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Sentence Structures for Creative Writing

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Click on the button above to access a worksheet designed to help students vary the structure of their sentences for creative writing. I originally put it together for GCSE English Language Paper 1 , but it can be used for stuff beyond KS4 and the exam etc. All credit must go to Chris Youles , author of Sentence Models for Creative Writing , for the inspiration.

sentence starters ks4 creative writing

The first page has examples of what the models might look like in practice and then guidance students can use to carry on writing. For example…

sentence starters ks4 creative writing

The second page has just the sentence models, with the idea being that students follow them and then develop each ‘section’ further.

Hope the stuff’s useful –

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Lesson plan: KS4 English – creative writing

  • Subject: English
  • Date Posted: 09 October 2015

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Sometimes it’s very hard in English lessons to encourage students to be creative, especially when it comes to writing. Often in class there are a few students to whom this comes naturally; the majority pipe up with the phrase, ‘‘how do I start?’’ whilst some just look scared at the prospect and begin planning their escape.

There is a need to inject spontaneity and fun into developing ideas for writing and to encourage students to take risks. Students need to begin to see writing as an art form, constructing narratives and piecing together ideas until they form rich literary narrative, not sticking to a predetermined layout. They have to do as Dorothy did and take a journey down the yellow brick road, exploring new characters, finding the unexpected, and learning things about themselves they didn’t know before. As teachers we need to open up space for this.

As suggested to me in a conference I recently attended, a good way to start this process is to put an emphasis on reading for change, and to mould students into dynamic readers who share their ideas in constructive ways. There is a lot to be said for high quality talk translating into the same level of writing (Dialogic teaching, Alexander, 2006).

WHY TEACH THIS?

We all know the government changes to the structure of the English GCSE in September 2015 will be the perfect opportunity for departments to look at the use of curriculum time and perhaps consider different approaches to teaching the new style exams. With coursework now gone and exams becoming more rigorous, it seems important that we take more of an exploratory and ‘workshop’ style approach to some elements of the course, allowing students to build confidence in exam technique and feel prepared to tackle questions independently.

STARTER ACTIVITY

Colouring from the inside out.

Here I refer to an article written by my colleague Caroline Saunders in issue 4.4 of Teach Secondary (Beyond the lines); just as she was encouraging art students to draw without using lines, we should encourage English students to do the same when developing ideas for story writing, in other words colouring their narrative from the inside out.

At the start of the lesson have a series of images displayed on the board and printed out in colour for students to look at. In small groups students should draw out meanings and come up with a range of narrative possibilities.

You may want to support this by encouraging each student to come up with one ordinary, one daring and one ridiculous idea for each image, bringing in an element of risk early on. Students should have 5-10 minutes to look at the stimulus. Then ask one student from each group to move around in a carousel, and share ideas. Students should aim to find as many different ideas that link to the images as possible and report back to their original group. Give students roughly three minutes in each group before moving and repeat as many times as you desire. Hear as many of the ideas as possible.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

1. the lion – finding the courage to write.

Teachers may feel at this stage it is appropriate to pick up on one of the ideas from the starter activity and aim to complete a whole class writing piece, using the initial idea as a starting point.

In small groups or as whole class give out 6-8 pieces of A3 paper. Ask students to write a line of the story, inspired by the main idea. Then fold over and pass on. Repeat this 4-8 times. To make it more challenging on each turn display a selection of techniques students should aim to include.

After completion get one student to read out the narrative. Then as a class try to group together ideas from the exercise that fit together, beginning to form the ‘bones’ of the story.

The next step is to flesh out the story; they could do this as a class, in small groups, in pairs or individually. Or write one paragraph as a class and then get the students to explore and play with the narrative, taking it in different directions.

2. The Tin Man – learning to love writing

If you would like to take this path, then get students looking at a range of literature. Ask them to look at summaries and extracts of stories and plays. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)
  • Mr Stink (David Walliams)
  • Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
  • A Monster Calls (Patrick Ness)
  • The Famished Road (Ben Okri)
  • Enduring Love (Ian McEwan)
  • Matilda (Roald Dhal)
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman)

In groups, ask students to explore different themes in the extract they are given. This could range from the obvious to the more subtle depending on ability. Ask students to evaluate how well each of these work.

Next ask students to pick out where the writer has used ordinary, daring and ridiculous ideas within their work. Get them to explore how the writer uses a range of ideas and devices to move the narrative on.

