NARRATIVE TEXTS FOR EXPERTS

Narrative Text – Structure, Language & Practice

Introductions, developments, conclusions + translation practice with solutions

A. Use a good sentence to start

Elige una frase inicial potente para enganchar al lector.

• You won’t believe what happened to me on my way home yesterday.
• I still can’t forget what happened that cold winter morning.
• Everything changed the moment I opened that door.
• It all started on a day I thought would be completely normal.
• At first, I didn’t realise that this would be the most unforgettable day of my life.
• What began as an ordinary afternoon quickly turned into a real adventure.
• I never imagined that such a small decision would cause so many problems.
• Looking back now, I wish I had listened to my instincts that day.
• The strangest experience of my life happened when I least expected it.
• That was the day everything went wrong.

Tip: empieza con sorpresa, emoción o misterio.

B. Introduction (Beginning / Orientation)

Function: Introduces the characters, place, and time.

Example 1

WHEN Last Friday afternoon, WHO Tom WHAT was finishing his homework WHERE in the school library.
DETAILS Most of the students had already gone home, and the building was unusually quiet.
NARRATIVE INCIDENT As he packed his bag, he heard a strange noise coming from the corridor.

Example 2

One cold evening in December, I was walking home from school through the empty streets of my town. The sun had already set, and the streetlights flickered above me. I felt nervous because I had heard strange noises in that area before.

Example 3

On a rainy Monday morning in September, Sofia arrived early at her new school. The hallways were empty and silent, and she felt nervous as she looked for her classroom. It was her first day, and she didn’t know any of the other students yet. Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from a classroom.

Introducción = tiempo + lugar + personajes + situación inicial.

C. Development (Middle / Events)

Function: Describes the main events and problems.

Example 1

Tom froze and listened carefully. The noise came again, louder this time, like footsteps moving slowly toward the library door. His heart started beating faster, and he wondered if someone else was still in the building. He stood up quietly and walked toward the door to look outside. Suddenly, the noise stopped, and the corridor became completely silent. Tom hesitated, unsure if he should open the door or stay where he was.

Example 2

As I continued walking, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but the sound grew louder and closer. I turned around quickly, but no one was there. My hands began to shake, and I walked faster, trying to reach my house as soon as possible. Then, I heard a low whisper coming from the dark corner of the street, and I stopped, too afraid to move.

Example 3

Sofia stopped walking and looked toward the classroom door. The noise came again, like something falling on the floor. She felt scared but also curious, so she slowly walked closer. Her heart was beating fast as she reached the door and gently pushed it open. Inside, the lights were off, and she couldn’t see anyone clearly. Suddenly, a chair moved in the corner of the room, and Sofia gasped, not knowing who—or what—was there.

Desarrollo = tensión + problema + acciones + suspense.

D. Conclusion (Ending / Resolution)

Function: Explains how the story finishes.

Example 1

Taking a deep breath, Tom slowly opened the library door and looked into the corridor. To his surprise, he saw the school janitor picking up a box of books from the floor. The janitor smiled and explained that he had accidentally dropped them. Tom laughed in relief, realizing there was nothing to be afraid of. He left the library feeling calmer and a little embarrassed by his imagination.

Example 2

Summoning my courage, I slowly turned toward the dark corner and stepped closer. Suddenly, a small cat ran out from behind a trash bin and crossed the street. I sighed with relief and laughed at myself for being so frightened. I realized that the strange noises had not been dangerous after all. Feeling calmer and safer, I continued walking home, leaving my fear behind me.

Example 3

Sofia stood frozen for a moment until the classroom lights suddenly turned on. A girl stepped forward and smiled warmly at her. She explained that she had come early to prepare some materials for class. Sofia felt relieved and smiled back, happy to meet someone friendly on her first day. At that moment, she knew that her new school might not be so scary after all.

Conclusión = solución + emoción final + aprendizaje.

VERB TENSES USED IN NARRATIVE TEXTS

Past Simple: Used for completed actions.
• I walked to the park. / • She opened the door.

Past Continuous: Used for actions in progress in the past.
• I was walking in the street.

Past Perfect:
• I had phoned the emergency services. / • They had already found the dog.

Combination:
• I was walking in the park when I saw a dog.
• When I arrived home, I noticed someone had already been there.

