Read the excerpt from Spencer's narrative.As we waited for our new football coach to enter the locker room, we all secretly wondered what he would be like. Would he be tough but fair? Would he be demanding but understanding? Would he motivate us before each game with a rousing speech the way Coach Jackson always had? These thoughts were abruptly interrupted when our new coach entered the locker room, stood before us, and commanded our attention. "He" was a "she"! Our new coach was a female? Stunned, my mouth gaping, I barely heard what she said to the team next.

a paragraph that clearly establishes the narrative’s point of view

engaging dialogue that tells the reader what the coach says to the team

a thoughtful reflection that explains what the coach teaches Spencer

detailed descriptions of each player’s reaction to the new coach

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Read the beginning of Trevor’s narrative.Thinking back on that afternoon, I knew then that my best friend was keeping something from me. If I thought about it—I mean, really thought about it—there had been other signs. They may have been subtle, but they had been there, nonetheless.

to eliminate the need to include events that occurred before this statement

to clarify potential confusion for the reader by clearly stating the conflict

to capture the reader’s attention by creating suspense about his best friend

to explain why he no longer trusts the words and actions of his best friend

Which elements does strong narrative writing always contain? Select three options.engaging dialoguerich descriptionsa famous quotationcited sourcesthoughtful reflection

engaging dialogue

rich descriptions

a famous quotation

cited sources

thoughtful reflection

Read the sentence from a personal narrative.My grandfather used to spend hours telling me stories I loved to hear.

My grandfather always had a lot of stories to tell, and I would always beg to hear them. He would talk for hours, and I did not even notice. I loved these stories, and I loved that my grandfather was willing to spend hours sharing them with me.

I used to love spending summers with my grandparents on their ranch. We did all sorts of fun things. One of my very favorite parts of those summers was listening to my grandfather tell me the cool stories that I always loved and begged to hear.

Years ago, my grandfather would spend hours telling me all kinds of stories. I always loved his stories because they were funny and he did a great job telling them. They were about all sorts of subjects, and I thought he was the best and coolest storyteller who had ever lived.

When I was younger, I would spend entire summers on my grandparents’ ranch. Every evening after dinner, Grandpa would tell me stories about what life on the ranch had been like for him when he was my age. I appreciated his stories because they let me get to know Grandpa better.

Read the paragraph from Liam’s narrative.1I had never been more frightened in my entire life. 2As I stepped onto the diving platform, I waited for instructions from my diving coach. 3Only because his directions were so clear, and because he was so nice, was I able to do it. 4It had all been worth it, I thought, as I changed from my bathing suit back into clothes. 5I had achieved what I had set out to do.

I was able to accomplish the goal I had set for myself.

I had finally managed to dive from the highest platform.

I had surprised myself by being able to do what I didn’t think I could.

I truly owed a lot to Coach Wilkerson for all the help he had given me.

Read the paragraph from Nick’s personal narrative.Standing alone in my family’s barn, I thought about how much hard work and time my parents had invested—how much hard work and time we had all invested—in maintaining a fully operational farm. I did not remember a time when my clothes had not reeked of manure or my hair had not held fast to brittle pieces of straw. What would happen if my parents had to sell the farm so we could move closer to my grandparents? Just as I was attempting to imagine a life in the city, a sudden commotion erupted and interrupted my thoughts. With animals squawking and dust flying, I scrambled to pinpoint the source of this unexpected intrusion. In seconds that felt more like minutes, I was successful . . . and I could scarcely believe what my eyes were seeing.

It allows Nick to include extra details as he develops the events that lead to the most exciting parts of his story.

It allows Nick to surprise the reader by disrupting the calm setting with unexpected excitement.

It allows Nick to omit the conclusion because he states his feelings at the beginning of the narrative.

It allows Nick to choose which events he will include and which events he would like to eliminate.

Writing a Narrative Application Essay Answers

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