Telling a story (narrative tenses)

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • past continuous

Narrative tenses: the past continuous for the background (I was trying to figure out the coffee machine…), the past simple for the main events, and the past perfect for something earlier, with when and while. From a first morning at a new job and a tip to a stranger who turned out to be the CEO to the student's own stories of mix-ups.

Teach this lessonDownload PDF

Free, no card needed. The PDF has every slide, the homework and an answer key.

walkedwas sittinghad left

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: the man in the kitchenReading comprehension
  3. 3What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Which tense?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Narrative tensesGrammar rule
  6. 6The Monday meetingGrammar exercise
  7. 7Which past?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  9. 9Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  10. 10Mix-upsSpeaking practice
  11. 11About youGrammar exercise
  12. 12Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: the family photoGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: irregular past formsGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: a first day to rememberDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. What do people usually wear at your job or school? How formal is it?
  2. Can you remember where you were when you heard some great news? What were you doing?
  3. Who is the best storyteller you know? Why are their stories good?

Grammar rule

Narrative tenses

The past continuous: was / were + -ing

Example
PositiveHe was carrying a bike helmet. People were laughing.
NegativeHe wasn't wearing a suit.
QuestionWhat were you doing at the time?

Three tenses in a story

  • Past simple: the main events, in order: He walked to the front, and everyone stopped talking.
  • Past continuous: the background, or an action in progress at a time: Nobody was sitting at the desks. At 6:30 this morning, I was ironing a shirt.
  • Past perfect: something that happened before another past event or time: By nine, he had changed into a shirt and jeans.

when and while

  • A long action and a short one: I was trying to make coffee when a man walked in.
  • Two long actions: While people were talking, my manager was setting up the projector.
Verbs like know, want, like and need are not usually continuous: I wanted to make a good impression. (not was wanting)

Teach it live with video and a whiteboard, or print it: the PDF has every slide, the homework and the answers.

Teach this lesson
← Unit 9A champion in the rain