3. The Scarecrow – discovery of imagination

These activities are about getting students to explore their imagination and become more confident writers.

  • Give students scenarios or sentence starters that they have to extend into a short narrative. For example ‘The gate swung slowly open…’ One student of mine wrote ‘The gate swung slowly open, for the last time…’, which became an imaginative ‘hook’ into their writing.
  • Use ‘story cubes’ with students; get them to roll the dice to determine an imaginative mix of things to include in their writing.
  • Have a class box of random objects which students can use as starting points for their work. n Ask students to develop a range of narrative options in response to the activities above, and throw in things that could happen, encouraging them to write in more than one direction.

Ask students to evaluate each other’s work to determine what works best. Ensure they don’t get fixated on one idea and direction; enable them to have a choice. And reassure them that even if it doesn’t work, the process of finding that out is valuable. Once students start thinking in this way about creative writing they will start to “think about the imagination and how it works, of where it might come from, and where it might take you. Then [they’re] in useful trouble.” (Hanif Kureshi).

HOME LEARNING

  • Students begin to explore an eclectic mix of art, films and music and generate a stream of consciousness whilst doing this. Students should write down any thoughts/ feelings/ inspiration/ characters that come to mind. They then use these as a basis in the next ‘writing workshop’.
  • Students should be given two stock characters (e.g. Miss Havisham and Mr Stink) and they have to write part of a narrative based on their meeting.
  • Reading. Students should be constantly challenged to read different types of texts, both fiction and non-fiction. Give them whole texts/ extracts / poetry to read. They could track this by keeping a record in their ‘workshop’ books. Ask students to read a piece ready for discussion in the next workshop.

Get students to reflect back on their work and evaluate the following:

  • Have you included daring or ridiculous ideas?
  • Have you taken a risk today?
  • Did it work? Why? Why not?
  • Which ideas did you like the best? Why?

From these teaching strategies students should find themselves walking down roads less travelled and begin to view creative writing in a different light. It should open up their eyes to the idea of literature as art, not so that it takes away the magic but instead (to borrow some words from Grayson Perry, Reith Lectures, 2014) so that “people like the scarecrow and the tin man and the lion might enter the Emerald City of the art world a little smarter, a little braver, and a little fonder.”

ABOUT OUR EXPERT

Caroline Parker is in her fifth year of teaching, having completed her PGCE and Masters degree at the University of Exeter. Caroline is the newly appointed Head of English at Hazelwick School in Crawley.

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With over 10 different prompts and 2 different styles of lines!

These will keep your students actively engaged all throughout writing and build their endurance!

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sentence starters ks4 creative writing

6 superb story starters to develop creative writing skills

sentence starters ks4 creative writing

Creative writing is a brilliant activity for the whole class to take part in, so we've gathered six of the best story starter resources, including animations and even the odd iguana, into one convenient package…

Oliver Minter-King

1 | Literacy story starters – Writing Posters Set

sentence starters ks4 creative writing

Decorate your classroom with good story starters and ideas for getting going with creative writing with this interactive poster set.

There are seven posters in total, each showcasing different creative writing starters you can use to begin a story: Questions, action, dialogue, background information, introducing a character, describing the setting.

Each poster uses an arresting image to suggest a story and these are accompanied by model opening sentences. Plus there are blank word balloon templates for you to display children’s ideas or to add your own.

Find them all here.

2 | Adventures of a seafaring iguana

This guy was miles from shore when he spotted an exhausted iguana treading water in the middle of the ocean! So he offered him a ride on his boat ? pic.twitter.com/dUX34I1Hx6 — The Dodo (@dodo) July 8, 2018

This video introduces us to a man on a boat who crosses paths with an unlikely friend – an iguana treading water – 4 miles out from shore. His scaly companion leaps at the chance of a free ride and stares over the ocean like a grizzled old sea captain as they head on home.

Whilst a touching video, it also provides a great prompt for a creative writing exercise. Students could be tasked to write a short story on how the iguana found his way out to sea, and then share their different versions afterwards.

  • Perhaps the iguana stowed away with some pirates?
  • Maybe he was washed away in a flood?
  • He might even have just fancied a swim. Who knows?

3 | Step aside, Bond…

This clip is an excellent way to spark your students’ imagination. A short animation and voiceover tells pupils they have been accepted into a super secret spy agency operating under the cover of birdwatchers; the writing challenge stems from thinking up details of how this spy organisation operates.

