Narrative tenses

Narrative tenses

Past simple/Past continuous/Past perfect/Past perfect continuous

READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE USE OF THE SIMPLE PAST.

Phoebe got up late that morning. She got dressed quickly, skipped breakfast and went out. She walked nervously to the bus stop. When the bus arrived, she got on, found a seat and sat down. Then she took out her phone and checked her messages. There was one from Mark.

01

PAST SIMPLE

These actions or situations are in chronological order.

actions or situations in the past

02

These actions or situations are completed in the past.

Phoebe got up late that morning. She was feeling dizzy from the previous night. She got dressed quickly, skipped breakfast and went out. She walked nervously to the bus stop. She was starting to think that she would be late again, when the bus arrived. She got on, found a seat and sat down. Then she took out her phone and checked her messages. There was one from Mark.

READ THE SAME TEXT AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE USE OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS:

01

PAST CONTINUOUS

These events are unfinished.

02

incomplete past events

The past continuous provides descriptions and background information.

Phoebe got up late that morning. She was feeling dizzy from the previous night. She had been to the most wonderful party ever. She got dressed quickly, skipped breakfast and went out. She walked nervously to the bus stop. Phoebe was starting to think that she would be late again, when the bus arrived. She got on, found a seat and sat down. Then she took out her phone and checked her messages. There was one from Mark. During the party, he had taken her into his confidence and asked her to keep a secret. He had fallen in love with his best friend and they had been having an affair for months. Mark's message said it was all a joke. Was it, though?

NOW READ THE FULL STORY AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEW PAST TENSES:

PAST PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

01

The past perfect is used for complete actions or situations at an "earlier" past.

02

The past perfect continuous emphasizes the progression of an action.

actions or situations before the main events

A good narrative consists of:

an INTRODUCTION in which you set the scene (people involved, time, place) in an interesting way to catch the reader's attention and make them want to continue reading

01

a MAIN BODY consisting of two or more paragraphs in which you develop your story

02

an ENDING that provides resolution. The more unpredictable your ending is, the longer-Iasting the impression on the reader.

03

How to write a good story...

The story should have a good starting sentence. Good use of narrative tenses. Divide the text into clear paragraphs instroduced by connectors. It has to have a clear ending.