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Anecdote Examples, Definition and Worksheets

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An anecdote is a brief telling or story of an interesting, and usually funny, incident or occurrence.  We often give anecdotes in our everyday lives. We give an anecdote when we tell our friends or family about something funny or interesting that happened during our day. The difference between a short story and an anecdote is that an anecdote is quick and tries to get to the point of the story.

Anecdotes are intended to be true accounts, and the point of the story becomes more important than how the story is told. Since the story is true, the point of the story is to reveal a simple truth or characteristic about the storytellers life or a truth about humans in general. They can be about anything as long as it is something that happened to you or happened around you.

Many people use anecdotes to help highlight or stress their point, or they use it to stress the importance of the information they are giving. This is especially typical with health professionals, teachers, parents, and protection agencies. For instance, a police officer might tell the story of how a driver was given a ticket for not following a rule of the road before talking about road safety. A teacher might talk about how his or her family celebrates a holiday before talking to a classroom about the meaning of a holiday and how different cultures celebrate it. A tutor might tell the student that he or she had problems with math before helping a student with a math problem. These anecdotes serve different purposes. They can help others understand something, or it can used to make others feel better when they struggle at something.

While many anecdotes have a purpose, whether it be to prepare a class or highlight your point, they can be used naturally in conversation just to continue conversation and share stories with others.

The following are situations in which someone might use an anecdote:

• A parent might tell their child a story about when they went out before their child goes out with friends for the night.
• If a woman becomes a mother, her own mother might tell her a story about when she first became a mother.
• If someone has a strange dream, you might share with them a strange dream you had once.
• If a friend is training their dog, you might tell a story about how you successfully trained your dog with a specific training method.
• If you move to a new town, you might meet someone who tells you that they were once new in town to make you feel comfortable.
• Before a teacher talks about a subject, he may discuss how he used that particular skill in real life to make the lesson seem more important.
• When passing a farm or particular place of work, someone may tell a story about how they used to live or work on a farm, or they may talk about when they worked at a particular place or company.
• A fireman might tell the story about how he fought a fire caused by carelessness when teaching students about the importance of fire safety.

Famous Anecdotes

About Nikola Tesla, scientist:

Nikola Tesla was known to be very fond of birds. He used to go to a park every day to feed the pigeons. He found an injured pigeon and spent thousands of dollars to fix its broken bones. He brought it back to health and he the pigeon became companions.

This anecdote is used to show the tenderheartedness and compassion of the great scientist who is usually just known for his scientific endeavors and inventions.

Anecdote Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use anecdote worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of what an anecdote is and how it can be used. You can use these anecdote worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as well.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Examples of Anecdotes: Short Stories With a Practical Purpose

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An anecdote is a short story or account about a person or event that is typically amusing, informative, entertaining, or biographical in nature. Anecdotes usually relate to the subject matter that people are discussing to make a point or simply share a relevant story. They can be used in everyday life or in literature. For example, if coworkers are discussing pets, and one person tells a story about how her cat comes downstairs at a certain time every night, then that individual has just shared an anecdote.

Anecdote Examples in Everyday Life

Anecdotes cover a wide variety of stories and tales, especially since they can be about basically any subject under the sun. You might be checking out at the supermarket one day and the cashier comments on your brand of apple juice. Perhaps that will spark the employee to share a quick story about the summer she and her four-year-old went apple picking in Upstate New York. That's an anecdote; such stories come up all the time. Other everyday examples of anecdotes include:

• I once had a border collie. She was so smart! Every morning, I'd open up the front door and she'd run out, pick up the newspaper and deliver it to my husband at the breakfast table.

• Oh, I love Ireland! I visited the west coast six times last year. Last time I went to Kilmacduagh, an old monastery where the winds whip with songs of the deceased who are laid to rest there. While I was there, I swore I heard something. I think it was a ghost!

• El Meson is my favorite Mexican restaurant. They have the best Sunday brunch every week. One time when I went there, they prepared a wonderful traditional buffet with tetelas, gordita de harina, café de olla in a clay pot, and more that you just can’t get anywhere else. It was just like my abuela used to make!

