A good narrative essay outline will identify the topic or incident and include a topic sentence for each paragraph.
For example, an essay looking at what we might learn about life from our hobbies or pastimes might have the following outline:
Topic: Life lessons learned in a kayak
- Introduction:
- Hook: When I first sat in a kayak at the age of 15, I was immediately off-balance and mildly terrified.
- Thesis: Little did I suspect that, over the course of the next two years, I would learn a host of lessons that would be valuable, not just for kayaking, but for life in general.
- Life lesson one: Where your head is will determine what happens to you more than you realize.
- Supporting story: learning to keep my head straight
- Life lesson two: Just because something might seem to hold you back doesn’t mean it isn’t helping you to keep straight!
- Supporting story: instructor tying a “skeg” to my boat
- Life lesson three: Dangerous and frightening experiences can be prepared for so that when they happen, you are equipped to cope.
- Supporting story: learning how to get out of a capsize
- Conclusion: These are just a few of the life lessons that kayaking has taught me.
You can use these topic sentences to guide the content of each paragraph.
Continue reading: What is a good narrative essay outline?
There are many possible narrative essay topics, including:
Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
- Write about a time you stepped out of your comfort zone. What motivated you to take that step, and how did it change your perspective?
- Reflect on a failure that shaped your character. How did you turn it into a learning experience?
Identity and Values
- Who or what has had the greatest influence on your identity? Share a story that illustrates this impact.
- Recount a time when you stood up for something you believed in. What was at stake, and how did it shape your values?
Connections and Relationships
- Write about a meaningful conversation that changed the way you see the world. Who was it with, and what was the impact?
- Describe a moment when you helped someone or made a difference in their life. How did that experience shape you?
Creativity and Curiosity
- Describe a time when your curiosity led you to an unexpected discovery. What did you learn, and how did it inspire you?
- Write about a creative project or passion that has been important to you. How does it reflect who you are?
Change and New Beginnings
- Recount a time you moved to a new place, joined a new community, or faced a significant transition. What did you learn about adapting to change?
Describe an event or moment that sparked a change in your beliefs or worldview. How did it influence your actions?
Continue reading: What are some narrative essay topics?
A narrative essay usually has a broader focus than a descriptive essay. A narrative essay tells (“narrates”) a story, whereas a descriptive essay focuses on describing a place or a moment in time.
Both essay types require careful use of descriptive and figurative language so that the reader fully experiences the situation being described.
When you are writing a narrative essay or a descriptive essay, you have more freedom with your use of language than with an analytical essay, which requires more formal academic English.
You can use the QuillBot Paraphrasing Tool to express your thoughts and descriptions in different ways when writing a narrative essay or descriptive essay.
Continue reading: What is the difference between a narrative essay and a descriptive essay?
Correct use of quotes in an essay can lift it above the normal and attract higher grades. Quotes are vital in backing up your argument or illustrating your point. You should aim to integrate or embed your quotes in your writing.
Consider this comment on The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot:
“Prufrock realizes when he sees ‘the eternal Footman hold his coat,’ that he is approaching death, and he is overwhelmed by a sense of failure and fear. Failure because his achievements are no more than a ‘moment of …greatness’ that has flickered out, and fear because he has ‘seen the eternal Footman …snicker,’ suggesting that what he faces in the afterlife is to be feared. This is confirmed in the last half line of the stanza, ‘in short I was afraid.”
Here, the quotations flow naturally as part of the point that is being made. There’s lots more to be said on the subject of paraphrasing and summarizing which is worth researching.
QuillBot’s Notepad is a great place to note your quotations as you research your essay, making them easy to locate and use. Additionally, QuillBot’s Word Counter tool can help you effectively track the word count of your quotes to ensure your writing doesn’t rely on too many quotations.
Continue reading: How do you use quotes in an essay?
A descriptive essay will generally have a tighter focus than a narrative essay. While a narrative essay will tell a story (probably with a beginning, middle, and end) a descriptive essay might simply focus on describing a more limited location or event.
Both essays allow for more creative license than many other types of academic essay, especially in the use of descriptive language.
QuillBot’s Notepad is an invaluable resource for keeping notes as you research and write, whatever type of essay you are writing or researching.
Continue reading: What is the difference between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay?
No, an expository essay is different from an argumentative essay. Although both types of essay require careful planning and formal English language, an argumentative essay has a clear point to be made and argued, while an expository essay seeks to explain a position or topic.
Examples of an argumentative essay might include:
- The relationship between money supply and inflation is the most significant problem facing central banks. [Economics]
- Prison works. [Criminology]
- Poetry is untranslatable. [Literature]
Examples of an expository essay include:
- What has been the impact of widespread smartphone use on adolescents? [Education/Sociology]
- To what extent can the oral tradition of poetry be seen as the root of modern rap? [Literature]
- Discuss the impact of drug treatment programs on reoffending rates. [Criminology/Sociology]
Whatever type of essay you are writing, QuillBot’s Notepad is an invaluable resource for keeping notes as you research and write.
Continue reading: Is an expository essay the same as an argumentative essay?
The most common type of essay at university is the argumentative essay, although different courses (and different countries) might have other predominant types.
An argumentative essay takes a position on a topic and seeks to persuade the reader to agree with the author’s standpoint. Some examples of argumentative essays prompts in a range of subject areas include:
- The relationship between money supply and inflation is the most significant problem facing central banks. [Economics]
- Prison works. [Criminology]
- Poetry is untranslatable. [Literature]
An argumentative essay requires careful planning and a clear structure. It should use formal academic English and the correct citation for your institution. It should also meet the word count requirements.
The QuillBot Citation Generator makes the task of citing sources correctly simple, with 21 verified styles catered for. Additionally, QuillBot’s Word Counter tool can help you effectively track your word count and other helpful metrics.
Continue reading: What is the most common type of essay at university?
