Using narrative tenses together
Combine the past simple, past continuous and past perfect to tell clear, engaging stories.
In this lesson you will
- Choose the right past tense for each part of a story
- Order events clearly
- Use time linkers
Learn
Past simple — the main events in order: I got up, grabbed my bag and ran out.
Past continuous — the background and actions in progress: It was raining and everyone was rushing to work.
Past perfect — events before the story’s main time, often to explain: I realised I had left my phone at home.
Time linkers: as soon as, when, while, after, before, by the time, then, eventually, in the end.
Examples
- I was sitting on the train when I noticed that I had taken the wrong one.
- As soon as the plane landed, everyone stood up.
- By the time we found the hotel, it had got dark.
- Eventually, a taxi driver stopped and helped us.
Vocabulary
as soon as
immediately after
eventually
in the end, after a long time
notice
see or become aware of
rush
move very quickly
grab
take quickly
In real life
A short anecdote.
It was my first day at a new job, and I was feeling nervous. I had set three alarms, but somehow I didn’t hear any of them. When I finally woke up, the sun was already shining and my phone was showing twelve missed calls. I realised immediately that I had overslept. I jumped out of bed, got dressed in two minutes and ran to the station. As soon as I arrived at the office, my new boss smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry — you’re right on time. The meeting was moved to ten.’
Practice
In the story, why did the writer wake up late?
Speaking
Tell a story about a day when things went wrong (or surprisingly right). Use all three narrative tenses and at least three time linkers. 90 seconds.
Writing
Write a story (120–150 words) that ends with: “…and that’s why I never trust my alarm clock.”
- ☐ Background in the past continuous
- ☐ Main events in the past simple
- ☐ Earlier events in the past perfect
- ☐ Time linkers
Lesson quiz
She was tired because she ___ all night.
Review
Key points
- Simple = events; continuous = background; perfect = earlier events.
- Linkers: as soon as, while, by the time, eventually.
What you learned
- ✓ I can combine past tenses.
- ✓ I can tell a clear story.
- ✓ I can use time linkers.
Grammar reference: Past simple, Past continuous, Past perfect