NJSLA Narrative Writing Task 2

Question 1

A student wants to show rather than tell that her character is nervous before a big game. Which sentence best achieves this?

Accepted Answer

She kept bouncing her knee and checking the clock every few seconds.

Answer

Showing nervousness through specific physical actions (bouncing knee, checking clock) is more vivid than simply stating the emotion.

Question 2

In a narrative, what is the primary purpose of rising action?

Accepted Answer

To build tension and develop complications that lead to the climax.

Answer

Rising action builds suspense and intensifies conflict, driving the story toward its climax.

Question 3

Which transition word would best signal a shift to a different time period in a personal narrative?

Accepted Answer

Meanwhile

Answer

'Meanwhile' indicates a simultaneous or shifted time frame, making it ideal for moving between time periods in a narrative.

Question 4

A writer ends every paragraph with the same character 'learning a lesson.' What is the main weakness of this approach?

Accepted Answer

It feels repetitive and makes the narrative's theme too heavy-handed.

Answer

Repeating explicit lesson statements throughout a narrative becomes monotonous and reduces the impact of the story's theme.

Question 5

Which narrative technique is used in the sentence: 'The old house groaned as the storm approached, as if warning them to leave'?

Accepted Answer

Personification

Answer

Giving the house human qualities (groaning, warning) is personification, a figurative language technique common in narrative writing.

NJSLA Exam Practice Test