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Lesson 07
Experiences & Storytelling
B1

Telling aStory

Past Simple vs Past Continuous + when / while / as soon as

60 min Narrative

Your level · You are here

  1. A0/A1Beginner
  2. A1/A2Elementary
  3. A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
  4. B1/B1+Intermediate
  5. B2Upper-Intermediate
  6. C1Advanced
  7. C2Proficiency

Get Talking · Section 1

5 min

Start the conversation

reflection
Set the scene

Picture your last 'small drama' (lost keys, missed bus). What were you DOING when it happened?

activity
Suddenly…

Finish this opening: 'I was walking home last night when suddenly…' — give one sentence.

discussion
Boring vs alive

Why does 'I walked. I saw a dog. I ran.' sound flat? How can we bring it to life?

Grammar · Section 2

8–10 min

Past Continuous (background) + Past Simple (action)

Open in Grammar Bank
How it works
  • Past Continuous (was/were + -ing) paints the longer background.
  • Past Simple drops the short action that interrupts it.
  • Connect them with WHEN (action interrupts background) or WHILE (two things happening at once).
  • AS SOON AS = the second thing happens immediately after the first.
In action

I was cooking when the doorbell rang.

While we were waiting, the lights went out.

As soon as I opened the door, the cat ran out.

It was raining and the kids were playing inside.

Question 1.Choose the natural sentence:

Question 2.Which connector means 'two things at the same time'?

Question 3.She ____ TV when the power ____.

Question 4.'As soon as' suggests…

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Conversation Builder
Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.Which sentence WRONG?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Vocabulary · Section 3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to learn

Open in Vocabulary Bank
1

It all started when…

classic story opener

In context

"It all started when I missed the early train."

Now try it yourself

Use this opener and continue with one sentence about a real day.

2

Suddenly

a surprise interruption

In context

"Suddenly, the lights went out."

Now try it yourself

Add 'suddenly' to a Past Continuous sentence about yesterday.

3

After a while

moves the story forward

In context

"After a while, we decided to give up."

Now try it yourself

Tell a 3-sentence mini-story using 'after a while'.

4

In the end

introduces the result/conclusion

In context

"In the end, we just laughed about it."

Now try it yourself

Finish your partner's story using 'in the end…'.

5

Luckily / Unfortunately

story attitude markers

In context

"Luckily, the train was late too. Unfortunately, my phone died."

Now try it yourself

Add one 'luckily' and one 'unfortunately' to a story about yesterday.

6

You'll never guess what…

hook to grab attention

In context

"You'll never guess what happened on the way here!"

Now try it yourself

Start a story with this hook and tell your partner what happened.

Make it yours
Use the new words

Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.

Quick exchange

Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.

Ranking

Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.

Opinion

Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.

Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.

Matching
Match each linker with its job in a story.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Categorise
Group these story phrases by stage.
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Stress on the dramatic word; voice goes UP at the surprise

Stories live and die on intonation. Lower your voice to set the scene, lift it on the dramatic word ('suddenly', 'all of a sudden') and slow down on the punchline. Flat intonation = the listener stops listening.

  • • I was walking home → when SUDDENLY ↗ a fox appeared.
  • • Everything was fine → and THEN ↗ the lights went out.
  • • We were almost there → when the car BROKE DOWN ↘.
  • • And in the end ↘ we just laughed about it.

Reading · Section 5

8–10 min

Why good stories use two tenses

A great story is rarely told in one tense. Native speakers instinctively weave two together: the Past Continuous paints the scene — long, ongoing actions that set the mood ('it was raining, the kids were playing, I was trying to relax') — and the Past Simple drops in like a stone in a pond, breaking the calm with a single sharp action ('then the phone rang').

This interplay creates suspense. The Past Continuous slows the listener down; the Past Simple jolts them awake. Add a couple of narrative linkers — 'suddenly', 'after a while', 'in the end' — and a flat sequence of events becomes an actual story worth listening to. Master this rhythm and even small everyday moments will sound interesting.

Question 1.According to the passage, what is the main role of Past Continuous in a story?

Question 2.What image does the writer use to describe a Past Simple action interrupting the scene?

Question 3.Why does the writer say Past Continuous 'slows the listener down'?

Question 4.What is the writer's main purpose in this passage?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
True / False
Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.A natural story usually mixes Past Continuous and Past Simple.

