Beginning, Middle, and End of Stories

​Sequence is the order of events in a text. You can find sequence in both fiction and nonfiction texts. In a fiction story, some events happen at the beginning. Some events happen in the middle, and some happen at the end. In a nonfiction text that uses sequence, the author will tell about real events in the order they happened.

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage.

Before Kaya went outside, he put on warm clothes and mittens. Then, he put on snow boots. When he was all dressed, Kaya went out into the yard. He found a flat space to build his snowman. He made three small snowballs. Then, he added more and more snow. Soon, the snowman was taller than Kaya. Finally, he added sticks and a carrot nose.

Which event happened before Kaya went outside?

• He put on warm clothes and mittens.

• He found a flat space to build a snowman.

• He added sticks and a carrot nose to his snowman.

Transition words are words and phrases that help show the order of events. They help describe the order in which things happened. Some transition words are "first," "next," and "finally." An event that happens first happens before any other event. Next and later, both describe an event that comes after something else. An event that happens next happens immediately after another event. An event that happens later happens after some time has passed.

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage.

Dara baked some fresh chocolate chip cookies. After they finished cooking, she waited for them to cool. Next, she took out a plate and a glass. When she went to pour a glass of milk, she discovered there were only a few drops left. She wanted to eat her cookies while they were hot. Dara poured herself a glass of water instead and enjoyed her cookies. Later, Dara remembered that she still needed milk. So, she went to the store to buy a carton.

What does the transition word later show?

• It shows that Dara remembered that she still needed milk before eating her cookies.

• It shows that Dara remembered that she still needed milk after eating her cookies.

• It shows that Dara remembered that she still needed milk at the same time that she ate her cookies.

​The transition word "finally" can be used in different ways. It can show that an event happened after a long time. But there still may be other events that happen after that one. "Finally" can also show that an event was the very last thing to happen.

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage.

The aliens' spaceship broke down. They made an emergency landing on the closest planet. After landing, they climbed out to find help. Soon, the aliens found a small town. They talked to many of the townspeople and asked them for help fixing the spaceship. But no one knew what was wrong with it. After a long day of searching, they were just about to give up. Suddenly, a creature came up to one of the aliens and said, "I'm a mechanic! Let me see your ship!" She fixed their ship for them. Finally, the aliens waved goodbye to their new friends and flew off.

What is the last event that happened in this story?

• A creature told the aliens that she was a mechanic.

• The aliens searched for someone to fix their spaceship.

• The aliens flew away from the planet where they'd landed.

​Sometimes, two events in a story happen at the same time. Transition words like "meanwhile" and "simultaneously" show this.

Multiple Choice

Read the following passage.

Jakub was studying for a big science test. He read his textbook to learn more about plants. Meanwhile, his sister Isabel rode her bike outside. She was only three, so she didn't have any studying to do.

Jakub read his science textbook at the same time that Isabel

• studied for a test.

• learned about plants.

• rode her bike outside.

​Procedural text is a type of text that tells you how to do or make something. In procedural text, there's definitely an order of events! Some examples of procedural texts are directions and recipes. Transition words might help show you the steps to take. Procedural text might also have numbers. These numbers show you the order of steps to follow.

Multiple Choice

Read the following directions for washing your hands.

1. Turn on the water.

2. Put your hands under the water.

3. Add soap, and rub your hands together for 15 seconds.

4. Rinse the soap off your hands with water.

5. Dry your hands with a paper towel.

6. Turn off the water with the paper towel.

What is the next step after adding soap and rubbing your hands together for 15 seconds?

• Rinse the soap off your hands with water.

• Dry your hands with a paper towel.

• Turn on the water.