Personal Narrative Essay Assignment

Assignment: For this writing assignment, you will write an essay about an incident or experience in
your life that has been meaningful to you. Choosing a very specific place or time will help you write the
essay. Develop the essay with details that will demonstrate the significance of your experience.
How long should it be?
2- pages, typed or handwritten, !if typed: double spaced, "# margins, "2 point font$

How will it be graded?
%our grade will be based not only on the final product, but also on showing that you completed all the
steps of the writing process. &hese steps are:
Prewrite %our graphic organi'er or freewrite will help you generate ideas.
Draft &he first version of your essay.
Edit Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar( organi'ation
Publish &urn it in for me to grade it
What is a Narrative Essay?
)*arrative# means telling what happened. +n essay is different from a story in that the narrative
in the essay is a tool that,s used to ma-e a point. .t,s pretty li-ely that you will not discover the point
until you have spent some time wor-ing on it.
What maes a good personal narrative?
+ good personal narrative will ta-e the reader step by step through the experience.
+ good personal narrative uses the senses to describe things. &he reader wants to smell, touch, taste, hear
and see the story unfold.
+ good personal narrative incorporates dialogue and metaphors along with good sensory description.
+ good personal narrative doesn/t have to be "00 percent truthful. .f bending the truth effectively
enhances part of the experience, then that,s o-.
How do ! get started?
1oo- at your graphic organi'er. Do not attempt to write about a large chun- of time, such as
)2unior high school#, or )3y " years in the navy#. .nstead, the essay should examine in detail a single
event such as, )3y first 4unior high trac- meet#, or )5hat it,s li-e to wal- home from school in a
hurricane.# 6ay attention in class so you -now how to freewrite or create a graphic organi'er.
.3678&+*& *7&9: "eep a copy of the graphic organi#er. !t is a re$uirement for the finished
essay.
What do ! do after the prewrite?
7nce you have done a graphic organi'er and you thin- you have identified a good essay topic, write a
draft. 6erfection is not re:uired; 2ust write about a page and a half or two pages about your topic. %ou
may do this by hand or on the computer.
.3678&+*& *7&9: 8emember to save a copy to turn in with your essay.

What happens during editing?
&his is the fine-tuning phase. 7nce you have good ideas and organi'ation, then you begin examining
sentences word-by word for grammar, for spelling and punctuation. Cut out unnecessary words and
phrases such as: really, very, a little bit, -ind of, sort of. +lso, don,t use big words unless it is totally
necessary. &hin- about the audience for this narrative. %ou are probably telling a story as if you are
tal-ing to a friend, so use everyday language in this essay. +s we get into more academic types of
writing, the tone will change.
What do ! turn in?
". <raphic 7rgani'er
2. First Draft !will be peer edited$
=. Final Draft
. 8ubric
6lease staple these items in the order presented above.

Name%&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Personal Narrative Essay
Rubric
Possible points 100
Poor(1) Excellent (5/10)
All attachments are included
Freewrite, 1
st
draft coy, eer edited coy,
Final !raft 1 " # $ 5

Document Format
Paer is t%e re&'ired lengt% ("($ ages) 1 " #
$ 5
)yed, do'*le saced, 1" t font ,
No extra saces anyw%ere
Ideas
+riter exlains w%y t%is narrative is signi,cant 1/" #/$ 5/- .//
0/10
(1r +%at2s t%e oint3)
)oic is foc'sed 1/" #/$ 5/- .//
0/10
Evidence is rovided w%ere needed 1/" #/$ 5/- .//
0/10
Organiation
4ntrod'ction 1 " # $
5
5oncl'sion 1 " # $ 5
)ransitions *etween new ideas 1 " #
$ 5
!oice
)one is aroriate to content 1 " #
$ 5
Personality of t%e reader is resent 1 " # $
5
"ord choice
+ords are seci,c and acc'rate 1 " #
$ 5
6ang'age is aroriate for a'dience 1 " #
$ 5
#entence $uency
7entences vary in lengt% and str'ct're 1 " #
$ 5
7entences *egin wit% di8erent words 1 " #
$ 5
%onventions
All words selled correctly 1 " # $
5 P'nct'ation, caitali9ation is acc'rate 1 "
# $ 5
:rammar ; 'sage correct 1 " # $
5
<o'r score= )otal oints ossi*le= 100