03.07 revising the narrative essay

How to Revise a Narrative Essay

How to Write an Introduction to a Reflective Essay

Revising a narrative essay is a lot like revising anything else. It helps to focus on higher order issues first, such as content, development and organization, and then move on to grammar, mechanics and word choice toward the end of the process. What sets a narrative apart is the story form. Provide enough supporting details so your audience can follow the plot; also, remember to put those details in chronological order.

Step One: Thesis Statement

A narrative essay tells a story, but it also contains a thesis statement, just like any other kind of essay. Thesis statements are usually explicitly stated, often at the end of an introductory paragraph, but they can also be included in the conclusion or implied. Check with your professor for specific preferences on thesis statements.

When you revise your essay draft, first check that you have a thesis statement. Usually this is a sentence or idea that answers the question, "What is the point I want to get across with this story?"

Step Two: Supporting Details

Once you have checked for a thesis, read over the entire essay and make sure you have enough details so your audience can understand the story and get a clear picture of what's happening. Check that the details you have included are relevant to the story and aren't distracting from the plot or main points. Also, make sure the details support the thesis statement and don't contradict it. A great way to revise at this stage is to read the essay aloud to a partner and get feedback.

Step Three: Organization and Cohesion

Like other essays, a narrative essay includes an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. When revising your narrative, make sure you have an introduction that grabs your readers' attention and gives enough background information to set up the events of the story. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the introduction. The events in the body paragraphs should be organized in chronological order with paragraph breaks at scene changes or between speakers of dialogue. Include transition words between events, such as "first," "then," "suddenly" or "the next day" to show the progression of time. There is no standard number of body paragraphs for a narrative essay, so check with your instructor for specific length requirements.

Step Four: Lower Order Concerns

Once you have checked your essay for higher order concerns, shift your focus to lower order issues: grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice and format. Check your paper one line or sentence at a time, covering the rest with a blank sheet of paper. Some writers like to start with the very last line of the paper and move backwards to ensure they do not get wrapped up in content at this stage. Pay special attention to each word and sentence to check that you have the correct spelling, sentence structure and punctuation. Check for correct format last, and be sure to consult your assignment instructions for preferred format.

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Jamie Trusty is based in Nashville, Tenn., and has been teaching and writing for more than five years. Her concentrations are non-fiction essays, research-based argumentative writing, literary analyses and film reviews. She holds a Master of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. Although Trusty focuses on publishing more "serious" work, her favorite thing to write is Twin Peaks fan fiction.

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Adult Education English 3

In English 3, the writing and insights of authors throughout our history are explored and analyzed. Students gain an appreciation of American literature and the ways it reflects the times in which it was written. They discovered how people thought and lived and wrote about their experiences. Students are also asked to observe, investigate, and report on stories of today. The goal is for students to be thorough, accurate, and compelling in their writing.

Projects Offering: If you would like more information on enrolling in our AE English 3 Projects offering please go to this listing .

Major Topics and Concepts

• 01.01 Interpretations with American Drama
• 01.02 Interpretations with Shakespearean Drama
• 01.03 Using Context Clues to Make Meaning
• 01.04 Denotations and Connotations
• 01.05 19th Century Foundations of American Literature
• 02.01 Citing Textual Evidence
• 02.02 Sequence of Events and Central Ideas
• 02.03 Analyzing Effectiveness
• 02.04 Integrating and Evaluating Sources
• 02.05 Thesis Statements
• 02.06 Creating An Outline
• 02.08 Developing Body Paragraphs
• 02.09 Writing an Effective Conclusion

Module Three

• 03.01 Making Inferences
• 03.02 Determining Themes
• 03.03 Analyzing Author’s Choice
• 03.04 Establishing Narration
• 03.05 Writing Narrative Introductions
• 03.06 Writing Narrative Body Paragraphs
• 03.07 Revising the Narrative Essay
• 03.08 The Narrative Essay Final Draft

Module Five

• 05.01 Hyphenation and Syntax
• 05.02 Reading Poetry
• 05.03 The Art of Language
• 05.04 Understanding 20th Century Poetry
• 05.05 Analyzing 20th Century Poetry
• 06.01 Analyzing Language
• 06.02 Evaluating a Speech
• 06.03 Evaluate Reasoning
• 06.04 Analyzing Purpose
• 06.05 Evaluating Rhetoric
• 06.06 Gathering Information
• 06.07 Integrating Information

Module Seven

• 07.01 Evaluating a Speaker
• 07.02 Establishing Argument Writing
• 07.03 Developing a Claim
• 07.04 Introductions to Argument Writing
• 07.06 Writing an Argument
• 07.07 Conclusions in Argument Writing
• 07.08 Revising Arguments
• 07.09 Presenting an Argument

Competencies

Informative texts.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of informative texts by summarizing an informative text using textual evidence, formulating a response using multiple sources of information in different media or formats, and creating a structured informative text following an outline.