There are plenty of suggestions to help your students get started too, such as:

  • What kind of gadgets do they use?
  • Do they have a secret base? If so, what does it look like?
  • Any evil villains? What’s their master plan?

4 | The oldest message in a bottle

This intriguing video documents the discovery of the world’s oldest message in a bottle by Perth resident Tonya Illman, who stumbled across the missive whilst litter picking on North Wedge Island in 2018.

The 131-year-old note was written by a captain of a German sailing ship, and was thrown from the vessel whilst on a voyage from Cardiff to Indonesia.

After watching the video, it’s likely your students will be curious about what happened to the ship and crew – a thought that would make an exciting writing activity.

What do you think happened to the Captain and his boat?

  • Did they get to Indonesia safely?
  • Or perhaps they were been stranded on a desert island?
  • Worse still, could they have been attacked by a giant octopus?!

5 | Wonderful wingsuiting

sentence starters ks4 creative writing

This pulse-pounding clip follows wingsuit pilot Sam Laming as he becomes the first person to perform a close proximity wingsuit flight down Mount Snowdon in Wales.

Sam spent five years training for this extreme stunt, which should open up plenty of creative writing opportunities for your class, the task being to place themselves in Sam’s position and describe how they would fare with the momentous endeavour. Below are some ideas to help get them started:

  • What’s the weather like? Though it might start off safe and sunny, what would happen if a storm approached?
  • How far can you see? Can you spot towns or villages or are you surrounded by hills and fields?
  • Is there any wildlife – rabbits hopping below you, or birds flying in formation?

You can watch the video here.

6 | An island story

In this final video, join Mr T on a boat on the ocean. As you look across, you see a mysterious island – and perhaps even treasure. It’s now your pupils’ job to answer one simple question: what happens next?

  • Are you going to land on the island and steal the treasure?
  • Is there something on the island, keeping the treasure protected?
  • Is there someone on the island who needs rescuing?
  • Will there be a message in a bottle on the sand?

Watch this story starter video .

Browse more creative writing prompts .

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  • Writing Prompts

150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

The most important thing about writing is finding a good idea . You have to have a great idea to write a story. You have to be able to see the whole picture before you can start to write it. Sometimes, you might need help with that. Story starters are a great way to get the story rolling. You can use them to kick off a story, start a character in a story or even start a scene in a story.

When you start writing a story, you need to have a hook. A hook can be a character or a plot device. It can also be a setting, something like “A young man came into a bar with a horse.” or a setting like “It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.” The first sentence of a story is often the hook. It can also be a premise or a situation, such as, “A strange old man in a black cloak was sitting on the train platform.”

Story starters are a way to quickly get the story going. They give the reader a place to start reading your story. Some story starters are obvious, and some are not. The best story starters are the ones that give the reader a glimpse into the story. They can be a part of a story or a part of a scene. They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game .

If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use in your stories:

150+ Creative Story Starters

Here is a list of good sentences to start a story with:

