Year 1 English: Stories and facts
Part of the Year 1 English facts and information chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Stories and facts
Some writing tells a story. A story is made up. It can have a character in it, like a dog called Patch. Stories often start with Once upon a time.
Some writing gives facts. A fact is true, and you can check it. Fact texts tell us about the real world, such as animals, plants and the seaside.
Read the two texts in the box. Which one is a story? Which one is a fact?
Text 1
Once upon a time, a little dog called Patch went to the park. He found a red ball. He ran and ran. Patch was happy. The end.
Text 2
Dogs are animals. A dog has four legs and a tail. Many dogs have fur. Many dogs can swim.
Key ideas
- A story is made up. It is not a true report of the real world.
- A fact is true, and you can check it.
- Stories often start with Once upon a time. Fact texts do not.
- An animal in a sentence does not make it a fact or a story. Ask: is it true?
Key words. A fact is true, and you can check it.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.A cow gives milk.
- Decide what it is. It tells us something true about the real world. We can check it.fact
- Write the answer. Fact
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. An animal in a sentence does not make it a story. Ask: is it true, and can we check it?
Key words. A story is made up. It is not a true report of the real world.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.One day, a cow flew to the moon.
- Decide what it is. It is part of a made-up story. It could not really happen like this.story
- Write the answer. Story
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. A story can have animals in it. Ask: is it true? A story is made up.
Method. Look for the words that show a story is starting.
- Read sentence A. It tells us a true thing about dogs, which we can check.Dogs have fur. = fact
- Read sentence B. It starts with Once upon a time, which is how a story often starts.Once upon a time = story
- Write the answer. Sentence B is the one that starts a story.B
Check. Sentence A could be in a fact book. Sentence B could be the start of a story. ✓
Watch out. A sentence about dogs can be a fact. Look at how it starts, too.
Watch out
Watch out: a story can have animals and real places, such as the park. That does not make it a fact. Ask: is it true, and can I check it?
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read a storybook and a book about animals together. Ask: “Is this made up, or is it true?” Ask your child to find Once upon a time and The end in the story.
Exercise 10A Stories and facts
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which text is a story?
- Find the part of the text. Story words and a made-up dog show it is a story.Text 1 starts with Once upon a time. It is about a dog called Patch, who is made up.
- Write the answer. Text 1
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which words at the start tell us it is a story?
- Find the part of the text. Stories often start with these words.The first line of Text 1 says Once upon a time, a little dog called Patch.
- Write the answer. Once upon a time
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which two words at the end tell us the story has finished?
- Find the part of the text. The end of a story is shown with these words.The last words of Text 1 are The end.
- Write the answer. The end
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Write one fact from Text 2.
- Find the part of the text. That sentence is true, and we can check it.Text 2 says A dog has four legs and a tail.
- Write the answer. A dog has four legs and a tail.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: any other true sentence from Text 2, such as Many dogs have fur.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Is Text 2 a story or a fact?
- Find the part of the text. A fact text tells us true things about the real world.Text 2 tells us true things about dogs, and we can check them.
- Write the answer. Fact
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Key words. A story is made up. It is not a true report of the real world.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.Once upon a time, a cat went out.
- Decide what it is. It is part of a made-up story. It could not really happen like this.story
- Write the answer. Story
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. A story can have animals in it. Ask: is it true? A story is made up.
Key words. A fact is true, and you can check it.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.Cats have whiskers.
- Decide what it is. It tells us something true about the real world. We can check it.fact
- Write the answer. Fact
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. An animal in a sentence does not make it a story. Ask: is it true, and can we check it?
Key words. A story is made up. It is not a true report of the real world.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.The dog said hello to the cat.
- Decide what it is. It is part of a made-up story. It could not really happen like this.story
- Write the answer. Story
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. A story can have animals in it. Ask: is it true? A story is made up.
Key words. A fact is true, and you can check it.
Method. Read the sentence, then decide what kind of writing it is.
- Read the sentence. Think about what it tells us, or what it asks us to do.Dogs can run fast.
- Decide what it is. It tells us something true about the real world. We can check it.fact
- Write the answer. Fact
Check. Read it again and check the answer makes sense. ✓
Watch out. An animal in a sentence does not make it a story. Ask: is it true, and can we check it?
Method. To check a fact, look at the real world and find out if it is true.
- Read the fact. It says a dog has four legs.A dog has four legs
- Think how to look. We can look at a real dog to see if it is true.Look at a dog and count the legs
- Write the answer. Counting the legs shows if the fact is right.Look at a real dog and count its legs.
Check. Count the legs of a dog: 1, 2, 3, 4. The fact is true. ✓
Watch out. A story cannot be checked like this.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which text tells us about a real dog?
- Find the part of the text. A fact text gives true information about the real world.Text 2 is the fact text. It says a dog has four legs and a tail.
- Write the answer. Text 2
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.What in Text 1 is made up?
- Find the part of the text. Stories are made up, so the characters are made up too.Text 1 is a story, so the dog called Patch is part of a made-up story.
- Write the answer. Patch
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: the dog called Patch, or the whole story.
Method. Ask: is the text made up, or is it true?
- Read Text 1 again. It starts with Once upon a time.Once upon a time
- Think about what it is. A story is made up, even if it has animals in it.Text 1 = story
- Write the answer. So Tom is not right.No. Text 1 is a story, so it is made up.
Check. A dog can be in a story and in a fact. The story is still made up. ✓
Watch out. Animals in a story do not make it a fact.
Method. Think about what a fact text is for.
- Think about the word fact. A fact is something that is true.A fact is true
- Think about the real world. Fact texts tell us about real animals, plants and places.Real animals and places
- Write the answer. Fact texts tell us true things about the real world.
Check. A story tells us what might happen. A fact text tells us what is true. ✓
Watch out. A fact text is a good place to find true information.