Success TutoringWorksheets

Story Openings That Hook the Reader — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 5th Grade narrative writing worksheet.

Download answers PDFPrint answersBack to worksheet
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheet5th Grade · English · Narrative Writing

Story Openings That Hook the Reader — Answers

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

Answer: dialogue

The story opens with a character speaking.

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

Answer: action

The story opens in the middle of fast movement.

3.Crack! The branch snapped beneath my feet.
  1. Adialogue
  2. Baction
  3. Ca sound
  4. Da question
  5. Ea description of the setting

Answer: a sound

Crack is a sound word that grabs attention.

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

Answer: a question

A question makes the reader want an answer.

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

Answer: a description of the setting

The opening paints a picture of the place and sets a mysterious mood.

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.

Answer: The wave came out of nowhere, taller than a house, and it was heading straight for us.

It starts with danger, so the reader wants to know what happens.

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.

Answer: Nobody in town knew that Zara could hear the thoughts of animals, and she planned to keep it that way.

It hints at a secret, which makes the reader curious.

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.

Answer: "Where's the dog?" Dad asked. The back gate was swinging open.

It opens with a problem that needs solving.

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: For example: Sam's bare feet burned on the sand as he raced toward the water, but something half-buried near the waves stopped him in his tracks.

10.Once upon a time there was a girl who found a key.

Answer: For example: The key was still warm when Lena pulled it out of the snow.

11.This story is about a robot that lived in a factory.

Answer: For example: Bzzt. Unit 7 blinked awake in the dark factory and discovered it was alone.

Part D: What does the reader want to know?

A strong opening makes the reader ask questions, and the story answers them.

12.Opening: "The day the rain turned purple, nobody went to school." Write two questions a reader might ask after reading it.

Answer: For example: Why did the rain turn purple? What happened to everyone? Was the rain dangerous?

13.Opening: "Grandma had only one rule: never, ever go into the attic." Write two questions a reader might ask.

Answer: For example: What is in the attic? Why is Grandma so strict about it? Will someone break the rule?

Part E: Your turn

14.Your turn: write two different openings (two to three sentences each) for a story called The Locked Gate. Use a different hook for each. Then write one sentence explaining which opening you would choose and why.

Model answer: Opening 1 (dialogue): "Whatever you do, don't climb over," my brother whispered. But the gate was already creaking under my weight. Opening 2 (setting): Ivy had swallowed the old iron gate long ago, and the padlock was so rusty it looked like it had grown there. Behind it, something was humming. I would choose Opening 2 because the humming makes the reader wonder what is behind the gate.

Success criteria:

  • Two openings, each two to three sentences
  • Each opening uses a different, clearly identifiable hook
  • Each opening makes the reader ask a question
  • Precise, vivid words
  • A sensible reason for choosing one opening
Free worksheets at worksheets.successtutoring.com · © Success Tutoring · Free for personal and classroom use

Marking tips

  • Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
  • For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
  • Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.

Great work. Here's what to try next: