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A story must have a resolution at the end.

Writing Narrative

Narrative writing is about telling a story, whether real or imagined. This GCSE English quiz explores the techniques needed to engage your reader.

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Fascinating Fact:

Most story plots are driven by one of five key conflicts: Character vs. Character, Self, Nature, Society, or the Supernatural.

In GCSE English, learning how to write compelling narratives is a core skill. Students must be able to plan, draft, and edit stories that use structure, character development, and vivid description to create impact. Understanding narrative voice and perspective is crucial for controlling how a reader experiences the story.

Key Terms

Narrative: A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.
Plot: The main events of a story, presented as an interrelated sequence, typically including an exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution.
Perspective: The point of view from which a story is told, such as first-person ('I'), second-person ('you'), or third-person ('he/she/it').

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is narrative writing at GCSE level?

At GCSE, narrative writing is creating a piece of extended prose, such as a short story or creative essay, where you use techniques like dialogue, setting, and plot structure to tell an engaging tale that demonstrates control over language and structure.

What are the key elements of a story's plot?

The key elements of a plot are the exposition (introduction of setting/characters), rising action (conflict builds), climax (the peak moment of tension), falling action (tension decreases), and resolution (the final outcome).

How can I use descriptive language effectively in a narrative?

Effective descriptive language uses precise adjectives and adverbs, appeals to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste), and uses figurative language (like similes or metaphors) to help the reader visualise and feel the scene.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

If you were writing a narrative, in whose voice would it be?

Your own voice

Your best friend's voice

The narrator's voice

Your teacher's voice

Even if you write in the first person, you will be writing in the voice of the narrator, who might or might not sound like you

2 .

What is meant by the term 'rising action'?

A word or phrase hinting at something which will occur later on in the story

A series of events and complications occurring which lead to the climax of a story

A story with a hopeful, optimistic ending

All of the above

3 .

The events which occur in a story and the way in which they relate to each other are known as...

setting

resolution

theme

plot

4 .

Which of the following would NOT make an effective beginning for narrative writing?

Beginning mid-dialogue

Beginning mid-action

Beginning with a long, repetitive, clichéd sentence

Beginning with a short, sharp sentence

The most important task of a first sentence is to make your reader want to read the next sentence (and the next, and the next,....)

5 .

What is the name for a narrator who knows everything that is happening, including what each character is thinking?

First-person narrator

Second-person narrator

Third-person limited narrator

Omniscient narrator

'Omniscient' means 'all knowing'

6 .

What is meant by the 'structure' of a story?

The organisation of the story

The type of story (i.e. horror, mystery, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, etc.)

The mood and atmosphere of a story

The perspective of the narrator

In its most basic sense, structure is the beginning, middle and end of a story. More importantly, it is how you organise these elements of your narrative

7 .

Which one of the following would be a good reason to add a passage of descriptive writing in your narrative?

It's best if the reader can picture the setting exactly, in every detail

Well-chosen description adds to the setting, the mood or a character

A descriptive passage is good because it will make the story longer

Every piece of narrative writing must have a long passage of description

Never add anything to your writing just for the sake of filling space - make your words relevant and put them to work!

8 .

What must a story have at the end?

A happy event

Resolution

Conflict

A dream sequence

'Resolution' means letting your readers know what happened after the climax of the story; it also means making sure that you answer any major questions your story has raised in the minds of your readers. This is also called 'denouement'

9 .

Writing dialogue can be one of the hardest aspects of narrative writing to do well. Which of the following is NOT a common pitfall to avoid when writing dialogue?

Being unclear who is speaking

Using too many exclamatory sentences

Writing clear, succinct, relevant dialogue

Reproducing everyday conversation in all its boring detail

Another common pitfall is using the word 'said' too often (but you knew that already, didn't you?)

10 .

What is setting?

The meaning of the story

The atmosphere of a story

The time, location and surrounding events in which a story takes place

The events of a story and the order in which they take place

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Writing fiction