Here are some of my students’ work to give you a clearer idea of how you can utilise each of the strategies to help you or your child build a good introduction for a narrative essay.

Describe Setting

Cool air brushed past my face as light slowly withdrew from the sky. Soon the surroundings would be plunged into darkness…

Introduce the Protagonist

Jean had always been a fly on the wall. Her small stature and reserved character helped her to disappear in the class. She always seemed to be busy doodling on her sketchpad, rarely lifting her head to participate in any small chat with her classmates. But, in fact, she was eavesdropping on all the conversations…

Start with an Action

John surreptitiously glanced at his mobile phone underneath this table while Nathan prattled on about how he had gloriously defeated several other teams and looted their villages to feed his army.

Start with a Meaningful Dialogue

“Class, you will be working on a group project on water wheels. I have already put all of you into groups,” announced Miss Lin, our science teacher, to the dismay of the class.

Flashback

As I laid eyes on the yellow-tinged photograph hanging on the wall, I was transported back to the indelible moment the photograph was taken…

Start with a Quote or Proverb

The adage ‘A house divided against itself, cannot stand’, could be used to sum up the situation my project group was in when we first got randomly put together.