Writing Stories
BasicBeginning introduces, middle builds up, ending resolves.
- Story shape: beginning (character and setting) → middle (events) → climax → ending.
- Open with a mystery, never the answer.
- Put dialogue in quotes — one line brings it alive.
文體小知識：Beginning, middle, end.
§Text Passage
1The Lost Puppy
One sunny Saturday, Katy found a small puppy crying near the estate gate. It was thin and dirty, and it had no collar. Katy is the character everyone loves — kind and brave. She looked everywhere for the owner, but nobody came. The problem was simple: the puppy had no home to go back to.
2Katy could not describe how worried she felt. She put up notices with a photo of the puppy on every lamppost. 'Please help me find his family,' she wrote. The setting was the busy estate, and many neighbours stopped to read the notices.
3Three days later, an old man called the number on the notice. His dog had been lost for a week, and he had searched every street. When the man saw the puppy, his eyes filled with tears. 'Thank you for saving my best friend,' he said. It was the climax of the whole week. Then the puppy jumped up and licked his hands happily.
4Katy was sad to say goodbye, but she was also proud. She learned that kindness always finds its way home. On the last page of her notebook, she wrote, 'A good story needs a clear plot, natural dialogue and a happy ending.'
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
The Lost Puppy
走失的小狗
One sunny Saturday, Katy found a small puppy crying near the estate gate.
一個晴朗的星期六，Katy 在屋苑門口發現一隻哭着的小狗。
It was thin and dirty, and it had no collar.
牠又瘦又骯髒，頸上還沒有頸圈。
Katy is the character everyone loves — kind and brave.
Katy 就是故事裡面人見人愛的角色——善良又勇敢。
She looked everywhere for the owner, but nobody came.
她到處找主人，但沒有人來認領。
The problem was simple: the puppy had no home to go back to.
這個問題很簡單：小狗無家可歸。
Katy could not describe how worried she felt.
Katy 無法形容自己有多擔心。
She put up notices with a photo of the puppy on every lamppost.
她在每支街燈上面貼了尋犬啟事，還貼上小狗的照片。
'Please help me find his family,' she wrote.
她寫着：「請幫我找牠的家人。」
The setting was the busy estate, and many neighbours stopped to read the notices.
故事背景是繁忙的屋苑，很多鄰居都停下來看啟事。
Three days later, an old man called the number on the notice.
三日後，有位伯伯打了啟事上面那個電話號碼。
His dog had been lost for a week, and he had searched every street.
他的狗走失了一個星期，他找遍了每一條街。
When the man saw the puppy, his eyes filled with tears.
伯伯見到小狗那一刻，眼淚都湧了出來。
'Thank you for saving my best friend,' he said.
他說：「多謝你救回我最好的朋友。」
It was the climax of the whole week.
這個就是整個星期的高潮。
Then the puppy jumped up and licked his hands happily.
接著小狗跳起來，開心地舔着他的手。
Katy was sad to say goodbye, but she was also proud.
Katy 很不捨得說再見，但同時又很自豪。
She learned that kindness always finds its way home.
她明白到，善良始終會帶你回家。
On the last page of her notebook, she wrote, 'A good story needs a clear plot, natural dialogue and a happy ending.'
她在筆記本最後一頁寫着：「好的故事要有清晰的情節、自然的對話同開心的結局。」
1Summary 重點摘要
Beginning introduces, middle builds up, ending resolves.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Person.
Place/time.
Events.
Difficulty.
Peak.
End.
Picture with words.
Speech.
3Step by step Steps
- BeginningThe opening introduces the character and the setting and plants a mystery. Example: Last night, I heard a strange sound downstairs. Time, place and one odd event make readers want to continue; never reveal the ending in the first line.
- MiddleThe middle lets events build and the tension grow layer by layer. Example: I went downstairs quietly with a torch. The door was open, and the wind was blowing. Actions and scenery in turn give the story a sense of moving forward.
- ClimaxThe climax is the tensest moment, usually only a line or two. Example: A small cat was sitting at the door! An exclamation mark and short sentences quicken the pace; reveal the truth sharply, or the moment loses its power.
- EndThe ending solves the problem and may add a lesson or a feeling. Example: I let it in. It was warm and soft, and now it is my pet. The ending should echo the opening; once the mystery is solved, one line of feeling completes the story.
- Keep some mysteryMystery keeps readers turning the page. Example: open with I heard a strange sound and reveal the rest step by step. Mystery is not trickery: each layer must offer a new clue, and the answer must come, or readers feel let down.
- Use dialogue in quotesDialogue brings a story alive, and direct speech takes quotation marks. Example: Katy said, "Who are you?" Put a comma after said or asked and the exact words inside the marks; a little dialogue moves the plot along, but too much slows it down.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we write a short story with a beginning, middle, climax and end? Use the strange sound downstairs as the topic.
- Step 1: A mysterious start — Last night, I heard a strange sound downstairs. A time plus a strange sound makes readers want to follow.
- Step 2: The character acts — I went downstairs quietly with a torch. Quietly and torch deepen the tension.
- Step 3: The middle builds — The door was open, and the wind was blowing. Scenery pushes the unease higher.
- Step 4: The climax reveals — A small cat was sitting at the door! An exclamation mark and a short sentence reveal the truth at once.
- Step 5: Resolve and close — I let it in. It was warm and soft, and now it is my pet. The mystery is solved and a warm feeling ends the story.
- Answer: Sample answer: Last night, I heard a strange sound downstairs. I crept down with a torch. The door was open — and a small cat was sitting there! I let it in. It was warm and soft, and now it is my pet. Mystery at the start, a building middle, a one-line climax and a warm ending: all four parts present.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Three parts?
Q2Beginning?
Q3Middle?
Q4End?
Q5Punctuation for dialogue?
Q6How to make it lively?
8Recap Recap
- Story shape: beginning (character and setting) → middle (events) → climax → ending.
- Open with a mystery, never the answer.
- Put dialogue in quotes — one line brings it alive.
- Write the whole story in the past tense.
- Solve the problem, then add one feeling line.