,
some of them with more details than others. Sometimes your life can have some
similarities with someone else’s life, but you never know what you could find out going
into a person childhood and back story. People have stories, would you like to hear
them? This is the story of my mother, and how she has become the strong and loving
woman she is today.
PARTS OF THE ESSAY: THE BODY
 You decide how many paragraphs you need, but 1 is too little and 8 or more, too
much.
 Consider that the full essay is only 2 pages long.
 Each paragraph should connect to the next one thematically. There must be a
progression of ideas.
Each paragraph should be rather similar in length.
Start each paragraph by INDENTING (Tab), and most importantly a topic sentence:
One paragraph = One topic sentence or main idea
Keep sentences short, but clear (simple, compound or complex). Use the
grammar you know, try not to translate! Adapt!!
BODY PARAGRAPH SAMPLES

First line indented

Concise topic sentence
Enough details
Supporting sentences
are directly related to
the topic sentence
Sentences are clear
and not too long
PARTS OF THE ESSAY: THE CONCLUSION
 Keep it short!
 What can you conclude from the interview? What did you learn? What did it make
you reflect on?
CONCLUSION SAMPLES

First line indented

Concise conclusion
Includes learning,
reflection
It does not include new
information
It closes the essay
properly