NARRATIVE TENSES PPT

1. N A
NARRATIVE TENSES

2. • Narrative tenses are
verb tenses that are
used to talk about
the past.
• They are often found
in stories and
descriptions of past
events, such as
personal anecdotes.
WHEN DO
WE USE
THEM?
NARRATIVE
TENSES

3. PAST SIMPLE
• We can use the past simple for actions that
started and finished in the past, for example a
series of events in someone’s life or the main
actions of a story.
• Nelson Mandela was born in 1918. He became the
first black President of South Africa. He spent 27
years in prison in his battle against the system of
apartheid.
• When I came home, I suddenly heard a noise
outside my door…

4. PAST CONTINUOUS
• We use the past continuous to set a scene or
to describe a situation that continued for
some time.
• At 6 o’clock that evening she was still talking
on the phone
• We often use the past simple and past
continuous together when one action
interrupts another.
• Dan was sitting at the table when she went into
the kitchen.

5. PAST PERFECT
• We can use the past perfect with the past simple
together in a sentence to describe an action that
happened before another past action.

6. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
• FORM: HAD BEEN+VERB+ING
• USE
 to describe something that has been
happening over a long period UP TOA POINT
IN TIME
We had been flying for about two hours when
suddenly the captain told us to fasten our seat
belts.

7. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE OR PAST
PERFECT CONTINUOUS?
• The past perfect
continuous
emphasizes the
CONTINUATION of
an activity.
• Lina was crying
because she had
been reading a very
sad book.
• The past perfect
simple emphasizes
the COMPLETION of
an activity.
• Lina didn´t want to
see the film because
she had already
read the book.

8. TELLING AN ANECDOTE
• SETTING THE SCENE:
• This happened to me when I was…
• I was…ing when….
• I…because I had/Hadn´t
• THE MAIN EVENTS:
• I decided to…..because
• So then I….
• Suddenly, at that moment….
• WHAT HAPPENED IN THE END:
• In the end/eventually….
• I felt….