USEFUL CONNECTORS

Time connectors:
• First • Then • After that • Suddenly • Finally

Sequence connectors:
• When • While • Before • After

GOOD MORE ADVANCED LANGUAGE YOU CAN USE

a) Modal perfect verbs:
I was very worried because I might have lost my phone in the park.

b) Third conditionals:
If I had seen the warning sign, I would not have entered the abandoned house.
If we had brought a map, we would not have got lost in the forest.

c) -ING and -ED clauses:
Feeling scared, I stopped moving.
Shocked by the noise, she ran away.
Realising the danger, we left immediately.

FINAL EXERCISE: Translate into English

Traduce las 12 frases al inglés. Pulsa el botón para ver la solución.

Introduction (Beginning / Orientation)

1. Una mañana fría de invierno, Marcos llegó temprano a la escuela.

One cold winter morning, Marcos arrived early at school.

2. El sábado por la tarde, Ana estaba sola en casa con su perro.

On Saturday afternoon, Ana was alone at home with her dog.

3. Hace muchos años, una niña vivía en un pequeño pueblo cerca del bosque.

Many years ago, a girl lived in a small village near the forest.

4. El lunes por la mañana, los estudiantes entraron al aula muy nerviosos.

On Monday morning, the students entered the classroom very nervous.

Development (Middle / Events)

5. De repente, escuchó un ruido extraño detrás de la puerta.

Suddenly, he/she heard a strange noise behind the door.

6. Empezó a caminar más rápido porque tenía miedo.

He/She started walking faster because he/she was afraid.

7. Abrió la ventana lentamente y miró hacia afuera.

He/She opened the window slowly and looked outside.

8. En ese momento, las luces se apagaron y todo quedó en silencio.

At that moment, the lights went out and everything went silent.

Conclusion (Ending / Resolution)

9. Al final, descubrió que no había nada peligroso.

In the end, he/she discovered there was nothing dangerous.

10. Se sintió aliviado y empezó a reír.

He/She felt relieved and started to laugh.

11. Desde ese día, nunca volvió a tener miedo.

From that day on, he/she was never afraid again.

12. Finalmente, todo terminó bien y regresó a casa tranquilo.

Finally, everything ended well and he/she returned home calm.

Puedes usar esta sección como actividad en clase o como tarea.

4. FORMAL AND INFORMAL STRUCTURES WITH RELATIVE SENTENCES

Relative Clauses with Prepositions

Formal and informal structures practice

EXAMPLES

Formal: Mr Brown is the teacher for whom we prepared the presentation.

Informal: Mr Brown is the teacher we prepared the presentation for.

Formal: Cáceres is the town in which I spent my childhood.

Informal: Cáceres is the town I spent my childhood in.

Alternative: Cáceres is the town where I spent my childhood.

Exercise 1: Change formal → informal

1. The committee to which the proposal was submitted will announce its decision tomorrow.

The committee the proposal was submitted to will announce its decision tomorrow.

2. She is the candidate for whom the position was specifically created.

She is the candidate the position was specifically created for.

3. This is the university at which he completed his doctoral research.

This is the university he completed his doctoral research at.

4. The policy under which the company operates was revised last year.

The policy the company operates under was revised last year.

5. The colleague with whom I collaborated on the project has recently been promoted.

The colleague I collaborated with on the project has recently been promoted.

Exercise 2: Change informal → formal

1. That’s the movie I told you about.

That’s the movie about which I told you.

2. She’s the person I was talking to.

She’s the person to whom I was talking.

3. This is the café we usually meet at.

This is the café at which we usually meet.

4. That’s the problem I’m worried about.

That’s the problem about which I’m worried.

5. He’s the friend I grew up with.

He’s the friend with whom I grew up.

Exercise 3: Rewrite in formal and informal

1. This is the doctor. I told you about him.

Formal: This is the doctor about whom I told you.
Informal: This is the doctor I told you about.

2. That is the diet. She is interested in it.

Formal: That is the diet in which she is interested.
Informal: That is the diet she is interested in.

3. This is the hospital. He works at it.

Formal: This is the hospital at which he works.
Informal: This is the hospital he works at.

4. That is the exercise. They talked about it yesterday.

Formal: That is the exercise about which they talked yesterday.
Informal: That is the exercise they talked about yesterday.