• Is that a white rose? Wow! I love them. My grandfather had a massive rose garden with over 200 different species. Every Friday, he'd go out into the garden, clip a dozen, and make my grandmother a bouquet. Does love like that exist anymore?

Childhood Anecdote Examples

It's very common for people to share stories about their childhood experiences with friends and other family members. Reminiscing in this way can be a lot of fun. It's also a great way to get a conversation started or keep one going. After all, everyone has childhood experiences they can share, and to which others can relate.

• When I was a child, my family went on a summer vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains every year. One year, my aunt saw a black bear while she was hiking. She was so terrified, she ended up sitting on a boulder for an hour just to make sure it had gotten far enough away from her. She still won't go hiking alone anywhere.

• I remember learning how to swim. I took lessons at the community pool in the town where I grew up. One of the lifeguards, Ms. Jen, really helped me get comfortable with holding my breath. She'd play this bobbing game with us that had a fun song to go along with it. Whenever I get in a pool, I still sing that song in my head.

• Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around the time I spent helping my mother plant and tend a vegetable garden in our backyard. She let me help till the rows and plant the seeds. Going near okra plants made her itch, so she let me pick all of that myself. To this day, okra makes me think of her.

• Before I had my tonsils removed in sixth grade, I was sick a lot. I got strep throat often and I missed a lot of school. I dreaded going to the doctor, as I would always get a shot and foul-tasting medicine. After the tonsillectomy, I hardly ever got sick again. As a result, middle school was a lot better for me than elementary school.

Anecdote Examples About Interesting Events

People experience interesting things throughout their lives, not just during childhood. Sharing anecdotes about one's experiences is a fun way to interact with friends, coworkers and family members.

• One evening, I went to see a movie with my roommate and some other people from our dorm. I drove my car to the theater. Imagine our surprise when we got to the car to find the windshield covered with slices of ham. To this day, I don't know who put ham on my car or why.

• While walking through the neighborhood behind my mostly wooded property, I saw what I at first thought was a strange-looking white dog on the edge of the woods. I pointed it out to my husband, who recognized it as a small albino deer. It still lives in the woods. The deer is fully grown now. I see it fairly often.

• My dog Cody loved the water. He loved to swim; he would swim all day long when we visited my mom. One day, she needed him out of the pool area. He was soaked, so she put him in the garage, but didn't close the windows. He leaped up five feet and soared through a screen to get to the pool.

• When we were in graduate school, we had no money. My then-boyfriend (now husband) had a gas card on his father's account for emergencies. There were several times that we had no money for groceries, so we would go food shopping at the gas station convenience store using that credit card. His dad was not happy

Famous Anecdotes in Literature

Your favorite novels are giant stories with complex narratives. In the midst of each story, the characters might share little anecdotes with one another. It's a nice opportunity for the character to blossom and for the reader to learn more about them.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby contains a number of anecdotes. In this example, Daisy Buchanan shares a story about the butler. This anecdote is significant because the Buchanan family kept the story of their butler a secret. Interpretations of this story and its importance have been discussed by readers for years.

“'I'll tell you a family secret,' she whispered enthusiastically. 'It’s about the butler’s nose. Do you want to hear about the butler’s nose?... Well, he wasn’t always a butler; he used to be the silver polisher for some people in New York that had a silver service for two hundred people. He had to polish it from morning till night, until finally it began to affect his nose --'
'Things went from bad to worse,' suggested Miss Baker.
'Yes. Things went from bad to worse until finally he had to give up his position.'”

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Dumbledore shares the following anecdote with a visiting headmaster in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. This story relays the magical majesty of Hogwarts.

"Oh, I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts' secrets, Igor. Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I had never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished."

The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde

Who says anecdotes have to come from humans? The short story below was relayed by the Duck in Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

"I had thoughts of entering public life once myself,' remarked the Duck; 'there are so many things that need reforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. Now I go in for domesticity, and look after my family."

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

In Nora Robert's Dark Witch, Meara relays an anecdote to Iona that provides the audience with unique insight into the relationship between the book's main characters.

