A2 • Lesson 4
Vocabulary and reading to prepare for your lesson
Click each word to see its meaning and an example.
A tale or narrative about what happened.
"I have a funny story about my trip."
To occur; to take place.
"Something funny happened at work yesterday."
After that; next in a sequence.
"I went to the store. Then I bought coffee."
Following in time; later than.
"After I ate breakfast, I went to work."
Quickly and without warning; all at once.
"Suddenly, it started to rain very hard."
A short time or instant.
"Wait a moment and I will tell you what happened next."
The finish or conclusion of a story.
"And that is the end of my story."
Start a story with this introduction.
"Let me tell you a story about something funny that happened."
Say when the story took place.
"It happened on Monday afternoon."
Move to the next part of the story.
"I opened the door. And then I saw my friend!"
Show something unexpected happened.
"I was walking home. Suddenly, it started to rain."
Finish your story with this phrase.
"We laughed a lot. That's the end of my story."
Emphasize a feeling or quality.
"It was so funny. It was so scary."
A story is something that happened to you. You tell people about it. Stories are fun. People like to listen to stories.
When you tell a story, you use past simple. You say "I went to the store" or "I saw a dog." You tell what happened first. Then you tell what happened next. You use words like "then" and "and then" and "suddenly" to show the order.
Good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You start by saying when and where it happened. You can say "It was Monday" or "I was at home." Then you tell the important parts. You say what happened. You say what you did.
You can make your story interesting. You use adjectives. You say "It was very funny" or "It was scary." You speak slowly and clearly. You make pauses for effect. Your listener wants to know what happens next.
When you finish your story, you can say "That's the end" or "And that's what happened." People enjoy a good story. Practice telling your stories to friends and family.
~245 words • A2 Level
Think about these questions before your lesson.
For each question above, write maximum 3 keywords — no sentences. Then practise speaking your answer out loud from just the keywords.
Q1: "What is a funny or interesting story that happened to you?"
Your 3 keywords: / /
Now say your answer out loud. Speak for about 30 seconds from just your keywords.
Q2: "Do you like to tell stories? Why or why not?"
Your 3 keywords: / /
Speak for 30 seconds. Let your brain build the sentences from the keywords.
Q3: "What do you do when you want to keep people interested in your story?"
Your 3 keywords: / /
Say your answer out loud — don't just think it! Your keywords are enough.
Remember: keywords only. Your brain does the rest. Mistakes are good — they mean you're practising speaking, not reading.
Preparation time: ~15 minutes