5. She is the nurse. I spoke to her this morning.

Formal: She is the nurse to whom I spoke this morning.
Informal: She is the nurse I spoke to this morning.

COOKING A NARRATIVE TEXT: HOW TO BEGIN AND FINISH AND GOOD SENTENCES FOR THE LAST PARAGRAPH

✍️ Narrative Writing – Useful Sentences

Use these expressions to improve your stories: openings, reflections, and endings.

📌 1. How to Start a Narrative

• You won’t believe what happened to me on my way home yesterday.
• I still can’t forget what happened that cold winter morning.
• Everything changed the moment I opened that door.
• It all started on a day I thought would be completely normal.
• At first, I didn’t realise that this would be the most unforgettable day of my life.
• What began as an ordinary afternoon quickly turned into a real adventure.
• I never imagined that such a small decision would cause so many problems.
• Looking back now, I wish I had listened to my instincts that day.
• The strangest experience of my life happened when I least expected it.
• That was the day everything went wrong.

📌 2. Impossible Conditionals (Third Conditional)

• If I had listened to my parents’ advice, I wouldn’t have got lost that night.
• If we had left the house five minutes earlier, we wouldn’t have missed the last train.
• If she hadn’t trusted that stranger, she wouldn’t have found herself in so much trouble.

📌 3. How to End a Narrative

• From that day on, I promised myself I would never make the same mistake again.
• It was a lesson I will remember for the rest of my life.
• Since then, I have looked at things in a completely different way.
• In the end, everything turned out better than I had expected.
• That experience taught me how important it is to stay calm in difficult situations.
• I will always be grateful for what I learned that day.
• Looking back now, I realise how lucky I was.
• After that day, nothing was ever quite the same again.
• It was an unforgettable moment that changed me forever.
• Even today, I still smile when I think about what happened.

💡 Writing Tip: A good story usually has a strong beginning, a clear problem, and a reflective ending. Try to use at least one expression from each section.

NARRATIVE TEXT. THE LOST PHONE

📖 Complete the Story – The Lost Phone (150+ words)

Instructions: Complete the story using the words from each word bank. Use each word once.

🔹 Paragraph 1

realised – suddenly – quiet – tired – walking

Last Friday afternoon, I was 1____________ home from school after a long and exhausting day. I felt extremely 2____________ and just wanted to relax when I arrived. The streets were unusually 3____________, and most of the shops were already closing. While I was checking my bag and thinking about my homework, I 4____________ that my phone was missing. My heart started beating fast because everything had happened so 5____________.

🔹 Paragraph 2

carefully – confused – searched – suggested – asked

At first, I felt completely 6____________ and didn’t know what to do. I 7____________ everywhere for my phone, looking under benches, inside my backpack, and near the bus stop. A friendly old man kindly 8____________ me if I needed help and listened patiently to my story. After a few minutes, he 9____________ that we go back together and look more 10____________ around the area.

🔹 Paragraph 3

grateful – lesson – finally – promised – relieved

After several minutes of walking and searching nervously, I 11____________ found my phone near the entrance of a small shop. I felt extremely 12____________ and couldn’t stop smiling. I thanked the man warmly and felt truly 13____________ for his support and kindness. I 14____________ myself to be more careful in the future and pay more attention to my belongings. It was an important 15____________ that I will never forget.

✔ 1 walking – 2 tired – 3 quiet – 4 realised – 5 suddenly
✔ 6 confused – 7 searched – 8 asked – 9 suggested – 10 carefully
✔ 11 finally – 12 relieved – 13 grateful – 14 promised – 15 lesson

NARRATIVE TEXTS: CONCLUSION

✅ Exercise 1: A Happy Ending

relieved – finally – safe – realised – smiling – home

1______________, I arrived 2____________ and felt incredibly 3____________. I 4____________ that everything was over, and I walked inside 5____________, feeling happy and 6____________.

✔ Finally – home – relieved – realised – smiling – safe

✅ Exercise 2: A Lesson Learned

since then – careful – mistake – learned – never – experience

1______________, I have been more 2____________ and responsible. I 3____________ from my 4____________ and promised myself that I would 5____________ repeat the same 6____________ again.