"I'll tell you they were in love. Young and wild for each other. Happy in it, though they scraped and squabbles. She was going into seventeen when they came together the first time. It was after they'd been together the mark came on him. He didn't tell her. I don't know whether to blame him for that, but he didn't tell her. And when she found out, she was angry, but more, she was devastated."

Different Purposes for Telling an Anecdote

Anecdotes can serve a variety of purposes. Whenever an anecdote is introduced, either in real life or fiction, it provides background or characterization information. An author might write a scene where one of the characters tells the other a bit of their backstory, usually to create depth and intrigue. In real life, anecdotes often convey meaning via stories instead of direct explanation.

To Bring Cheer

Sometimes telling a story just makes people laugh or brightens the mood. Here are some examples of anecdotes meant to harken back to happy memories:

• A student writes a brief account of his favorite holiday moment for a school assignment.
• A teacher tells a brief account about the first Thanksgiving to her students before beginning a lesson plan on interactions between the pilgrims and Native Americans.
• Before Christmas morning breakfast, parents tell their children about their very first Christmas together.

To Reminisce

In most anecdotes, people are talking about their past. They are looking back favorably on moments in their lives and sharing the joy of that time with others. Here are some examples of anecdotes with a hint of reminiscence:

• A mother tells her son a story about a family vacation when she was growing up.
• During a conversation about amusement parks, a child tells a story about his favorite trip to Disney World.
• High school students go around the classroom telling their favorite memories from elementary school.

To Caution

Sometimes, just laying out rules for individuals is not effective, They need to hear frightening stories of dangers that can be avoided by following regulations. Here are some examples of cautionary anecdotes:

• At the beginning of a speech about fire safety, the speaker tells a short cautionary tale about a serious injury that occurred as a result of not following protocol.
• Before beginning a lecture on why staying out late is inappropriate, a father tells his daughter about a scary incident he had one time when he stayed out too late.
• Before giving a presentation on the dangers of drug abuse, the speaker tells the audience how he himself used to abuse drugs and explains the negative effects it brought about in his life.

To Persuade or Inspire

Sometimes, people just want others to know they've faced similar struggles and they're there to help. They can also be conveying the message that, with a little bit of hard work, brighter futures are ahead. Here are some examples of inspirational anecdotes:

• An animal rescue team tells stories to an audience about the many successful rehoming situations that they have had over the years.
• Before beginning a tutoring session, the tutor tells the student how he used to struggle with the subject matter in the past and how he managed to grow past these difficulties.
• Church youth group leaders tell stories about their conversion or recognition experiences to the members of the group.
• A co-worker who is trying to reassure a new hire might tell a little tale from her early days on the job to help reassure the new team member.

Storytelling 101: Tips for Writing an Anecdote

An anecdote isn't a full work of writing on its own. Think of it as a small story within a larger story. The key to writing anecdotes is to know what you want to accomplish and think of a brief way to convey the message in a story form.

• Anecdotes should be super-short stories that can be related to others quickly in conversation or in writing.
• An anecdote should sound natural. Apply these conversational writing tips when crafting an anecdote.
• Anecdotes can use formal or informal diction depending on the subject matter and characterization.
  
• Keep it short and to the point, as it's important to keep the audience engaged throughout the anecdote.

Build Your Storytelling Skills

Anecdotes don't always have to serve specific purposes. They can just be part of a natural conversation with friends and family. They're a nice way to get to know one another and to engage in fun dialogue. That's why anecdotes are such a useful tool for writers. What better way to get to know characters than through their own retelling? Build your storytelling skills even more by learning how to use a wide variety of rhetorical devices. Soon, you'll be highly skilled with all kinds of literary devices.

Jokes for kids: 50+ funniest jokes

There is nothing more sincere than children's laughter and jokes. What jokes for children are popular today? A selection of the funniest stories from the life of the younger generation will amuse all connoisseurs of humor.

School jokes

School life is full of interesting events, there is always room for humor and funny situations. What are some childhood jokes about school? Here are interesting and funny stories about students, teachers and their parents.

***

The son says to his father at dinner:

— Dad, they are calling you to school again, I broke the window.

