Tell Better Stories With The Right Words
An interactive module to help you use connectors more effectively in narrative writing.
Start
Click on the audio button to listen
Building Coherent Narratives
In this module, you'll learn 6 connectors that make your writing flow and practice using them in a real story.
This will take about 30 minutes. There are no grades here just practice!
NEXT
Narrated Mini Lesson
Modeled Story
Objectives
Index
Practice Activities
Reflection
Story Sprint
Choose
What you will learn
Recognize
Write
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Pick the right connector to complete a narrative paragraph, moving beyond "and," "but," and "because" to more precise, varied language.
Write your own short story using at least 4 of the 6 connectors from this module, with clearer logical flow and more variety than before.
Look at a sentence and say what a connector is doing, is it showing a sequence, a contrast, or a cause and effect? You'll practise this with real examples.
By the end of this module, you will be able to take away these three things
Swipe the cards to change
Title
Write a brief description here
Mini Lesson
Overview of 6 targeted connectors
Next
01: SEQUENCE
First / Then / Finally — sequence
Example sentence:"First, Maya packed her bag. Then she left the house. Finally, she arrived at the station."
Function: "Use these to show the ORDER of events in your story."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: 'She packed her bag and she left and she arrived…'"
Next
02: contrast
However — contrast
Example: "Maya wanted to go outside. However, it was raining heavily."
Function: "Use 'however' when the next idea surprises or contradicts the first."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: '…but it was raining'"
Next
03: concession
Although — concession
Example: "Although Maya was tired, she kept walking."
Function: "Use 'although' when two ideas are true at the same time, but one is surprising."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: 'She was tired but she kept walking.'"
Next
04: Cause and effect
Therefore — cause & effect
Example: "Maya missed her train. Therefore, she was late for her interview." Function: "Use 'therefore' to show the result or consequence of something."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: '…so she was late.'"
Next
05: Variation
As a result — cause & effect (variation)
Example: "Maya had not eaten all day. As a result, she felt dizzy." Function: "Same meaning as 'therefore' — use both to add variety to your writing."
Click on the audio button to listen
Next
06: elaboration
For example — elaboration
Example: "Maya was a very organised person. For example, she always kept a list of everything she needed to do." Function: "Use 'for example' to give a specific detail that supports your idea."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of just adding 'and she always kept a list…'"
Next
Great — you've seen all 6 connectors! Now let's see them in a real story.
Modeled Narrative
Read a short fictional story in which target connectors are embedded in more complex constructions.
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 1)
Read Maya's story. Hover over the yellow words to see why the writer chose them.
Maya had always dreamed of becoming a writer. First, she read every book she could find. Then she began writing short stories every evening. Finally, after three years, she sent her first story to a magazine.
Next
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 2)
Read Maya's story. Hover over the yellow words to see why the writer chose them.
"The editor loved her story. However, he said it needed more detail. Maya was disappointed. Although she felt like giving up, she rewrote the story completely."
Next
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 3)
"Maya worked on the story for two more weeks. As a result, the second version was much stronger. The magazine published it. Maya had many ideas for stories. For example, she wanted to write about her grandmother's life."
Reflection prompt (no interaction required): "Notice how the connectors guide you through Maya's story — from start to finish, through the problem, and out the other side."
Now let's see how well you can recognise connectors. Ready for a quick quiz?
IDENTIFICATION QUIZ
Identify the function of the connector in the sentences.
START
QUESTION 1/5
Quiz
QUESTION 2/5
Quiz
QUESTION 3/5
Quiz
QUESTION 4/5
Quiz
QUESTION 5/5
Quiz
Quiz
Quiz completed!
NEXT
Story Sprint
Now, get ready for a writing game! You'll be given a story starter, secret word, and a connector reference card
Story sprint - rules
Here's how it works — read carefully before we reveal your starter and secret word.
Include the secret word
Write 8-10 sentences
10 mins on the clock
Use at least 3 connectors
From the 6 you learned today — try to use different types
Use it naturally in your story — it must make sense in context
Don't overthink — just write! You can fix things later
A short but complete story with a clear beginning, middle, and ending
Ready? Click next to reveal your sentence starter — then your secret word.
Sentence Starter Reveal
1. CLICK on ONE of the buttons below to reveal your sentence starter.2. COPY the starter to paste on the writing slide ahead.
"It was the first day of school when something strange happened..."
"I never expected my grandma to become TikTok famous overnight..."
Now get ready for your secret word on the next slide.
"Just as I was about to press the red button, someone screamed, 'Wait!'"
"I woke up with a giraffe staring at me through my bedroom window..."
"Everything was normal until my sandwich started talking back to me."
secret word reveal
1. CLICK on ONE of the buttons below to reveal your secret word.
It must appear somewhere in your story — used naturally, not just dropped in!
Spaghetti
Robot
Ghost
Remember your word — the timer starts on the next slide!
Bicycle
Pineapple
STORY SPRINT - WRITE YOUR STORY
Click this button for help
Self-check
REFLECTION - CLOSING LOOP
Great Job!
You've completed the module. Keep practising, the more you use these connectors, the more natural they'll feel.
Think about these as you continue writing:1: Which connector was hardest to use in your story? Why do you think that is?2: What did you learn about writing coherence?
Now, take the course survey to help improve this module :)
click on the button to take the survey
Finish
The Writing Challenge - Building Coherent Narratives
Gyimah, Queen Nadia
Created on April 18, 2026
👋 Hi! I'd love for you to try out my interactive writing module - Tell It Better! It's a fun 30-minute lesson where you'll learn 6 connectors to make your stories flow better. You'll watch a mini-lesson, read an annotated story, complete a short quiz & gap-fill, and finish with a timed story sprint
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Transcript
Tell Better Stories With The Right Words
An interactive module to help you use connectors more effectively in narrative writing.