Literary Interpretation

Students will demonstrate an understanding of literary interpretation by explaining interpretation strategies, comparing interpretations of Shakespearean drama, and describing representations of nineteenth-century American culture in literature.

Narrative Writing

Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative writing by analyzing an author’s craft and structure within a story, and creating a story using narrative techniques.

Reading Informational Texts

Students will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze, and critique a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts – including texts for science, social studies, and technical subjects.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of poetry by comparing the treatment of similar themes or topics within contemporary American poems, explaining historical and cultural influences on early-twentieth-century poetry, and creating a multimedia presentation on poetry analysis.

Rhetoric and Research

Students will demonstrate an understanding of rhetoric and research by analyzing a speaker’s use of persuasive appeals, explaining the themes and purpose of a presidential address, evaluating source credibility, and documenting research.

The Argumentative Writing Process

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the argumentative writing process by formulating the elements of an argument, creating a structured argumentative essay following an outline, explaining the process of revision, and creating a multimedia presentation to deliver an argument.

• Level Adult Ed
• Credits 1.0
• Estimated Completion Time 36 weeks
• Notes Meets English graduation requirement

Related Courses

Adult education english 3 projects.

Adult Education English 4

Adult Education Creative Writing

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Revising the narrative essay, lesson plan.

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• Grade Levels 7th Grade
• Related Academic Standards CC.1.4.7.E Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. • Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities • Develop and maintain a consistent voice. • Establish and maintain a formal style. CC.1.4.7.K Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. • Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. • Develop and maintain a consistent voice. • Establish and maintain a formal style. CC.1.4.7.N Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters. CC.1.4.7.O Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. CC.1.4.7.P Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically, using a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another; provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences and events. CC.1.4.7.Q Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of writing. • Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. • Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities • Use precise language. • Develop and maintain a consistent voice.
• Assessment Anchors E07.C.1 Text Types and Purposes E07.D.2 Knowledge of Language
• Eligible Content E07.D.2.1.1 Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. E07.C.1.3.1 Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically to support the writer’s purpose. E07.C.1.3.2 Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. E07.C.1.3.3 Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and to signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. E07.C.1.3.4 Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. E07.C.1.3.5 Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
• Competencies

Students will learn to effectively revise a personal narrative essay. Students will:

• give and receive constructive feedback in preparation for writing a final draft of the narrative essay.
• development of characters, setting, problem, resolution, and theme.
• precise language.
• showing instead of telling.
• effective opening and conclusion.
• organization.
• conventions.

Essential Questions

• Why do writers write? What is the purpose?
• What makes clear and effective writing?
• Who is the audience? What will work best for the audience?
• How do grammar and the conventions of language influence spoken and written communication?
• Conventions of Language: Mechanics, usage, and sentence completeness.
• Focus: The center of interest or attention.
• Imagery: Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work.
• Literary Devices: Tools used by the author to enliven and provide voice to the writing (e.g., dialogue, alliteration).
• Literary Elements: The essential techniques used in literature (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme).
• Narrative: A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in writing.
• Point of View: The way in which an author reveals characters, events, and ideas in telling a story; the vantage point from which the story is told.
• Style: How an author writes; an author’s use of language; its effects and appropriateness to the author’s intent and theme.
• Theme: A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work.
• Tone: The attitude of the author toward the audience and characters.
• Voice: The fluency, rhythm, and liveliness in writing that make it unique to the writer.

90–120 minutes/2 class periods

Prerequisite Skills

• copies of the Narrative Essay Revising and Editing Guidelines ( LW-7-3-3_Revising and Editing Guidelines.docx ) for each student
• set of colored highlighters or markers for each student
• copies of each student’s essay, one for each student in the peer group
• copies of the PSSA Grades 6–8 Narrative Scoring Guidelines ( LW-7-3-3_PSSA Grades 6–8 Narrative Scoring Guidelines.docx ) for each student

Related Unit and Lesson Plans

• Narrative Writing
• Precise Diction
• Writing the Narrative

Related Materials & Resources

The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.