  • I’ve read about a million stories about princesses but never thought I could ever be one.
  • There was once a man who was very old, but he was wise. He lived for a very long time, and he was very happy.
  • What is the difference between a man and a cat? A cat has nine lives.
  • In the middle of the night, a boy is running through the woods.
  • It is the end of the world.
  • He knew he was not allowed to look into the eyes of the princess, but he couldn’t help himself.
  • The year is 1893. A young boy was running away from home.
  • What if the Forest was actually a magical portal to another dimension, the Forest was a portal to the Otherworld?
  • In the Forest, you will find a vast number of magical beings of all sorts. 
  • It was the middle of the night, and the forest was quiet. No bugs or animals disturbed the silence. There were no birds, no chirping. 
  • If you wish to stay in the Forest, you will need to follow these rules: No one shall leave the Forest. No one shall enter. No one shall take anything from the Forest.
  • “It was a terrible day,” said the old man in a raspy voice.
  • A cat is flying through the air, higher and higher, when it happens, and the cat doesn’t know how it got there, how it got to be in the sky.
  • I was lying in the woods, and I was daydreaming.
  • The Earth is a world of wonders. 
  • The fairy is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
  • A young girl was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of a river when she noticed a magical tree growing in the water.
  • My dancing rat is dressed in a jacket, a tie and glasses, which make him look like a person. 
  • In the darkness of the night, I am alone, but I know that I am not. 
  • Owls are the oldest, and most intelligent, of all birds.
  • My name is Reyna, and I am a fox. 
  • The woman was drowning.
  • One day, he was walking in the forest.
  • It was a dark and stormy night…
  • There was a young girl who could not sleep…
  • A boy in a black cape rode on a white horse…
  • A crazy old man in a black cloak was sitting in the middle of the street…
  • The sun was setting on a beautiful summer day…
  • The dog was restless…”
  • There was a young boy in a brown coat…
  • I met a young man in the woods…
  • In the middle of a dark forest…
  • The young girl was at home with her family…
  • There was a young man who was sitting on a …
  • A young man came into a bar with a horse…
  • I have had a lot of bad dreams…
  • He was a man who wanted to be king…
  • It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.
  • I know what you’re thinking. But no, I don’t want to be a vegetarian. The worst part is I don’t like the taste.
  • She looked at the boy and decided to ask him why he wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to look mean, but she was going to ask him anyway.
  • The song played on the radio, as Samual wiped away his tears.
  • This was the part when everything was about to go downhill. But it didn’t…
  • “Why make life harder for yourself?” asked Claire, as she bit into her apple.
  • She made a promise to herself that she would never do it.
  • I was able to escape.
  • I was reading a book when the accident happened.
  • “I can’t stand up for people who lie and cheat.” I cried.
  • You look at me and I feel beautiful.
  • I know what I want to be when I grow up.
  • We didn’t have much money. But we knew how to throw a good party.
  • The wind blew on the silent streets of London.
  • What do you get when you cross an angry bee and my sister?
  • The flight was slow and bumpy. I was half asleep when the captain announced we were going down.
  • At the far end of the city was a river that was overgrown with weeds. 
  • It was a quiet night in the middle of a busy week.
  • One afternoon, I was eating a sandwich in the park when I spotted a stranger.
  • In the late afternoon, a few students sat on the lawn reading.
  • The fireflies were dancing in the twilight as the sunset.
  • In the early evening, the children played in the park.
  • The sun was setting and the moon was rising.
  • A crowd gathered in the square as the band played.
  • The top of the water tower shone in the moonlight.
  • The light in the living room was on, but the light in the kitchen was off.
  •  When I was a little boy, I used to make up stories about the adventures of these amazing animals, creatures, and so on. 
  • All of the sudden, I realized I was standing in the middle of an open field surrounded by nothing but wildflowers, and the only thing I remembered about it was that I’d never seen a tree before.
  • It’s the kind of thing that’s only happened to me once before in my life, but it’s so cool to see it.
  • They gave him a little wave as they drove away.
  • The car had left the parking lot, and a few hours later we arrived home.
  • They were going to play a game of bingo.
  • He’d made up his mind to do it. He’d have to tell her soon, though. He was waiting for a moment when they were alone and he could say it without feeling like an idiot. But when that moment came, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
  • Jamie always wanted to own a plane, but his parents were a little tight on the budget. So he’d been saving up to buy one of his own. 
  • The night was getting colder, and the wind was blowing in from the west.
  • The doctor stared down at the small, withered corpse.
  • She’d never been in the woods before, but she wasn’t afraid.
  • The kids were having a great time in the playground.
  • The police caught the thieves red-handed.
  • The world needs a hero more than ever.