- Yes, you don't have a school, but some kind of greenhouse.

***

The teacher asks:

— Children, which month is the shortest?

“May,” Masha answers.

— Why do you think so?

- Because it consists of only three letters.

***

Mom finds matches in her first grade son's briefcase and asks:

— Do you know that playing with matches is dangerous?

— I wasn't going to play with them. I just smoked.

***

Daughter asks her mother:

— Is it possible to scold a person if he has done nothing?

— Of course not, daughter.

- In general, I did not do my homework.

***

— Son, did you like the new math teacher?

- I liked it very much!

— Why?

- So she is on sick leave for the second time in a month. ("A collection of jokes for all occasions")

***

- Son, come here!

- Oh, well, everything is clear. Did you find cigarettes? Did you call from school? If you are talking about money, I will return everything.

— Grandma left you a chocolate bar. So what did you say there?

***

A grandfather and grandson are walking down the street. They see the teacher. Grandfather says:

- Hide, you didn't go to school today.

- It's you hiding, I said that you died.

Little Johnny jokes

There are legends and popular humorous stories about this hero. Jokes about Vovochka are born by themselves, because this is a typical schoolboy who is in every class. What are some funny jokes for children about Vovochka? A scattering of interesting, funny stories about this hero are collected in the book "And again Vovochka ... Jokes about Vovochka."

***

— Little Johnny, why did you throw the colander in the trash?

- Granny, he's full of holes!

***

Little Johnny looks at a pregnant woman and asks:

— What do you have? points to his stomach.

- My baby.

Do you love him?

Yes, very much.

Why did you eat it?

***

Little Johnny is used to seeing his mother only in jeans, but then suddenly her mother put on a dress. Vovochka asks in surprise:

— Mom, are you a girl or something?

***

Little Johnny is brought to visit the village. One day he watches how the grandmother waters the cow and says:

— So this is how milk is diluted with water!

***

Little Johnny returns home from the dentistry. His father asks him:

— Well, hero, does your tooth hurt anymore?

- I don't know. The doctor left it for himself.

***

— Mom, everyone at school says I'm a liar!

— Vovochka, you don't even go to school!

***

— Little Johnny, what does the sentence “Carrots, cabbage, radishes grow in the garden” consist of?

- From vegetables!

Jokes about Gena and Cheburashka

Modern children rarely watch Soviet cartoons, but their parents and elderly relatives remember and love the cartoon characters of old films. Therefore, funny stories with them are interesting for modern children. What are the jokes about Gena and Cheburashka?

***

— Gena, this is my chocolate, don't eat it!

— Cheburashka, where is mine then?

— I already ate yours!

***

Cheburashka asks the crocodile Genes:

— What will happen if you shoot Kolobok with a powerful slingshot?

- Bagel!

***

Cheburashka wakes up Gena the crocodile:

- Get up, the alarm clock is ringing!

Gena, turning over to the other side, answers:

— I'll call him back later!

***

Cheburashka and Gena got lost in the winter forest and spent the night in a snowdrift. In the morning Cheburashka looks at the blue crocodile and says:

- Gena, you are a chameleon!

***

— Cheburashka, why didn't you tell anyone that you had your birthday yesterday?

— Gena, last year at my birthday party my ears were pulled so hard that I started stepping on them and falling.

***

— Gena, why are you swimming in a raincoat? Cheburashka asks.

- I wash it like that!

- Isn't it easier in the washing machine?

- My head is spinning in the car!

***

— Gena, are you sure you cooked your fish soup correctly?

- Offend you, Cheburashka!

— Then why do fish swim in my plate and eat potatoes?

***

Cheburashka says to Genya the crocodile:

— The TV remote has stopped working!

- Did you drop it?

- I dropped it! Does not help!

Jokes about fairy tale characters

Jokes about fairy tale characters are some of the most funny and instructive. What are the children's jokes about fairy tale characters?

***

Pinocchio dreamed of an ax and woke up covered in birch sap.

***

Gnawing on the fox bone, Kolobok thought: “Now I am white”.

***

- Tell me, is everyone calling you Spider-Man?

