fourteen writing
how to ... write a story
1 generating ideas
a   You are going to write a story about a journey ending with the words: It was an amazing experience, and it all happened because .... Think of some ideas for your story. Use these questions to help you.
1 Where did the journey take place?
2 What kind of journey was it?
3 What happened?
4 Why did it happen?
5 Why was it an amazing experience?
b  Read the story opposite and answer the questions in exercise la with a partner.
2 focusing on the sequence of events
a   Read sentences (1-4) from the story. They contain actions linked by and or when. Answer questions (a-c) for each sentence.
1 Judith was sleeping and I was chatting to some people ...
2 I was chatting to some people on the bus, when I realized that it was completely dark outside ...
3 When the bus stopped, I woke Judith up ...
4 When we woke up in the morning, we saw beautiful, golden sand ...
a Did the actions happen at the same time?
b Did they happen one after the other?
c Did one interrupt the other? How do you know?
b  Discuss your ideas with a partner then check by reading the tip.
We can use the past simple and past continuous to show when different actions happen. We can also use and and when to make the order of these actions clear.
a past continuous + and + past continuous - at the same time
b when + past simple + past simple = one after the other
c past continuous + when + past simple = a longer action (or state) interrupted by a shorter action
One Surv.n».er, I toas backpacking around khe Greek islands rtf+h nnq friendj <W/-fk.
When toe arrived on a ne.un island one evening ^W/'-fk uiaS ^eelinq untoell. Sk& needed +o Sleep, So toe decided +o sJraq in a small koion nearby and I bo&gk-f khe bus VickeH. dad/'-rk toas Sleeping and 1 toas cnaMinq +o Some people on khe b&S, vohen I realized khak i\ toas complekeli^ dark outside. I Zound ouk khak tOe toere +rVtVdlwug in khe torone^ direction/ I asked okher people tikere ioe could skai\ and -\rneq ■{■old me abouk a place called
Qolden 3each. Ikeq said ioe could Sleep on khe beach ■{■Were. When khe bus shopped, \ tOoke <W/+k up and ioe aok o-C-C and talked •fo -fke beach. We couldn't see much, buk toe could near khe Sound o-C khe sea. We cpk inko our sleeping bac^> and aire Some cakes, khen toe toenk -fo sleep.
When voe tOoke up in khe morning toe SatO beauki£ul, cplden sand all around us. Ike Sun iOaS shining -the sktj toas blue, and khe Sea looked £ankaskic. We cpk up and tOenk £or a Stoim. \k toas an amazing experience, and ik «11 happened because l made a miskake.
3 using narrative tenses
Read the story below and underline the correct verb forms.
1(1) travelled / was travelling to Edinburgh to start university for the first time. I (2) bought I was buying my ticket, (3) kissed I was kissing my parents goodbye and (4) got I was getting on the train. I (5) looked I was looking for somewhere to sit when 1(6) heard I was hearing a familiar voice, 'Hi Alex.' I (7) turned I was turning round and (8) saw I was seeing my best friend, Daisy. We (9) chatted I were chatting about her holiday when the train (10) moved I was moving out of the station. We (11) still talked I were still talking when the guard (12) came I was coming round to check our tickets. He (13) took I was taking one look at mine and said, 'You're on the wrong train, miss. We're going south, not north.'
4 organizing ideas
Organize your ideas from exercise la into three sections:
• the introduction: Where were you? What were you doing?
• the middle: What happened?
• the end: What happened in the end? How did you feel?
iy Writing task
a Write your story for a classroom display.
b Read other students' stories and choose the most amazing experience. Find out if the experience happened in real life.
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goto self-assessment p. 61 vocabulary diary p. 63 PH0T0C0PIABLE © OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS