Writing: Narrative Writing – Eye Witness Account Basic 6 English Studies Lesson Note

What is an Eye Witness Account?

An eye witness account is a detailed report of something you personally saw happen. It must be:

• Truthful and accurate
• Written in past tense
• Clear and easy to understand
• In chronological order (what happened first, second, third)

Key Features of Eye Witness Writing:

1. Use your senses – what you saw, heard, smelled
2. Include specific details – time, place, people involved
3. Stick to facts – don’t add your opinions
4. Use time words – first, then, next, after that, finally

Useful Words for Eye Witness Accounts:

Time words: suddenly, immediately, meanwhile, afterwards 

Action words: witnessed, observed, noticed, saw, heard 

Describing words: quickly, carefully, loudly, clearly

Sample Eye Witness Account:

The Market Fire

Yesterday morning at about 9:30 am, I witnessed a terrible fire at Alaba Market. I was walking to buy vegetables when I suddenly heard people shouting “Fire! Fire!”

First, I saw thick black smoke coming from one of the shops selling electronics. The smoke was getting thicker by the minute. Then, I noticed orange flames starting to appear through the roof of the building.

People began running in different directions, carrying their goods and calling for help. Some traders were throwing water on the fire, but it wasn’t working. The flames were spreading quickly to nearby shops.

After about ten minutes, I heard the sound of fire trucks approaching. Three red fire engines arrived with their sirens blaring. The firefighters immediately connected their hoses and began spraying water on the burning building.

Finally, after two hours of hard work, the firefighters managed to put out the fire completely. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured, but five shops were completely destroyed. The market chairman said they would investigate the cause of the fire.

Exercise A – Eye Witness Analysis

Answer these questions about the sample account:

1. What time did the fire start?
2. What did the writer see first?
3. How did people react to the fire?
4. How long did it take the firefighters to arrive?
5. What was the final result?

Exercise B – Planning Your Eye Witness Account

Choose one of these events to write about:

• A football match at your school
• An accident you witnessed
• A fight between two students
• A celebration in your community

Planning Guide:

• When did it happen? ________________________________
• Where did it happen? ________________________________
• Who was involved? ________________________________
• What happened first? ________________________________
• What happened next? ________________________________
• How did it end? ________________________________

Exercise C – Write Your Eye Witness Account

Write a complete eye witness account (150-200 words) using your plan above.

Remember to include:

• Opening sentence stating what you witnessed
• Details in time order
• What you saw, heard, and noticed
• How the event ended
• Past tense throughout