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7. Writings

7.2. WRS21819


Write a narrative (between 110 - 150 words) with the title:

  • 'An embarrassing moment'
You MUST write a text which, at least, contains:
  • Between 110 and 150 words.
  • 3 sentences using the past simple.
  • 2 sentences using the past continuous.
  • 1 sentences using the past perfect.
  • 3 -ed adjective.
  • 3 -ing adjective
  • 2 time expressions

Marqueu en negreta els verbs, els adjectius i les expressions de temps

What's a narrative?

A narrative is one particular person's perfective of a story, so that means that you describe a past event or tell a story.

How to prepare the task

1. Get ideas
  • Think of about the event or story to write about.
  • Make notes to answer these questions:

    • Who are the main people in the story?
    • When and where did it happen?
    • What happened a) first b) next c) in the end?
    • What happened afterwards?
    • How did you/the people fell?
2. Plan
  • Start planning your narrative by putting in order your ideas.
    • What happened first / next / in the end?
  • Organize the ideas into paragraphs:

Explain the background of the event.

Think about:

  • Where did it happen?
  • Where did it happen?
  • Why were you /the people in the story there?

Describe what happened. Explain the sequences of events.

Think about:

  • What happened first, next, in the end?
  • How did it make you / the people in the story feel?

Conclusion. Describe how the event ended.

Think about:

  • What happened in the end?
  • How did you / the people in the story feel?
  • What happened afterwards?

Start writing

Write a first draft of your narrative. Use the paragraph plan which is in section 'how to...' to help you.

Before you write your final draft, check your narrative:

  • Is well organized, with paragraphs and linkers?
  • Are there any grammar, spelling o punctuation mistakes?
  • Have you used a variety of past tenses?
  • Have you used qualifiers and adjectives
  • Have you used expressions from the 'useful language' tab?
to describe feelings
  • I was / felt (terrified, delighted, etc.)
  • I felt ... and ... at the same time.
  • It was a terrible shock / wonderful surprise.
  • I've never been / felt so ... before / in my hole life.
  • ... was so (adjective, e.g. sad) that ...
  • ... was such a (adjective+noun, e.g. great day) that ...
Adverbs to comment on events
  • amazingly, ...
  • Luckily, ...
  • Sadly, ...
  • Unexpectedly, ...
  • incredibly, ...
  • Fortunately / unfortunately, ...
time expressions
  • I (past tense) while / when I (past continuous)
  • For / since / just / ever / never /already / yet (with past simple)
  • Last year / yesterday / a few days ago (with past simple)
  • Before I (past simple), I (past perfect)
  • After / Because / By the time / when I (past perfect), I (past simple)
  • Suddenly, ...
  • Just then, ...
  • At that moment, ...
  • Meanwhile, ...
  • While that was happening, ...
  • During (that time, the afternoon, etc.)
other narrative sequencers
  • At first, / First, / In the beginning, / First of all, ...
  • Next, .../ Then, .../ After that, ..
  • Eventually, .../ Finally, .../ In the end, ...
  • Afterwards, ...
Reflecting on events
  • It was the (best, worst, most frightening, etc) day of my life!
  • It was a day / time I'll never forget.
  • I'll remember this day / time forever.
  • Since that day / time, ...
  • It changed my life (forever)
  • Things will / would never be the same again.

Tips for ... writing a narrative


Give your story a clear beginning, middle and ending.

Use the past continuous to set the scene and show longer actions, the past simple for main events, and the past perfect for events that happened earlier.

Use the present simple to talk about current situations or feelings or the present perfect to say how events have influenced you today.

Include phrases from the Useful language section.

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