How to Tell a Story in English Using Narrative Tenses

Introduction

• Presenter: Ben from To The Point English with Ben.
• Topic: How to tell a story in English using narrative tenses.
• Importance: Useful for writing book/film reviews, personal experience articles, and everyday anecdotes.

Narrative Tenses Explained

• Definition: Four past tenses used to tell stories effectively.
  • Not special tenses; simply past tenses useful for storytelling.
• Types of Narrative Tenses:
  1. Past Simple
  2. Past Continuous
  3. Past Perfect
  4. Past Perfect Continuous

Formation of Tenses

• Past Perfect:
  • Structure: had + past participle
  • Examples: had gone, had worked
• Past Perfect Continuous:
  • Structure: had + been + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Examples: had been working, had been trying

Example of Narrative Tenses in an Anecdote

• Short Anecdote:
  • "I just saw my old school friend Dave at the shopping center. He was buying a present for his wife and had been walking around for hours. It was good to bump into him. I had last seen him in 2009."
  • Past Simple: "I saw"
    • Completed action in the past.
  • Past Continuous: "He was buying"
    • Action taking place before, during, and possibly after the main past action.
  • Past Perfect Continuous: "He had been walking around"
    • Action started before and continued up to another past action.
  • Past Perfect: "I had last seen him in 2009"
    • Action that happened before another past action.

Longer Anecdote Example

• Anecdote: Ben's travel experience at 18.
  • Intended to spend a year in Australia.
  • Needed money for flights and accommodation; worked in a factory.
  • Realized too late about needing a visa; changed plans to Spain.
  • Traveled to Spain, felt homesick, and ended up in Gibraltar.
  • Spent five weeks in Torremolinos before running out of money and returning home.
• Narrative Tenses Used:
  • Past Simple: Main events (e.g., "I took a gap year").
  • Past Continuous: Ongoing events (e.g., "I was living with my parents").
  • Past Perfect: Events before other past events (e.g., "I had never been outside Europe").
  • Past Perfect Continuous: Actions continuing up to other past events (e.g., "I had been working").

Practical Applications

• Everyday Use: Useful for everyday anecdotes to explain events clearly.
• Exam Preparation: Essential for English exams, especially Cambridge English exams.

Conclusion

• Practice Tip: Share your own examples in comments.
• Next Steps: Check out related videos for more tips.
• Closing: See you soon for another video!