Basic 6 · Ghanaian Language · Creative and Free Writing
Writing a Five-Paragraph Real Story
In this topic you will plan and write a long real story of about five paragraphs about something that happened to you or someone you know.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Plan a five-paragraph story
- Write each paragraph with a clear purpose
- Edit and improve your story
What you already know
- Writing a report
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Composition Writing
- Sub-strand
- Creative and Free Writing
- Indicator
- B6.4.2.1.1-3 – Write a long real story of about five paragraph
Introduction
Everyone has real stories to tell: a journey, a frightening moment, an achievement or a lesson learnt. Writing them down carefully turns memories into good stories.
1. Structure of a Five-Paragraph Story
| Paragraph | Purpose | Example (My First Trip to Kumasi) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 introduction | set the scene: who, where, when | I travelled with my uncle on a Saturday morning. |
| 2 beginning of events | what happened first | We boarded a bus at the station; I saw new places. |
| 3 problem or climax | the most important or exciting part | I got lost in Kejetia Market. |
| 4 resolution | how the problem was solved | A kind trader helped me find my uncle. |
| 5 conclusion | how it ended and the lesson | I learnt to stay close and remember phone numbers. |
2. Making the Story Interesting
- Begin with an interesting opening sentence.
- Use the senses: what you saw, heard, smelt and felt.
- Use dialogue to bring people to life.
- Use time words: first, then, suddenly, after that, finally.
- Show your feelings: excited, frightened, relieved.
- End with a lesson or reflection.
3. Sample Paragraph 3 (English Version)
"Suddenly, I realised my uncle was gone. All around me were traders shouting prices and people pushing past with heavy loads. My heart beat like a drum. I called, 'Uncle Kwame!' but my voice disappeared in the noise. Tears filled my eyes as I wondered how I would ever find him in such a huge market."
4. Editing Checklist
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| structure | Do I have five clear paragraphs? |
| order | Are events in the right order? |
| interest | Did I use senses, feelings and dialogue? |
| language | Are spelling, tone marks and special letters correct? |
| punctuation | Are capital letters, full stops and quotation marks correct? |
Write your story in your Ghanaian language, then edit it with a partner and write a neat final copy.
New words
- real story
- An account of something that actually happened.
- paragraph
- A group of sentences about one main idea.
- climax
- The most exciting part of a story.
- resolution
- How the problem is solved.
- reflection
- Thinking about what was learnt.
- edit
- To check and correct writing.
Summary
- A five-paragraph story has an introduction, events, climax, resolution and conclusion.
- Senses, dialogue and feelings make it interesting.
- Use time words to show order.
- Edit for structure, language and punctuation.
Class activity: My Real Story
- Plan your story using the paragraph table.
- Write it in your Ghanaian language.
- Edit with a partner and write a final copy.
You need: Printed photographs of a local market or festival, Locally made story-planning cards, Exercise books, Pencils
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. How many paragraphs should your story have?
- A. five
- B. one
- C. two
- D. ten
Show answer
Answer: fiveFive-paragraph story.2. The most exciting part is the…
- A. climax
- B. introduction
- C. title
- D. conclusion
Show answer
Answer: climaxParagraph 3.3. Which is a time word?
- A. Suddenly
- B. Market
- C. Happy
- D. Blue
Show answer
Answer: SuddenlyShows order.4. A real story describes something that actually happened.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueNot imaginary.5. You should not edit your story.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseEditing improves it.6. How the problem is solved is the ______.
Show answer
Answer: resolutionParagraph 4.7. State the purpose of each of the five paragraphs.
Show answer
Answer: Introduction, beginning of events, climax, resolution, conclusion.In order.8. How does using the senses improve a story?
Show answer
Answer: It helps readers see, hear and feel the scene, making the story vivid and interesting.Descriptive writing.
Homework
- Write a five-paragraph real story about a memorable day.