In a story with a beginning, middle and end, things happen in order. Time words help the reader follow that order: first, next, then, after that, last.
Key idea
Time words like first, next, then and last help a reader follow the order.
Why it works
A reader can’t ask you “what came next?” Time words answer before they ask. They are signposts on the path through your writing.
Worked example: Fill in the time words
“___, we got in the car. ___, we drove to the lake. ___, we went swimming.”
- The first thing that happened gets First.
- A thing in the middle gets Next or Then.
- The very last thing gets Last or Finally.
Answer: “First, we got in the car. Next, we drove to the lake. Last, we went swimming.”
Common mistake
Using “and then” for every step, or using last before the last step. Save last and finally for the very end, so the reader knows the story is wrapping up.
For the grown-up. Cooking together is a great way to practice: name each step with a time word as you go, then ask your child to tell someone else how you made it. A comma after a time word at the start (First, …) is common; with short words, some writers leave it out.