continue a story from a first sentence you are given
Length
about 100 words
Tenses
past simple · past continuous · past perfect
Must have
a clear beginning, a problem or surprise, and an ending
Narrative tenses
Each tense has a job
Past simple
the main events: She opened the door and froze.
Past continuous
the background: The rain was falling heavily.
Past perfect
something earlier: She realised she had left her phone at home.
Story connectors
Move the story forward
Beginning
One day, · Last summer, · It was a cold winter evening
Sequence
Then, · After that, · Later,
Surprise
Suddenly, · All of a sudden, · At that moment,
Ending
In the end, · Finally, · From that day on,
Making it exciting
Tension and feelings
Short sentences
She stopped. She listened. Silence.
Feelings
I was terrified. · She couldn't believe her eyes.
Direct speech
"Who's there?" she whispered.
Adjectives
a dark, empty street · a tiny, frightened kitten
Model
First sentence: "When I opened the box, I couldn't believe my eyes."
A story — 93 words
When I opened the box, I couldn't believe my eyes. Inside was a tiny, frightened kitten. I had found the box outside my door that morning while I was going to school. "Where did you come from?" I whispered. The kitten looked at me and cried. Suddenly, I heard a knock. It was my neighbour, Mrs Lee. She was looking for her cat, who had had kittens the week before. In the end, she let me keep the kitten. I called him Lucky, and from that day on he was my best friend.
Common mistakes
Where learners go wrong most often
I open the box and I see a kitten.
→
I opened the box and saw a kitten.
tell the story in the past
While I walked home, it started to rain.
→
While I was walking home, it started to rain.
background action → past continuous
I realised I left my keys.
→
I realised I had left my keys.
earlier event → past perfect
No ending
→
In the end, … · From that day on, …
a story needs a clear ending
Your turn
Say it first, then write it
First sentence: "It was the strangest day of my life." Tell the story out loud, then write about 100 words.
1
Set the scene: when, where, who, what was happening?