Stories Have a Beginning, Middle, and End
A cozy reading nook with soft cushions and warm lamp light, where Quill the friendly feathered guide holds up a picture book and points excitedly to three colorful tabs labeled First, Then, and Last.
- Identify the beginning, middle, and end of a short story.
- Explain what happens first, next, and last in a story.
- Predict what part of the story comes next when given one part.
- Compare the beginning of a story to the end to see how things changed.
Key terms
- beginning
- The first part of a story where we meet the characters and place.
- middle
- The part of a story where the problem or big action happens.
- end
- The last part of a story where everything finishes.
- sequence
- The order of events: first, then, and last.
- story problem
- The trouble or goal a character faces in the middle.
The Three Story Parts
Every story is built from three parts that come in order. The beginning starts the story, the middle carries the big action, and the end finishes everything. Think of it like a sandwich, with the beginning as the top bread, the middle as all the yummy filling, and the end as the bottom bread. You need all three parts together to make a complete, satisfying story.
What Happens in Each Part
In the beginning, we meet the characters and learn where the story happens. In the middle, the big thing happens, often a problem or an adventure, and this part is usually the longest. In the end, everything wraps up, the problem is solved, or the character goes home. Asking what happens first, then, and last helps you find each part as you read a story.
How Things Change
A good story shows a change from the beginning to the end. A character might start out hungry and finish happy and full, or start out lost and finish safely home. The middle is where that change is earned, because the character works through a problem there. Comparing the very start to the very end is a great way to see how much the story changed.
Worked examples
Find the middle of this short story.
- Read the events in order: a girl finds a lost kitten, she looks for its home, she returns it.
- The beginning is finding the kitten, and the end is returning it.
- The action between them, looking for the home, is the middle.
Answer: The girl looking for the kitten's home is the middle.
Put these puppy pictures in story order.
- Find the beginning: the puppy sits alone, sad that his ball rolled away.
- Find the middle: the puppy chases the ball through the garden.
- Find the end: the puppy catches the ball and wags his tail happily.
Answer: Sad puppy first, chasing puppy in the middle, happy puppy last.
Activity
Put these three story pictures in the right order: beginning, middle, and end.
Practice
Tell what might happen in the beginning, middle, and end of a story about a lost balloon.
In a story about a bear searching for berries, name which part is the middle.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The last event described is the middle.The middle is the action between the start and finish, not whichever event is mentioned last.
- The big action happens at the beginning.The beginning sets things up, while the big problem or action usually happens in the middle.
Check your understanding
In a story, what happens in the BEGINNING?
A story says: first a girl finds a lost kitten, then she looks for the kitten's home, then she returns the kitten to its owner. Which part is the MIDDLE?
In most stories, where does the main problem or big action happen?
Recap
Every story has a beginning where we meet the characters, a middle where the big problem or action happens, and an end where everything finishes. Reading first, then, and last in order helps you follow how the story changes.
Reflect
What change would you want to happen between the beginning and end of your own story?