Elements of Personal Narratives
A personal narrative is a true story written about whose life?
The author’s (or writer’s) own life.
What illness was 12-year-old Peg diagnosed with in Small Steps?
Polio
Words that appeal to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are called what kind of details?
Sensory Details
What punctuation marks go around the exact words a speaker says in dialogue?
Quotation Marks
In the story "The Good Lie", what was the good lie that was told?
Her friend peed the bed.
What point of view is a personal narrative written in? (Hint: Uses pronouns like I, me, and my).
First-person point of view.
What physical symptom caused Peg to collapse at school on Homecoming day?
Her legs felt wobbly
"My legs buckled as if I had nothing but cotton inside my skin." Is this a simile or a metaphor?
Simile
What character trait describes someone who never gives up, even when things are extremely hard (like Peg)?
Perseverance (or determined / resilient).
In Condoleeza Rice's personal narrative her father was hoping for a boy. What was he going to name her?
John
Personal narratives tell about real events. Is a personal narrative fiction or nonfiction?
Nonfiction.
Why were Peg's parents not allowed inside her hospital room at first?
Polio was contagious, so she was in isolation.
Name the two words used to compare things in a simile.
"Like" or "as"
When writing dialogue, when should you start a new paragraph?
Every time a new person starts speaking.
Beverly Cleary wanted to walk around the world because her dad compared what to the Earth?
An orange
What do we call the order in which events happen in a story, from beginning to end?
Chronological order
What snack/drink was Peg able to finish that made her parents and nurses cheer?
Chocolate Milkshake
A figure of speech that compares two things directly WITHOUT using "like" or "as" is called a what?
Metaphor
Fix the run-on sentence: "Peg went to the hospital she felt very sick."
"Peg went to the hospital because she felt very sick." (or adding a period: "Peg went to the hospital. She felt very sick.").
In the story about the guava, where was the narrator born?
Puerto Rico
What is the main purpose of the conclusion (ending) in a personal narrative?
To show why the memory/experience was important or what the writer learned.
What musical instrument did Peg practice during occupational therapy to build muscle strength in her arms?
Accordion
Identify the sensory detail in this sentence: "I woke up to the smell of burnt toast and the loud beep of the smoke alarm."
Smell and Sound
Give two examples of transition words.
First, next, then, finally. suddenly, after that
The "Good Lie" took place near what holiday?
Halloween