Narrative Basics
This type of writing tells a true story about a real event or experience from the author's own life.
personal narrative
To jump, dive, or fall quickly and deeply into something, like jumping into water or a new situation.
plunge
Punctuation marks used to enclose the exact words a character speaks out loud.
quotation marks
A character's individual qualities or personality traits shown through what they say, think, or do.
character traits
Personal narrative events usually proceed in a logical, time-based order called this.
chronological order
The name of the person who Helen called "teacher".
Annie Sullivan
Personal narratives are written from this point of view, which means the narrator is part of the story.
first-person
To look steadily and intently at something for a long time, often in wonder, admiration, or deep thought.
gazed
Words like "she whispered," "he groaned," or "Daddy told me" that tell the reader who is speaking.
dialogue tags
If a narrator laughs quietly to themselves, the text might say they did this.
chuckled
A visual tool with dates and events used to track a sequence of events across time.
timeline
True or False: Helen Keller was born deaf and blind.
False, she became deaf and blind at 19 months old when she was very ill.
These two pronouns are major clues that a story is written in the first person.
"I" and "Me".
When a doctor identifies a medical condition or illness after examining a patient.
diagnose
Descriptions that appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to help readers picture a scene.
sensory details
When a reader figures out something about a character that the author doesn't directly state.
inference
The catchy beginning of a personal narrative meant to grab the reader's attention right away.
hook
True or False: Helen Keller was the first blind and deaf person to graduate college.
True
True or False: A personal narrative is a completely fictional account made up by the writer.
False (It is nonfiction/a true story).
A large machine or medical device that helps a person breathe when their own muscles cannot do it on their own.
iron lung
A figurative language device that compares two things using the words "like" or "as".
simile
In Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, Peg feels this way when she is first diagnosed with a serious illness.
What is frightened (or anxious/sad)
Words like "first," "next," "suddenly," and "later" that keep a timeline moving smoothly.
transition words
Because she could not see or hear, Helen learned to read this special type of written language.
Braille
These are the two main characteristics of a personal narrative.
1. It involves the narrator.
2. It is told in the first person.
This type of narrative device uses strong action words like plunge or gaze to show exactly what a character is doing.
vivid verbs
A figurative language device that compares two things WITHOUT using the words "like" or "as".
metaphor
When a writer shows a character's reaction through body language instead of telling you their emotion directly.
Show, Don't Tell.
This part of a narrative sums up the main event and explains why the experience was important to the author.
conclusion
Annie Sullivan helped Helen connect words to real life by spelling letters right into this part of Helen's body.
her hand