Telling a story
Past tenses, sequencing and a little drama — the shape of a good anecdote.
12 minutes · A free lesson from Fluency
Stories are how people connect in conversation. A good one has a shape: set the scene, build up to a problem, then say how it ended and how you felt.
Last winter I was travelling to Islamabad for a job interview (scene). The train was delayed by three hours, and my phone battery died, so I couldn't call anyone (problem). In the end, a stranger lent me his power bank, I called the company, and they moved my interview to the afternoon (resolution). I got the job — and I still carry a power bank everywhere (ending).
Past simple for the main events; past continuous (was travelling) for the background.
Say it out loud (75 seconds): Tell a short story about a time something went wrong but ended well.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: What shape does a good anecdote have?
- Scene, problem, how it ended, how you felt
- The ending, and nothing else
- A list of dates
Show the answer
A: Scene, problem, how it ended, how you felt — Set the scene, build up to a problem, then say how it ended and how you felt.
Quick check: Which tense gives the background in a story?
- The present simple: “I travel…”
- The future: “I will travel…”
- The past continuous: “I was travelling…”
Show the answer
C: The past continuous: “I was travelling…” — The past simple tells the main events: the train was delayed, a stranger lent me his power bank.
Quick check: Which sentence starts the resolution?
- “Last winter I was travelling to Islamabad.”
- “In the end, a stranger lent me his power bank.”
- “The train was delayed by three hours.”
Show the answer
B: “In the end, a stranger lent me his power bank.” — In the end moves the story from the problem to how it was solved.