Story Starters Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 21: Story starters that hook the reader · Set 94 · 40 questions

Writer's tip (Grab them at once): Start with someone speaking: “Don’t open that box!” shouted Grandpa. Start with a question: Where do lost socks really go? Start with a sound word: Splash! Kabir fell straight into the pond. Avoid “This is a story about…”.

1. 1.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (b) Bang! Something heavy fell in the attic. (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
2. 2.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a girl. She had a bag. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) “Quick, the train is leaving!” yelled Meera.
3. 3.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) Have you ever heard a tree laugh?
4. 4.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (b) “Quick, the train is leaving!” yelled Meera. (c) Who would steal a whole bus?
5. 5.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir. (c) Buzz! A huge bee landed on my nose.
6. 6.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (b) Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (c) “Hold on tight!” yelled the boatman.
7. 7.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) “Somebody has eaten my homework!” wailed Kabir. (b) Why was the old well glowing at midnight? (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
8. 8.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (b) “Nobody must know about this,” said the old sailor. (c) Have you ever woken up as tiny as an ant?
9. 9.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (b) Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (c) “I can fly!” said the little elephant.
10. 10.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) What was hiding inside Grandma’s locked trunk? (b) There was a girl. She had a bag. (c) In this story I will write about a tree.
11. 11.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
12. 12.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) How do you catch a cloud in a jar? (c) Have you ever met a goat that could read?
13. 13.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) A boy went to school. Then he came home. (b) Why was the old well glowing at midnight? (c) This is my story. I hope you like it.
14. 14.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Crunch! Someone was eating in the dark. (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
15. 15.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “This is not an ordinary box,” whispered Nani. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) I am going to tell you about my holiday.
16. 16.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) Did you know our school has a secret door?
17. 17.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Honk! A runaway cart of melons rolled downhill. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
18. 18.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) There was a house. It had a door. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot.
19. 19.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Something is moving in the cupboard,” said Zoya. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
20. 20.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “I can fly!” said the little elephant. (b) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (c) There was a girl. She had a bag.
21. 21.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is my story. I hope you like it. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) Have you ever woken up as tiny as an ant?
22. 22.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is my story. I hope you like it. (b) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (c) “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa.
23. 23.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
24. 24.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Who left giant footprints on our roof? (b) Crash! The cricket ball smashed the window. (c) This is a story about a boy called Ravi.
25. 25.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) Once there was a dog. It was a dog. (b) “There’s a monkey in the kitchen!” cried Mum. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
26. 26.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) Pop! The balloon burst in Dad’s face. (c) “Today, everything will go wrong,” said Dev.
27. 27.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Whoosh! The wind snatched my hat away. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
28. 28.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) This is a story about a boy called Ravi. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) What if your parrot told everyone your secrets?
29. 29.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Thud! A coconut dropped right at my feet. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with someone speaking
30. 30.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) There was a girl. She had a bag. (b) “Run, the bees are coming!” shouted Aarav. (c) How do you catch a cloud in a jar?
31. 31.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Achoo! The giant sneezed and the trees shook. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
32. 32.Which opening is dull and needs a better hook? (a) Boom! The sky lit up with fireworks. (b) “Never feed a dragon after dark,” said Grandpa. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
33. 33.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) It was a normal day and nothing happened. (b) This story is about a cat and a mouse. (c) Where do lost socks really go?
34. 34.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    What would you do if your shadow ran away? (a) it starts with someone speaking (b) it starts with a sound word (c) it starts with a question
35. 35.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) My story is about a day at school. (b) One day I woke up and had my breakfast. (c) “The trophy is gone!” gasped the principal.
36. 36.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) I am going to tell you about my holiday. (b) Boom! The sky lit up with fireworks. (c) This story is about a cat and a mouse.
37. 37.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Have you ever met a goat that could read? (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a question
38. 38.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Ring, ring! The phone woke the whole house. (a) it starts with a sound word (b) it starts with a question (c) it starts with someone speaking
39. 39.Why does this opening hook the reader?
    Hiss! A snake slid out of the water pot. (a) it starts with a question (b) it starts with someone speaking (c) it starts with a sound word
40. 40.Which opening hooks the reader most? (a) “I found a map under my bed!” said Isha. (b) My story is about a day at school. (c) In this story I will write about a tree.

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