NARRATIVE

TENSES
When we narrate a story, we use:

PAST SIMPLE
PAST CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
We use narrative tenses when telling a story, or
talking about situations and activities which
happened at a past time.
When telling past events, DO NOT mix past and
present tenses
 PAST SIMPLE TENSE

 We use the Past Simple to talk about

consecutive actions or situations in the past, when
telling a story we use it for the main events in a story

He woke up at half past seven, he had a shower and

ate some breakfast.
 PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

We use past continuous tense

for an action which was in progress at a stated time
in the past.
At 1 o’clock in the morning, I was sleeping.
For a past action which was in progress when an
other action interrupted it. We use the past
continuous for the action in progress (longer action)
and the past simple for the action which interrupted
the longer action.
I was washing the dishes when I cut my finger.
For two or more actions which were happening at
the same time in the past.
I was cooking the dinner while my daughter was
laying the table.
To give background information in a story
The sun was shining brightly and the birds were
chirping happily as I was walking to work.
 PAST PERFECT SIMPLE

We use past perfect simple to go back to “an earlier

past”. We use it to talk about things that had already
happened before the main events in a story.
I got to the party late. When I arrived there,
everybody had already left.
We use it to make the narrative more interesting and
easy to read.
 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

We use the past perfect contimuous with action

verbs to talk about longer continuous actions or
situations that started before the main events and
have continued up to a point.
Non-action verbs are not normally used in the past
continuous or past perfect continuous.

When the teacher entered the classroom, the

students had been fighting
 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS vs.
PAST PERFECT

The past perfect continuous emphasizes the

continuation of an activity. The past perfect
emphasizes the completion of an activity

Lina was crying because she had been reading a very

sad book.
Lina didn’t want to see the film, because she had
already read the book