3. 1 NARRATIVE TENSES

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question English réponse English
Read the first paragraph of "Performance of a lifetime?" again
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and underline examples of
the past simple
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gathered, it was, was announced
was announced - Past simple, passive
the past perfect simple
(had + past participle)
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had sold
the past continuous
(was/were + veb + -ing)
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was wearing
the past perfect continuous
(had + been + verb + -ing)
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had been looking,
Rule 1 Use the past simple for completed actions which give the main events in a story.
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Many years ago a crowd gathered, it was a gorgeous spring evening
Rule 2 Use the past continuous for actions in progress at a particular time or when another (shorter) action happened. Also use it to set the scene of a story.
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and everyone was wearing their finest clothes
Rule 3 Use the past perfect simple for completed actions that happened before the main events.
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Tickets had sold out weeks before
Rule 4 Use the past perfect continuous for longer actions that started before other events and often continued up to them.
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and opera fans had been looking forward to this epic moment ever
Look at the numbered verbs in both stories.
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How each example fits one of the rules of narrative tenses.
began
the performance began.
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main event in the story
RULE 1
had appeared
who had never appeared in a major opera before
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action that happened before the main events
RULE 3
was driving
One day a man was driving down a small country road
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to set the scene of the story
RULE 2
had been standing
the woman had been standing there for a long time
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action that happened before the main events
RULE 4
was shevering
the woman was shevering badly
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when another action happened
RULE 2
he'd finished
After he'd finished the job.
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action that happened before the main events
RULE 3
drove
the woman drove into the next town
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one of the main events in the story
RULE 1
was paying
when she was paying for her meal
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when another action happened
RULE 2
remembered
the old lady remembered what Steve Hunt had said
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one of the main events of the story
RULE 1
had said
what Steve Hunt had said
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action that happened before the main events
RULE 3
Complete the story.
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with the correct verbs in brackets
He (never see) such beautiful birds before.
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He'd never seen such beautiful birds before.
He gave them to a man who (train) falcons for him for many years.
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He gave them to a man who had been trainning falcons for him for many years.
A month later, the king (sit) on his balcony
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A month later, the king was sitting on his balcony
when he (notice) one of the falcons in the sky,
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when he noticed one of the falcons in the sky,
but he (not see) the other one.
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but he didn't see the other one.
couldn't see is also possible
Deeply disappointed, he discovered that the falcon (sit) on the same branch since its arrival.
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Deeply disappointed, he discovered that the falcon had been sitting on the same branch since its arrival
The king (call) healers and magicians
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The king called healers and magicians
After he (try) everything
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After he'd tried everything
eventually the king (realise) that he needed someone
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eventually the king realised that he needed someone
The very next morning, the king was thrilled to see that the second falcon (fly) high in the sky alongside the first.
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The very next morning, the king was thrilled to see that the second falcon was flying high in the sky alongside the first.
I simply (cut) the branch
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I simply cut the branch
the branch where the bird (sit)
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the branch where the bird was sitting.
What is the moral of this story? How could you apply the moral in your life?
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Occam's razor is more commonly described as 'the simplest answer is most often correct,' although this is an oversimplification. The 'correct' interpretation is that entities should not be multiplied needlessly.
Complete the sentences
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using the correct narrative tenses
She (forget) her key.
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She'd forgotten her key.
She (rob) the house.
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She was robbing the house.
She (paint) the downstairs floors all evening and they hadn't dried yet.
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She'd been painting the downstairs floors all evening and they hadn't dried yet.
She (use) the door all her life and she wanted a change.
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She'd been using the door all her life and she wanted a change.
Complete the news story by putting the verbs in brackets in the correct narrative tense.
In one case, more than one tense is possible.
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Missing child found safe and sound
A search for a missing child in East Paterson (end) happly, last week after five-year-old Ricky Ross was found asleep in his own room.
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A search for a missing child in East Paterson ended happily, last week after five-year-old Ricky Ross was found asleep in his own room.
Last Monday, Julie Ross, the boy's mother, (work) in the front garden
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Last Monday, Julie Ross, the boy's mother, was working in the front garden
when she (hear) her son cry out.
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when she heard her son cry out.
He (play) in the living room
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He'd been playing in the living room
but when she (run) to the house,
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but when she ran to the house,
she (see) that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
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she saw that the back door was open and there was no sign of her son.
Neighbours (join) in the search
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Neighbours joined in the search
and when they (search) in the forest behind the house,
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and when they were searching in the forest behind the house,
they (find) a few pieces of children's clothing.
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they found a few pieces of children's clothing.
There was initial panic but it was soon clear that the clothing (be) there for years and didn't belong to the boy.
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There was initial panic but it was soon clear that the clothing had been there for years and didn't belong to the boy.
Ricky was eventually found by another child who (go) into the boy's room
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Ricky was eventually found by another child who had gone/went into the boy's room
while the search (go) on
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while the search was going on
because she (hear) a noise from the toy box.
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because she'd heard a noise from the toy box.
When she (open) it, there was Ricky safe and sound -
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When she opened it, there was Ricky safe and sound -
he (sleep) in the toy box the whole time, unaware of the panic he had caused.
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he'd been sleeping in the toy box the whole time, unaware of the panic he had caused.

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