✔ Since then – careful – learned – mistake – never – experience

✅ Exercise 3: A Surprising Twist

suddenly – turned out – secret – shocked – discovered – truth

1______________, I 2____________ the 3____________, and everything 4____________ to be completely different. I was totally 5____________ by the 6____________.

✔ Suddenly – discovered – secret – turned out – shocked – truth

✅ Exercise 4: Looking to the Future

future – determined – dream – continue – believe – stronger

1______________, I felt more 2____________ than ever. I decided to 3____________ following my 4____________ and 5____________ in myself, no matter what happened in the 6____________.

✔ Stronger – determined – continue – dream – believe – future

✅ Exercise 5: A Quiet Reflection

in the end – realised – moment – silence – remembered – grateful

1______________, I sat in 2____________ and 3____________ everything that had happened. At that 4____________, I 5____________ how lucky I was and felt truly 6____________.

✔ In the end – silence – remembered – moment – realised – grateful

NARRATIVE TEXTS: BODY

✅ Exercise 1: Something Went Wrong

help – suddenly – scared – calling – realised – shouting

1______________, I heard someone 2____________ my name. I turned around and 3____________ that I was completely alone. Feeling 4____________, I started 5____________ for 6____________.

✔ Suddenly – calling – realised – scared – shouting – help

✅ Exercise 2: Getting Lost

confused – decided – map – streets – meanwhile – couldn’t find

1______________, I looked at my 2____________, but I still 3____________ the right way. The narrow 4____________ all looked the same, and I felt completely 5____________. In the end, I 6____________ to ask for directions.

✔ Meanwhile – map – couldn’t find – streets – confused – decided

✅ Exercise 3: A Sudden Accident

pain – immediately – slipped – all of a sudden – helped – floor

1______________, I 2____________ on the wet 3____________ and fell to the ground. I felt sharp 4____________ in my leg, but a kind stranger 5____________ me 6____________.

✔ All of a sudden – slipped – floor – pain – helped – immediately

✅ Exercise 4: A Secret Discovery

carefully – dusty box – while – surprised – opened – found

1______________ I was cleaning the attic, I 2____________ an old cupboard. Inside, I 3____________ a 4____________. I 5____________ opened it and was completely 6____________ by what I saw.

✔ While – opened – found – dusty box – carefully – surprised

✅ Exercise 5: An Argument

apologised – misunderstanding – angry – later – at first – shouted

1______________, we didn’t agree about what had happened, and we both 2____________ at each other. I felt really 3____________ and walked away. 4____________, I realised it was just a 5____________, so I went back and 6____________.

✔ At first – shouted – angry – Later – misunderstanding – apologised

NARRATIVE TEXTS. OPENING PARAGRAPH. PRACTICE

✅ Exercise 1: A Mysterious Beginning

strange noise – walking home – One evening – suddenly – quiet street – I noticed

1______________, while I was 2____________, I was crossing a 3____________ when 4____________ a 5____________. Everything seemed normal until something 6____________ happened.

✔ One evening – walking home – quiet street – I noticed – strange noise – suddenly

✅ Exercise 2: A Holiday Memory

unforgettable – decided – small village – my family – trip – Last summer

1______________, 2____________ and I 3____________ to go on a short 4____________ to a 5____________ by the sea. We had no idea that it would become an 6____________ experience.

✔ Last summer – my family – decided – trip – small village – unforgettable

✅ Exercise 3: An Unexpected Meeting

surprised – old friend – waiting – recognised – One afternoon – bus stop

1______________, while I was 2____________ at the 3____________, I suddenly 4____________ an 5____________. I was completely 6____________ by what happened next.

✔ One afternoon – waiting – bus stop – recognised – old friend – surprised

✅ Exercise 4: A Difficult Day

important exam – rushed – alarm clock – worried – That morning – late

1______________, my 2____________ didn’t ring, so I woke up 3____________. I quickly got dressed and 4____________ to school, feeling extremely 5____________ about my 6____________.

✔ That morning – alarm clock – late – rushed – worried – important exam

✅ Exercise 5: A New Beginning

teacher – excited – nervous – classmates – First day – new school

1______________ at my 2____________, I felt both 3____________ and 4____________. My new 5____________ and my 6____________ were waiting for me.

✔ First day – new school – nervous – excited – classmates – teacher