Text Practice
Learn
Now that you know how to write story beginnings and endings, it is time to practice writing short stories! A good story has three parts:
The Three Parts of a Story
- Beginning: Tell who is in the story and where it happens.
- Middle: Tell what happens. This is the main part of your story!
- End: Tell how the story finishes.
When you write, use these special words to help your reader follow along:
- First - to start your story
- Then - to tell what happens next
- Next - to add more events
- Finally - to end your story
Writing Tip
Every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark (. ! ?)
Examples
Look at these example stories. Notice how they have a beginning, middle, and end.
Example 1: The Lost Ball
Beginning: Sam played in the park. He had a red ball.
Middle: Then the ball rolled away. Sam looked under the bench. Next, he looked by the tree.
End: Finally, Sam found his ball in the flowers. He was happy!
Example 2: My Pet Cat
Beginning: First, I woke up early. My cat Mia was on my bed.
Middle: Then I gave Mia her food. She ate it all up! Next, we played with a string.
End: Finally, Mia took a nap. She purred so loud!
Practice
Try these activities to build your story writing skills.
Practice 1: Fill in the Missing Part
Read the story. Write the missing middle part.
Beginning: Lily went to the beach with her mom.
Middle: ________________________________
End: Finally, Lily went home with a bucket of shells.
Practice 2: Put the Story in Order
Number these sentences 1, 2, 3, 4 to make a story:
___ Then he put on his shoes.
___ Finally, Ben ran to catch the bus.
___ First, Ben woke up late.
___ Next, he grabbed his backpack.
Practice 3: Add Time Words
Fill in the blanks with: First, Then, Next, Finally
___________, I got my crayons. ___________, I drew a sun. ___________, I added a house. ___________, I showed my picture to Dad.
Practice 4: Write a Beginning
Write 1-2 sentences to start this story about a dog:
Beginning: ________________________________
Middle: Then the dog dug a hole. Next, it hid a bone in the hole.
End: Finally, the dog wagged its tail and ran inside.
Practice 5: Write an Ending
Write 1-2 sentences to end this story:
Beginning: First, Emma went to her grandma's house.
Middle: Then they baked cookies together. Next, they read a book.
End: ________________________________
Practice 6: Fix the Story
This story is missing capital letters and periods. Rewrite it correctly:
first i went to the store then i got apples finally i went home
Practice 7: Write About the Picture
Imagine a picture of a child flying a kite. Write a 3-part story about it:
Beginning: ________________________________
Middle: ________________________________
End: ________________________________
Practice 8: Your Own Story
Write your own short story about something fun you did. Use First, Then, Next, and Finally. Make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end!
Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see what you learned.
1. What are the three parts of a story?
2. Which word helps you start a story?
a) Finally b) First c) Then
3. Which word helps you end a story?
a) Next b) First c) Finally
4. True or False: Every sentence needs a capital letter at the start.
Next Steps
- Practice writing short stories at home about your day
- Read your stories out loud to hear how they sound
- Move on to the Writing Application lesson to write longer stories