Students learn the techniques writers use to make readers hold their breath: short sentences, sounds and silence, a character's body reacting to fear, delaying the reveal and ending on a cliffhanger. They study an original suspense passage, match techniques to examples, choose the more suspenseful version of a sentence, rewrite calm sentences to add tension and write a suspense paragraph of their own.
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Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.
Completed: Building Suspense and Tension in a Story
Year 6 students (typically ages 11–12) working on narrative writing. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.
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.
About 30 minutes for 12 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.
No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.
Try Writing Satisfying Story Endings.
Success TutoringWorksheetsYear 6 · English · Narrative WritingName
Date
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Suspense comes from what the reader does not know yet. Slow down and hold back.
Read the passage, then answer the questions.
The hallway light flickered once, then died. Ari stood still. Somewhere below, a door creaked open — slowly, as if whoever was pushing it did not want to be heard.
He held his breath. One step. Then another. The stairs groaned under a weight that was not his. Ari's fingers found the edge of the doorframe and gripped it until his knuckles ached.
The footsteps stopped. Silence. Then, right behind him, something breathed.
Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.
Students write a character-driven story in which the main character must make a choice with no easy answer. The plan focuses on what the…
Students learn what makes a story ending satisfying: it resolves the main problem, comes from the character's own actions, and leaves the…
Worksheet · Year 5 · Narrative Writing · Level 2 · Standard
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