  • Mother always said, “Be good and nice things will happen…”
  • There is a difference between what you see and what you think you see.
  • The sun was low in the sky and the air was warm.
  • “It’s time to go home,” she said, “I’m getting a headache.”
  • It was a cold winter’s day, and the snow had come early.
  • I found a wounded bird in my garden.
  • “You should have seen the look on my face.”
  • He opened the door and stepped back.
  • My father used to say, “All good things come to an end.”
  • The problem with fast cars is that they break so easily.
  • “What do you think of this one?” asked Mindy.
  • “If I asked you to do something, would you do it?” asked Jacob.
  • I was surprised to see her on the bus.
  • I was never the most popular one in my class.
  • We had a bad fight that day.
  • The coffee machine had stopped working, so I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.
  • It was a muggy night, and the air-conditioning unit was so loud it hurt my ears.
  • I had a sleepless night because I couldn’t get my head to turn off.
  • I woke up at dawn and heard a horrible noise.
  • I was so tired I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep that night.
  • I put on the light and looked at myself in the mirror.
  • I decided to go in, but the door was locked.
  • A man in a red sweater stood staring at a little kitten as if it was on fire.
  • “It’s so beautiful,” he said, “I’m going to take a picture.”
  • “I think we’re lost,” he said, “It’s all your fault.”
  • It’s hard to imagine what a better life might be like
  • He was a tall, lanky man, with a long face, a nose like a pin, and a thin, sandy moustache.
  • He had a face like a lion’s and an eye like a hawk’s.
  • The man was so broad and strong that it was as if a mountain had been folded up and carried in his belly.
  • I opened the door. I didn’t see her, but I knew she was there.
  • I walked down the street. I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
  • I arrived at my parents’ home at 8:00 AM.
  • The nurse had been very helpful.
  • On the table was an array of desserts.
  • I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk.
  • A car horn honked, startling me.
  • The kitchen was full of pots and pans.
  • There are too many things to remember.
  • The world was my oyster. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
  •  “My grandfather was a World War II veteran. He was a decorated hero who’d earned himself a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
  • Beneath the menacing, skeletal shadow of the mountain, a hermit sat on his ledge. His gnarled hands folded on his gnarled knees. His eyes stared blankly into the fog. 
  • I heard a story about a dragon, who was said to be the size of a house, that lived on the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
  •  I was told a story about a man who found a golden treasure, which was buried in this very park.
  • He stood alone in the middle of a dark and silent room, his head cocked to one side, the brown locks of his hair, which were parted in the middle, falling down over his eyes.
  •  Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. I had my father’s eyes, but my mother’s smile.
  • Once upon a time, there was a woman named Miss Muffett, and she lived in a big house with many rooms.
  • When I was a child, my mother told me that the water looked so bright because the sun was shining on it. I did not understand what she meant at the time.    
  •  The man in the boat took the water bottle and drank from it as he paddled away.
  • The man looked at the child with a mixture of pity and contempt.
  • An old man and his grandson sat in their garden. The old man told his grandson to dig a hole. 
  • An old woman was taking a walk on the beach. The tide was high and she had to wade through the water to get to the other side.
  • She looked up at the clock and saw that it was five minutes past seven.
  • The man looked up from the map he was studying. “How’s it going, mate?”
  • I was in my room on the third floor, staring out of the window.
  • A dark silhouette of a woman stood in the doorway.
  • The church bells began to ring.
  • The moon rose above the horizon.
  • A bright light shone over the road.
  • The night sky began to glow.
  • I could hear my mother cooking in the kitchen.
  • The fog began to roll in.
  • He came in late to the class and sat at the back.
  • A young boy picked up a penny and put it in his pocket.
  • He went to the bathroom and looked at his face in the mirror.
  • It was the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We once had everything and now we have nothing.
  • A young man died yesterday, and no one knows why.
  • The boy was a little boy. He was not yet a man. He lived in a house in a big city.
  • They had just returned from the theatre when the phone rang.
  • I walked up to the front of the store and noticed the neon sign was out.
  • I always wondered what happened to Mary.
  • I stopped to say hello and then walked on.
  • The boy’s mother didn’t want him to play outside…
  • The lights suddenly went out…
  • After 10 years in prison, he was finally out.
  • The raindrops pelted the window, which was set high up on the wall, and I could see it was a clear day outside.
  • My friend and I had just finished a large pizza, and we were about to open our second.
  • I love the smell of the ocean, but it never smells as good as it does when the waves are crashing.
  • They just stood there, staring at each other.
  • A party was in full swing until the music stopped.