Start
Click on the audio button to listen
Building Coherent Narratives
In this module, you'll learn 6 connectors that make your writing flow and practice using them in a real story. This will take about 30 minutes. There are no grades here just practice!
NEXT
Narrated Mini Lesson
Modeled Story
Objectives
Index
Practice Activities
Reflection
Story Sprint
Choose
What you will learn
Recognize
Write
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Use this side of the card to provide more information about a topic. Focus on one concept. Make learning and communication more efficient.
Pick the right connector to complete a narrative paragraph, moving beyond "and," "but," and "because" to more precise, varied language.
Write your own short story using at least 4 of the 6 connectors from this module, with clearer logical flow and more variety than before.
Look at a sentence and say what a connector is doing, is it showing a sequence, a contrast, or a cause and effect? You'll practise this with real examples.
By the end of this module, you will be able to take away these three things
Swipe the cards to change
Title
Write a brief description here
Mini Lesson
Overview of 6 targeted connectors
Next
01: SEQUENCE
First / Then / Finally — sequence
Example sentence:"First, Maya packed her bag. Then she left the house. Finally, she arrived at the station." Function: "Use these to show the ORDER of events in your story."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: 'She packed her bag and she left and she arrived…'"
Next
02: contrast
However — contrast
Example: "Maya wanted to go outside. However, it was raining heavily." Function: "Use 'however' when the next idea surprises or contradicts the first."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: '…but it was raining'"
Next
03: concession
Although — concession
Example: "Although Maya was tired, she kept walking." Function: "Use 'although' when two ideas are true at the same time, but one is surprising."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: 'She was tired but she kept walking.'"
Next
04: Cause and effect
Therefore — cause & effect
Example: "Maya missed her train. Therefore, she was late for her interview." Function: "Use 'therefore' to show the result or consequence of something."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of: '…so she was late.'"
Next
05: Variation
As a result — cause & effect (variation)
Example: "Maya had not eaten all day. As a result, she felt dizzy." Function: "Same meaning as 'therefore' — use both to add variety to your writing."
Click on the audio button to listen
Next
06: elaboration
For example — elaboration
Example: "Maya was a very organised person. For example, she always kept a list of everything she needed to do." Function: "Use 'for example' to give a specific detail that supports your idea."
Click on the audio button to listen
Replace tip: "Instead of just adding 'and she always kept a list…'"
Next
Great — you've seen all 6 connectors! Now let's see them in a real story.
Modeled Narrative
Read a short fictional story in which target connectors are embedded in more complex constructions.
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 1)
Read Maya's story. Hover over the yellow words to see why the writer chose them.
Maya had always dreamed of becoming a writer. First, she read every book she could find. Then she began writing short stories every evening. Finally, after three years, she sent her first story to a magazine.
Next
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 2)
Read Maya's story. Hover over the yellow words to see why the writer chose them.
"The editor loved her story. However, he said it needed more detail. Maya was disappointed. Although she felt like giving up, she rewrote the story completely."
Next
Story intro — meet Maya (paragraph 3)
"Maya worked on the story for two more weeks. As a result, the second version was much stronger. The magazine published it. Maya had many ideas for stories. For example, she wanted to write about her grandmother's life."
Reflection prompt (no interaction required): "Notice how the connectors guide you through Maya's story — from start to finish, through the problem, and out the other side."
Now let's see how well you can recognise connectors. Ready for a quick quiz?
IDENTIFICATION QUIZ
Identify the function of the connector in the sentences.
START
QUESTION 1/5
Quiz
QUESTION 2/5
Quiz
QUESTION 3/5
Quiz
QUESTION 4/5
Quiz
QUESTION 5/5
Quiz
Quiz
Quiz completed!
NEXT
Story Sprint
Now, get ready for a writing game! You'll be given a story starter, secret word, and a connector reference card
Story sprint - rules
Here's how it works — read carefully before we reveal your starter and secret word.
Include the secret word
Write 8-10 sentences
10 mins on the clock
Use at least 3 connectors
From the 6 you learned today — try to use different types
Use it naturally in your story — it must make sense in context
Don't overthink — just write! You can fix things later
A short but complete story with a clear beginning, middle, and ending
Ready? Click next to reveal your sentence starter — then your secret word.
Sentence Starter Reveal
1. CLICK on ONE of the buttons below to reveal your sentence starter.2. COPY the starter to paste on the writing slide ahead.
"It was the first day of school when something strange happened..."
"I never expected my grandma to become TikTok famous overnight..."
Now get ready for your secret word on the next slide.
"Just as I was about to press the red button, someone screamed, 'Wait!'"
"I woke up with a giraffe staring at me through my bedroom window..."
"Everything was normal until my sandwich started talking back to me."
secret word reveal
1. CLICK on ONE of the buttons below to reveal your secret word.
It must appear somewhere in your story — used naturally, not just dropped in!
Spaghetti
Robot
Ghost
Remember your word — the timer starts on the next slide!
Bicycle
Pineapple
STORY SPRINT - WRITE YOUR STORY
Click this button for help
Self-check
REFLECTION - CLOSING LOOP
Great Job!
You've completed the module. Keep practising, the more you use these connectors, the more natural they'll feel.
Think about these as you continue writing:1: Which connector was hardest to use in your story? Why do you think that is?2: What did you learn about writing coherence?
Now, take the course survey to help improve this module :)
click on the button to take the survey
Finish