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WorksheetYear 5Level 2 · Standard

Free Year 5 Story Openings That Hook the Reader Worksheet

Students learn five ways to open a story so the reader wants to keep going: dialogue, action, a sound, a question and a vivid setting. They name the hook in each opening, compare weak and strong openings, rewrite flat openings, work out what questions a good opening makes the reader ask, then write and compare two openings for the same story.

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Year
Year 5
Subject
English
Topic
Narrative Writing
Difficulty
Level 2 · Standard
Estimated time
30 minutes
Curriculum
Australian Curriculum
Questions
14
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4), print or complete online

Students will practise

  • identifying types of story openings
  • judging which opening hooks the reader
  • rewriting a flat opening
  • creating questions in the reader's mind
  • writing two contrasting openings

Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: Story Openings That Hook the Reader

  1. 1Creating Believable Characters
  2. 2Should Homework Be Banned in Primary School? — Persuasive Writing
  3. 3Writing a Rebuttal: Answering the Other Side
Study guide

How to use this worksheet

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this worksheet for?

Year 5 students (typically ages 10–11) working on narrative writing. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 30 minutes for 14 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try Creating Believable Characters.

Preview

Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 5 · English · Narrative Writing

Story Openings That Hook the Reader

Name

Date

Score /

Start where the story gets interesting, and make the reader ask a question.

Part A: Name the hook

A hook is an opening that grabs the reader's attention. Circle the kind of hook each writer has used.

1."Don't open that box!" Grandpa shouted from the kitchen.
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting
2.Mia sprinted down the hallway, her backpack bouncing, as the bell rang for the last time.
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting
3.Crack! The branch snapped beneath my feet.
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting
4.Have you ever wondered what lives at the bottom of a well?
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting
5.Fog curled around the empty houses, and the only light came from a single window at the end of the street.
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting

Part B: Weak or strong?

Circle the opening that makes you most want to read on.

6.Which opening hooks the reader best?
  1. AOne day I went to the beach with my family.
  2. BThe wave came out of nowhere, taller than a house, and it was heading straight for us.
  3. CThis is a story about the beach.
7.Which opening hooks the reader best?
  1. AHi, my name is Zara and I am ten.
  2. BZara is a girl who lives in a town.
  3. CNobody in town knew that Zara could hear the thoughts of animals, and she planned to keep it that way.
8.Which opening hooks the reader best?
  1. A"Where's the dog?" Dad asked. The back gate was swinging open.
  2. BWe had a dog called Rufus.
  3. CIt was a normal day.

Part C: Rewrite the opening

Each opening is flat. Rewrite it using one of the hooks from Part A. Show, don't explain.

9.One day a boy called Sam went to the beach. It was a hot day. (answer space)
10.Once upon a time there was a girl who found a key. (answer space)
11.This story is about a robot that lived in a factory. (answer space)
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.