For more ideas on how to start your story, check out these first-line writing prompts . Did you find this list of creative story starters useful? Let us know in the comments below!

150 Story Starters

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Penlighten

Here are Some Really Good Sentence Starters for Creative Writing

So, your head is chock-a-block with ideas, and yet you're struggling to begin your story. No cause for worry, as it happens to most of us. Instead, read this Penlighten post - it has some amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Good Sentence Starters for Creative Writing

So, your head is chock-a-block with ideas, and yet you’re struggling to begin your story. No cause for worry, as it happens to most of us. Instead, read this Penlighten post – it has some amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Master storyteller that he is, Stephen King was gracious enough to admit that a writer tends to dread the moment when he actually begins writing any piece―this can be a bit of a make-or-break kind of a situation. A flying start tends to set the tone of the work, all positive, of course, whereas an unsure start only leads to the doomed path of redrafts.

You may have the entire concept of your story or essay in mind, but when it comes to the actual act of putting pen to paper, the enthusiasm tends to deflate a little. A rather strange phenomenon, this, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that most writers, at some point, have encountered this experience.

To our fellow budding writers, we’re offering a helping hand by providing a few sample starts to get that creativity rolling, followed by a little inspiration from the stalwarts of the business.

Sample Sentence Starters for Fiction

Fiction writing is a boundless category, and each author has his preferred style of beginning a story or a novel. It is obvious that the beginning of a story depends on the overall plot, but there are times when you can use all the inspiration you need to get the start you were looking for. Therefore, we’ve included 5 ideas you can use in your starter, along with 3 examples for each.

Describe the weather

► The warm Californian sunshine hit her face as she stepped outside for the first time as a free woman.

► It had been raining nonstop for the past six days.

► The night sky was exceptionally clear tonight.

Introduce a character

► Daniel hated reunions and all the fake camaraderie.

► Edie Brent’s gruesome murder made it to the front page of the New York Times.

► Alison loved to keep secrets.

Talk about the city

► The streets of London come alive during the Holidays.

► Springtime is the best time to be in New York.

► Rio de Janeiro was where his dreams were.

Add a little suspense

► Walking home in the dead of the night was not new to Carol, but tonight felt different.

► The key clicked in the lock as Alan opened the door to his apartment. Everything seemed to be in place, and yet, something wasn’t right.

► It was 3 a. m. and there was no sign of Tim. He always called to tell if he was getting late. Why hadn’t he called?

And some drama

► How do you react when you’re told that you have a mere hours left to live?

► Prom queen and head cheerleader, Jessica always loved to be the center of attention.

► “Get the hell out of my life!”, screamed Karen at the top of her lungs.

Sentence Starters for Formal Essays

Middle school and high school students have to draft varied writing assignments, including persuasive essays, arguments, and narratives. In case of essays, particularly, the kind of start you make depends entirely on the topic at hand. However, formal essays or presentations need to begin in a certain manner. We’ve listed a few examples here:

► (The topic) has fostered a debate on …

► There is growing support for the notion that …

► The data gathered in the study strongly suggests that …

► The focus of discussion in this paper is …

► The premise of (the topic) seems to be based on …

► Latest research corroborates the view that …

Learn from the Greats

Who doesn’t seek inspiration from the masters of the field? Agreed, we all do. Therefore, we’ve brought you a list of the first sentences of some of the most iconic novels ever written.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four

Call me Ishmael. ― J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. ― J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love. ― Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

These sample sentence starters ought to have helped you get over your dry spell. Getting the right start is crucial when it comes to creative writing, and you need to give it your all to bring it up to standard.

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AQA 8700/1 GCSE English Language Creative Writing Starters

AQA 8700/1 GCSE English Language Creative Writing Starters

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

WordsmithDFA - REAL Resources for REAL Teachers

Last updated

21 February 2021

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sentence starters ks4 creative writing

Just something fun and engaging that kids have played all over the world - Boy/Girl is something I’ve turned into a vocabulary builder - hope your students like it!

There’s also a Boring Sentences challenge which has served as a differentiated worksheet - challenging students with perhaps adding in one or two descriptive words and others: all of them. I also get them to research synonyms and try to get even more advanced words than those on the sheet.

Now, there is also a more advanced Boring Sentences group challenge included.

Hope you find them useful!

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leckypostbox

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I almost wish I'd seen what it looked like prior to changes. A good little pair of free starters. Thanks for sharing!

Lovely interactive and challenging starters. The students find them a challenge, but they do develop vocabulary.

wordsmithDFA

Some of my groups did find them challenging, also. I've simplified the game in hope that it is more enjoyable as a result. Thanks for the feedback! =-)

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    Age range: 14-16 Resource type: Assessment and revision File previews pptx, 56.31 KB This is a double sided help sheet for GCSE students with sentence starters, useful essay writing terminology and a list of ambitious vocabulary for creative writing. They can be printed double sided and laminated for students to keep on hand in lessons.

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    A lot of the time, getting started with your story can be the most difficult part of the writing process.Finding that winning opening line to hook your reader in can be a challenge but, have no fear, we've got a list of smash-hit story starters guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing!. Perfect for use at home, with your children, or in English lessons, our story starters cover a range ...

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    "The scariest moment is always just before you start." ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Master storyteller that he is, Stephen King was gracious enough to admit that a writer tends to dread the moment when he actually begins writing any piece―this can be a bit of a make-or-break kind of a situation.

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