CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting is your first step in writing a personal narrative. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, gather important details about the topic, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Choose your topic.

Your goal is to write a personal narrative about an unforgettable experience. Complete the following sentence starters to help you discover a writing idea. Then circle the topic you wish to write about. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

  • I’ll never forget the time when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I learned an important lesson when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I was proud of myself when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

Gather the basic parts.

Fill in a 5 W’s memory chart to gather all of the basic details about the experience. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Editing and Publishing Personal Narratives

Editing Personal Narratives

After making big changes to improve your personal narrative, you need to make little changes (editing) to correct any remaining errors. You'll look for problems with sentences, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling. The following activities will help you edit your narrative.

Editing Dialogue for Quotation Marks

Dialogue uses quotation marks. These special marks go before and after the exact words of the speaker.

“Yum,” I said.

Manny’s dad said, “Welcome to the fiesta.”

Periods and commas that follow the speaker’s words always go inside the quotation marks.

“It’s time to change into our costumes,” said Manny. “Follow me.”

Question marks and exclamation marks go inside the quotation marks when they punctuation the dialogue.

“Are you ready for this?” asked Manny.

“Wow!” I said.

Watch the video "Punctuating Dialogue."

Hide video

Insert quotation marks.

Insert quotation marks before and after the speaker’s words. Use the examples on this page for help. (Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.) The first one has been done for you.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Revising Personal Narratives

Revising Personal Narratives

Once you draft your personal narrative, take a break and come back to it to see it freshly. When you revise, you make sure the people, places, and events are clearly described and the writing captures the experience in a vivid way. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Add Sensory Details

To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.

Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.

See

Hear

Smell

Taste

Touch

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

flaky pastries

high fives

Watch the video "Sensory Details."

Hide video

See

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

Hear

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

Smell

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

Taste

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

Touch

flaky pastries

high fives

Add sensory details.

Read the first draft of your personal narrative. Think of sensory details that you could add to make the writing come alive. Record the details in a sensory chart. Then add them to your personal narrative. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting is your first step in writing a personal narrative. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, gather important details about the topic, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Choose your topic.

Your goal is to write a personal narrative about an unforgettable experience. Complete the following sentence starters to help you discover a writing idea. Then circle the topic you wish to write about. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

  • I’ll never forget the time when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I learned an important lesson when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I was proud of myself when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

Gather the basic parts.

Fill in a 5 W’s memory chart to gather all of the basic details about the experience. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Editing and Publishing Personal Narratives

Editing Personal Narratives

After making big changes to improve your personal narrative, you need to make little changes (editing) to correct any remaining errors. You'll look for problems with sentences, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling. The following activities will help you edit your narrative.

Editing Dialogue for Quotation Marks

Dialogue uses quotation marks. These special marks go before and after the exact words of the speaker.

“Yum,” I said.

Manny’s dad said, “Welcome to the fiesta.”

Periods and commas that follow the speaker’s words always go inside the quotation marks.

“It’s time to change into our costumes,” said Manny. “Follow me.”

Question marks and exclamation marks go inside the quotation marks when they punctuation the dialogue.

“Are you ready for this?” asked Manny.

“Wow!” I said.

Watch the video "Punctuating Dialogue."

Hide video

Insert quotation marks.

Insert quotation marks before and after the speaker’s words. Use the examples on this page for help. (Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.) The first one has been done for you.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Revising Personal Narratives

Revising Personal Narratives

Once you draft your personal narrative, take a break and come back to it to see it freshly. When you revise, you make sure the people, places, and events are clearly described and the writing captures the experience in a vivid way. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Add Sensory Details

To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.

Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.

See

Hear

Smell

Taste

Touch

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

flaky pastries

high fives

Watch the video "Sensory Details."

Hide video

See

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

Hear

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

Smell

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

Taste

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

Touch

flaky pastries

high fives

Add sensory details.

Read the first draft of your personal narrative. Think of sensory details that you could add to make the writing come alive. Record the details in a sensory chart. Then add them to your personal narrative. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting is your first step in writing a personal narrative. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, gather important details about the topic, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Choose your topic.

Your goal is to write a personal narrative about an unforgettable experience. Complete the following sentence starters to help you discover a writing idea. Then circle the topic you wish to write about. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

  • I’ll never forget the time when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I learned an important lesson when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I was proud of myself when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

Gather the basic parts.

Fill in a 5 W’s memory chart to gather all of the basic details about the experience. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Editing and Publishing Personal Narratives

Editing Personal Narratives

After making big changes to improve your personal narrative, you need to make little changes (editing) to correct any remaining errors. You'll look for problems with sentences, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling. The following activities will help you edit your narrative.

Editing Dialogue for Quotation Marks

Dialogue uses quotation marks. These special marks go before and after the exact words of the speaker.

“Yum,” I said.

Manny’s dad said, “Welcome to the fiesta.”

Periods and commas that follow the speaker’s words always go inside the quotation marks.

“It’s time to change into our costumes,” said Manny. “Follow me.”

Question marks and exclamation marks go inside the quotation marks when they punctuation the dialogue.

“Are you ready for this?” asked Manny.

“Wow!” I said.

Watch the video "Punctuating Dialogue."

Hide video

Insert quotation marks.

Insert quotation marks before and after the speaker’s words. Use the examples on this page for help. (Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.) The first one has been done for you.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5