Q2.Narrative linkers like 'suddenly' and 'in the end' make stories sound less natural.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Listening · Section 6

8–10 min

A small drama on the way to work

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Jess:You'll never guess what happened to me this morning.

Dan:Go on…

Jess:OK, so I was rushing to catch the 8:15 train, and as soon as I got to the platform, the doors closed.

Dan:Oh no. Classic.

Jess:Right? So I was just standing there, waiting for the next one, when this little dog ran up to me with a lead trailing behind it.

Dan:No way.

Jess:I picked it up, and while I was looking around for the owner, the owner came sprinting down the platform — totally out of breath.

Dan:And then?

Jess:In the end, she insisted on giving me a coffee from the platform café. So missing my train turned out to be the best part of the morning.

Question 1.What happened the moment Jess reached the platform?

Question 2.What was Jess doing when the dog ran up to her?

Question 3.Why does Jess say missing her train 'turned out to be the best part of the morning'?

Question 4.What do Dan's short reactions ('Go on…', 'No way.', 'And then?') suggest about him?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Tick what you hear
Tick the narrative phrases you hear in Jess's story.
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Exam tip · Section 7

5 min

Speaking — telling a personal anecdote (60–90 seconds)

Task

Tell the class a short true (or slightly exaggerated) story about something small that went wrong recently.

Strategy

HOOK ('You'll never guess what happened…'). SET THE SCENE in Past Continuous. DROP the surprise in Past Simple with 'suddenly' / 'when'. KEEP MOVING ('after a while', 'just then'). LAND the ending with 'In the end…' + a small reaction ('honestly, I had to laugh').

Example

You'll never guess what happened yesterday. I was working from home, totally focused on a deadline, when my neighbour rang the doorbell. She was holding a giant cake and asking for the WiFi password. After a while we just sat in the kitchen chatting. In the end, I missed my deadline — but I got cake.

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.I ____ a shower when someone knocked on the door.

Question 2.____ I was cooking, the smoke alarm went off.

Question 3.As ____ as he arrived, the meeting started.

Question 4.____, the lights suddenly went out.

Question 5.____ we found a taxi and got there just in time.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Sentence transformation
Say it naturally

There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.

Q1.Background: you / walk to work. Action: it / start raining.

Q2.Two things at the same time: she / read; the cat / sleep.

Q3.Open a story with a classic hook.

Q4.Close a small drama positively.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Writing · Section 9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a 80–100 word anecdote about a small mishap or surprise. Use Past Continuous for the background, Past Simple for the actions, and at least 3 narrative linkers (suddenly, while, after a while, in the end, luckily…).

Your answer

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Show model answer

Last Saturday, I was painting the kitchen when my phone rang. It was my sister, slightly panicking — she'd locked her keys in the car outside a supermarket. Of course I was covered in white paint and barefoot, but I grabbed her spare keys and ran. While I was driving over, it started pouring with rain. Luckily, I got there in 10 minutes. In the end, the only victim was my kitchen — which is now half white, half blue.

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Open in Useful Expressions

Pairs: 'Three-word story.' Student A gives 3 random nouns (e.g. dentist, umbrella, dog). Student B has 60 seconds to tell a Past Continuous + Past Simple anecdote using all three. Group extension: 'Story chain' — each student adds one sentence using a narrative linker.

Useful phrases

  • • You'll never guess what happened…
  • • I was just …ing when…
  • • While we were…
  • • All of a sudden,
  • • After a while,
  • • In the end,

Speaking reflection & notes

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Dialogue completion
Choose the most natural continuation.
  • AHow was your weekend?
  • B_______________
  • AGo on…
  • B_______________
  • AWow. What did you do?
  • B_______________
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Homework · Section 11

Take-home

Take it home

speaking

Record a 60-second anecdote about a small drama. Use at least 3 narrative linkers.

writing

Write the same story in 80 words, underlining all Past Continuous verbs.

listening

Watch a 2-minute storytelling clip on YouTube and note 5 narrative linkers.

Homework notes

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Recap · Section 12

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • Past Continuous = background scene.
  • Past Simple = the action that interrupts it.
  • WHEN = interruption; WHILE = two parallel actions; AS SOON AS = immediately after.
  • Narrative linkers (suddenly, after a while, in the end) make a story breathe.
  • Drop intonation to set the scene; lift it on the surprise.
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