— Just think, once I didn’t notice a fly in compote!

***

Winnie the Pooh runs to Piglet and says:

- I have an idea! Let's have a party! You will buy a big beautiful cake!

— And you?

— And I will come to you!

***

The rabbit asks:

— Winnie, who ate the honey?

- I don't know.

— Do you want more?

- I want it!

***

When little Dracula didn't come home from school, his mother thought: " Probably staked."

***

Ilya Muromets once decided to fight a filthy monster. He came to his lair and knocked on the door. The door was opened by a girl of unearthly beauty:

— Who do you want?

- I'm a monster. ..

- I'm a monster!

— How are you?!

- Yes just put on makeup.

***

"Still, magic changes a person a lot," said Harry Potter and scratched his fin with his trunk.

***

Carlson and Cheburashka are sitting on the roof. Carlson:

- Well, have you flown?

— Oh, wait, your ears will rest a little.

***

On the bank of the river, the lonely Serpent Gorynych sat and sang in chorus.

***

It is very unpleasant to get out of the milky river onto the jelly bank.

***

Pinocchio enters the teacher's room with a log in his hands:

- Did you call your parents to school?

***

If Mowgli is a boy raised by wolves, then Carlson is raised by helicopters.

Jokes about animals

Pets amuse with their very existence. Even wild animals cause tenderness and a smile. No wonder people made up short funny stories about them. What are animal jokes?

***

— Mom, I saw a mouse fall into a milk jar!

— Did you get her out, son?

— No, I threw our cat there!

***

Newspaper advertisement. Heading about animals: “I will sell a good, healthy and adult green chameleon. No, blue... No, purple... No, crimson... No, so cool! I won't sell!"

***

Parents caught their child eating hamster food. The food was taken away, the mouth was rinsed. Father reads the composition:

- Wheat, millet, peas, carrots, potatoes, vitamins A, C, D, E.

***

The teacher tells the children about what animals exist in the world. He asks the group:

- And what animal can be called a pet? This four-legged faithful friend lives with many of you at home.

- I know the answer! Sasha shouted.

Answer, Sasha.

- This animal is called " bed " !

***

In kindergarten, the teacher asks:

— Katya, what is the name of the ram's wife?

- Bagel!

***

Masha, name the laziest animal!

- Snake!

— Why?

- Because he sits lying down, walks lying down, even eats lying down!

***

Two sharks meet:

- How are you?

- Hungry, announced a ban on swimming. (Collection "The funniest jokes")

Family jokes for children

As soon as a small child appears in a family, life immediately becomes brighter and more interesting. There is no need to invent anything, just observe the children and listen carefully to what they say. What are some family jokes? These are funny stories about family and home.

***

A little girl in a new dress came to kindergarten in the morning. The teacher asks her:

- Masha, why did you buy such a beautiful pink dress?

- Narewela!

***

— How did you manage to get so dirty?

Five-year-old son:

- I'm closer to the earth than you.

***

Mom says to her little son:

— Why don't you eat, didn't you say you were hungry like a wolf?

— Mom, where did you see wolves eating carrots?

***

— Sashenka, yesterday there were two pieces of cake left on the table. Now there is only one. Why?

— It's just that in the dark I didn't notice the second piece, — Sashenka answered.

***

- Grandpa, tell me, is it true that you were born in the forest?

— Of course not. Why do you think so?

- Yes, just every time you come, dad says: "The old stump has come again!"

***

A grandmother invites her grandson to read a bedtime story. He refuses and says:

- I don't want to. All your fairy tales end in the same way - with snoring.

***

The grandson asks with surprise:

— Granny, what is the name of this berry?

- Blackcurrant.

Why is she red?

- It's just that it's still green.

Jokes for children have a simple and understandable plot. The funniest jokes are a great way to lighten the mood. If they come from the mouths of children, then this is especially funny and interesting, use them to smile. 9) Jokes for children are the funniest №

Collection of the funniest children's anecdotes, anecdotes for children.
Read the latest jokes, rate, share with friends on social networks.

— Dad, are you good at remembering faces?
- Yes.
— That's great. And then I broke your shaving mirror.

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