Key learning points

1. The purpose of a narrative opening is to introduce the characters and to describe the setting to the reader.
2. Saying sentences aloud before they are written helps to check for sense.
3. Using the full range of sentence types (simple, compound and complex) improves text flow for the reader.
4. A rhetorical question engages the reader and makes them feel more curious about the narrative.
5. Show and tell language uses characters' movements, body language and facial expressions to describe feelings.

Keywords

• Text flow - how a text is written to keep the reader engaged

• Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma

• Past tense - shows that the action happened before now

• Show and tell - a writing technique for showing a character’s feelings with description of their actions, body language and facial expressions

• Rhetorical question - a question asked to the reader that does not expect an answer

Common misconception