• “Peer Edit with Perfection: Effective Strategies.” https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/peer-edit-with-perfection-786.html?tab=1#tabs
• “Revising Drafts.” http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/revision.html

Formative Assessment

• Observe and evaluate students on their in-class discussions, and review and provide feedback on students’ first draft of their narrative prior to assigning the end-of-unit assessment.

Suggested Instructional Supports

Instructional Procedures

Focus Question: How can we use the revision and editing steps of the writing process to improve a narrative essay?

“You have all done a lot of work to study the elements and devices in your drafts, and you’ve worked in groups to develop your theme. Now you will use the Narrative Essay Revising and Editing Guidelines to review what you have written. In your small groups, give and listen to feedback on the use of the guidelines.” Give each student a copy of the Narrative Essay Revising and Editing Guidelines ( LW-7-3-3_Revising and Editing Guidelines.docx ). Place students in small groups and explain that they will be giving and receiving feedback on their narrative essays using these guidelines to evaluate the essays. Students should also have their completed graphic organizers for reference. Tell them they will use the feedback they receive from you and from their peers to write a final draft of the essay.

Explain the purpose of the peer editing process: to uncover weaknesses in the essay so that the writer can strengthen the essay before writing a final draft. Students should also point out the strengths of the essay or what they liked most. Explain that feedback is most helpful when it is specific. For example, instead of saying, “I don’t like the ending,” say, “I really don’t understand how the problem was solved,” or “I’m not sure the main character learned the lesson that you hinted at.”

After students have given an overall response to the essay, they should use the highlighters to point out specific parts of the essay that need work. A different colored highlighter can be assigned to each section of the revision guidelines (for example, yellow for organization, pink for focus and content, etc.). Make sure that students take plenty of time with this step. Monitor the groups to ensure that they make good progress.

When the groups have completed their editing, students are now ready to write the final draft. If you feel that students have too many edits to make based on so much feedback, divide the process into two rounds of revisions, one that focuses solely on your suggestions from the end of the last lesson, and one that incorporates their peer edits from this lesson. Explain that they should make major revisions first—e.g., content and organization—before fixing errors in grammar and conventions.

“You’re now ready to write your final draft. There are many comments and editing opportunities to consider. Before you begin to make grammar and conventions edits, make the necessary revisions on content organization. Your content’s organization is what will tie the essay together and make it feel complete. If your content organization is strong, making edits to grammar and conventions will make the essay feel polished.”

If appropriate, help students review correct usage of quotations with dialogue.

Give students copies of the PSSA Grades 6–8 Narrative Scoring Guidelines ( LW-7-3-3_PSSA Grades 6–8 Narrative Scoring Guidelines.docx ). Explain that these rubrics are what you will use to evaluate the essay. They should refer to the guidelines as they write their final drafts to make sure that they have included all aspects of the rubric.

• Have students publish their narratives online. (ClassChatter is a free Web site that will allow students to read and comment on each other’s stories. Only those with the teacher-created password will be allowed to read and comment on the posts.)
• Students who need additional opportunities with revising will benefit from seeing an example of a revised/marked-up essay.
• Students who are stalled during the revising and editing stages may make appointments to conference one-on-one with you.

Related Instructional Videos

Insert template, information.

Transitions

What this handout is about.

In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, transitions glue our ideas and our essays together. This handout will introduce you to some useful transitional expressions and help you employ them effectively.

The function and importance of transitions

In both academic writing and professional writing, your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if not to convert the reader to your way of thinking. Transitions help you to achieve these goals by establishing logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your papers. In other words, transitions tell readers what to do with the information you present to them. Whether single words, quick phrases, or full sentences, they function as signs that tell readers how to think about, organize, and react to old and new ideas as they read through what you have written.

Transitions signal relationships between ideas—relationships such as: “Another example coming up—stay alert!” or “Here’s an exception to my previous statement” or “Although this idea appears to be true, here’s the real story.” Basically, transitions provide the reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically coherent argument. Transitions are not just verbal decorations that embellish your paper by making it sound or read better. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas. In providing the reader with these important cues, transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.

