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narrative tenses
Narrative tenses
Contents
Narrative tenses - generalpast simple
past continuous
past perfect continuous
past perfect simple
See also:
grammar:
functions:
skills:
skills:
grammar:
What are narrative tenses?
Narrative tenses are used to talk about past events and to tell storiesNarrative tenses are four tenses that we often use for talking about past events. The most common of these is the past simple. Read more
Narrative tenses question cards
B1-B2
30 mins
groups: 3-4
correction
Narrative tenses practice - sentence completion and pairwork
B1-B2
sentence completion
Error slips - verb forms
B1-B2
20-30 mins
groups: 3-4
correction
Narrative tenses - Simple story - A lucky escape
B1-B2
20-30 minutes
groups: 2-3
gap fill
ordering
Plane anecdote with narrative tenses
B1-B2
30 mins +
groups: 10 (minimum)
gap fill
ordering
Locked out! - Cut up story - narrative tenses practice
B1-B2
45 minutes
groups: 13 +
gap fill
ordering
Urban myth - madman on the loose - narrative tenses practice
B1-B2
40 minutes
groups: 3+
gap fill
ordering
Alibis game - bank robbery story with narrative tenses
B1-B2
1 hour
groups: pairs / whole class
gap fill
question writing
Narrative tenses quiz: a spooky experience
Ten-question multiple-choice quiz on narrative tenses based on a story about a strange experience in an old house.
Ten-question multiple-choice quiz on narrative tenses based on a story about a strange experience in an old house.
Narrative tenses news story
Gap-fill exercise on narrative tenses based on a short news story about a girl who was kidnapped.
Gap-fill exercise on narrative tenses based on a short news story about a girl who was kidnapped.
Narrative tenses - incident on a plane
Complete the anecdote about an incident on a plane by putting the verbs in the correct tense.
Complete the anecdote about an incident on a plane by putting the verbs in the correct tense.
Narrative tenses exercise - James Bond
Narrative tenses gap-fill exercise based on a short passage from the James Bond story Diamonds are Forever.
Narrative tenses gap-fill exercise based on a short passage from the James Bond story Diamonds are Forever.
Pakistan - China by bicycle
Personal account of a bike trip. Fifteen gaps. Past simple, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous.
Personal account of a bike trip. Fifteen gaps. Past simple, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous.
Past simple and continuous - anecdote - the Donkey Dog
Short anecdote about a frightening experience, gapped for past continuous and past simple plus 'enormous' and 'the biggest'
Short anecdote about a frightening experience, gapped for past continuous and past simple plus 'enormous' and 'the biggest'
Narrative tenses exercise: past perfect simple and continuous; past simple
Text about an engine failure during a flight. Advanced levels.
Text about an engine failure during a flight. Advanced levels.
Present perfect, past simple and past continuous 01
Gapped dialogue. 'Have you ever...?' with a short anecdote as the reply using past simple and past continuous.
Gapped dialogue. 'Have you ever...?' with a short anecdote as the reply using past simple and past continuous.
Present perfect, past simple and past continuous 02
Gapped dialogue. 'Have you ever...?' with a short anecdote as the reply using past simple and past continuous.
Gapped dialogue. 'Have you ever...?' with a short anecdote as the reply using past simple and past continuous.
Global Intermediate Coursebook
Unit 2 Lives and Legends Page 19 Past simple & past continuous
Unit 2 Lives and Legends Page 21 Past perfect & past simple
Inside Out Student's Book Advanced
Unit 2 Taste Page 19 Past tenses
Three short exercise based on the preceding reading text
Three short exercise based on the preceding reading text
Unit 14 Review 2 Page 133
Module 3 Adventures and mishap Pages 34 - 35 Verb forms in the narrative
Follow-up exercise and analysis of language in previous listening. Three short gapped stories with audio to check answers
Follow-up exercise and analysis of language in previous listening. Three short gapped stories with audio to check answers
New Inside Out Student's Book Upper Intermediate
Unit 4 Challenge Page 39 Grammar: narrative tenses
Follow-up grammar exercises
Follow-up grammar exercises
48 - 51 Past tenses Pages 48 - 51 Detective story
Complete a gapped story with pictures. Past simple, past perfect, past continuous.
Complete a gapped story with pictures. Past simple, past perfect, past continuous.
9 - Sci-fi dominoes / Fairytale dominoes Page 9
Story-making using picture card prompts.
Story-making using picture card prompts.
22 - It wasn't me, Officer Page 22
Role play with cards. Ss have to identify various suspects for thefts.
Role play with cards. Ss have to identify various suspects for thefts.
Memory 7 Accident page 45 Page 45
Accident scene. Ss have to remember the exact scene and complete sentences (multiple choice) 'A man was just crossing / had just crossed / was just going to cross the road' etc.
Accident scene. Ss have to remember the exact scene and complete sentences (multiple choice) 'A man was just crossing / had just crossed / was just going to cross the road' etc.
6 As different as chalk and cheese Page 6
Story writing activity. Ss complete sentences from prompts and pass to the S on the left.
Story writing activity. Ss complete sentences from prompts and pass to the S on the left.
6a It made my day Page 6
Whole class / large group. Writing an anecdote. 'Write, fold and pass' activity to construct a funny anecdote.
Whole class / large group. Writing an anecdote. 'Write, fold and pass' activity to construct a funny anecdote.
8a Something strange happend on the way to... Page 8
Ss write a supernatural story using question prompts. Exchange and correct.
Ss write a supernatural story using question prompts. Exchange and correct.