Signs that you might need to work on your transitions

How can you tell whether you need to work on your transitions? Here are some possible clues:

• Your instructor has written comments like “choppy,” “jumpy,” “abrupt,” “flow,” “need signposts,” or “how is this related?” on your papers.
• Your readers (instructors, friends, or classmates) tell you that they had trouble following your organization or train of thought.
• You tend to write the way you think—and your brain often jumps from one idea to another pretty quickly.
• You wrote your paper in several discrete “chunks” and then pasted them together.
• You are working on a group paper; the draft you are working on was created by pasting pieces of several people’s writing together.

Organization

Since the clarity and effectiveness of your transitions will depend greatly on how well you have organized your paper, you may want to evaluate your paper’s organization before you work on transitions. In the margins of your draft, summarize in a word or short phrase what each paragraph is about or how it fits into your analysis as a whole. This exercise should help you to see the order of and connection between your ideas more clearly.

If after doing this exercise you find that you still have difficulty linking your ideas together in a coherent fashion, your problem may not be with transitions but with organization. For help in this area (and a more thorough explanation of the “reverse outlining” technique described in the previous paragraph), please see the Writing Center’s handout on organization .

How transitions work

The organization of your written work includes two elements: (1) the order in which you have chosen to present the different parts of your discussion or argument, and (2) the relationships you construct between these parts. Transitions cannot substitute for good organization, but they can make your organization clearer and easier to follow. Take a look at the following example:

El Pais , a Latin American country, has a new democratic government after having been a dictatorship for many years. Assume that you want to argue that El Pais is not as democratic as the conventional view would have us believe.

One way to effectively organize your argument would be to present the conventional view and then to provide the reader with your critical response to this view. So, in Paragraph A you would enumerate all the reasons that someone might consider El Pais highly democratic, while in Paragraph B you would refute these points. The transition that would establish the logical connection between these two key elements of your argument would indicate to the reader that the information in paragraph B contradicts the information in paragraph A. As a result, you might organize your argument, including the transition that links paragraph A with paragraph B, in the following manner:

Paragraph A: points that support the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.

Transition: Despite the previous arguments, there are many reasons to think that El Pais’s new government is not as democratic as typically believed.

Paragraph B: points that contradict the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.

In this case, the transition words “Despite the previous arguments,” suggest that the reader should not believe paragraph A and instead should consider the writer’s reasons for viewing El Pais’s democracy as suspect.

As the example suggests, transitions can help reinforce the underlying logic of your paper’s organization by providing the reader with essential information regarding the relationship between your ideas. In this way, transitions act as the glue that binds the components of your argument or discussion into a unified, coherent, and persuasive whole.

Types of transitions

Now that you have a general idea of how to go about developing effective transitions in your writing, let us briefly discuss the types of transitions your writing will use.

The types of transitions available to you are as diverse as the circumstances in which you need to use them. A transition can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire paragraph. In each case, it functions the same way: First, the transition either directly summarizes the content of a preceding sentence, paragraph, or section or implies such a summary (by reminding the reader of what has come before). Then, it helps the reader anticipate or comprehend the new information that you wish to present.

• Transitions between sections: Particularly in longer works, it may be necessary to include transitional paragraphs that summarize for the reader the information just covered and specify the relevance of this information to the discussion in the following section.
• Transitions between paragraphs: If you have done a good job of arranging paragraphs so that the content of one leads logically to the next, the transition will highlight a relationship that already exists by summarizing the previous paragraph and suggesting something of the content of the paragraph that follows. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two (however, for example, similarly), a phrase, or a sentence. Transitions can be at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second paragraph, or in both places.
• Transitions within paragraphs: As with transitions between sections and paragraphs, transitions within paragraphs act as cues by helping readers to anticipate what is coming before they read it. Within paragraphs, transitions tend to be single words or short phrases.

Transitional expressions

Effectively constructing each transition often depends upon your ability to identify words or phrases that will indicate for the reader the kind of logical relationships you want to convey. The table below should make it easier for you to find these words or phrases. Whenever you have trouble finding a word, phrase, or sentence to serve as an effective transition, refer to the information in the table for assistance. Look in the left column of the table for the kind of logical relationship you are trying to express. Then look in the right column of the table for examples of words or phrases that express this logical relationship.

Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases may have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary or writer’s handbook if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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