Part 2: describe an event or experience

"Describe a time you were late for something important." "Describe a celebration you enjoyed." "Describe a time you learned something new." Event and experience cards are basically storytelling. And storytelling is where good speakers really shine. It's also where weak grammar shows the most, because you need past tenses.

Why this matters

Stories let you show a range of past tenses, time words and feelings. This is a natural way to show your Grammatical Range. A well-told story also has a clear beginning, middle and end, which helps your Coherence.

A simple story structure

Step	What to say	Example phrases
1. Set the scene	When, where, who	"It was about two years ago..." "I was in my second year at..."
2. The trigger	What started it	"One evening, out of nowhere..."
3. What happened	Step by step	"At first... Then... Just as... Eventually..."
4. The ending	How it finished	"In the end..." "Luckily..."
5. Reflection	Feelings and lessons	"Looking back, I realise..."

The four past tenses you need

Past simple for the main events: "I missed the bus."
Past continuous for background: "It was raining heavily, and everyone was rushing home."
Past perfect for something even earlier: "I had never taken that route before."
Used to / would for past habits: "I used to take the 7 o'clock bus every day."

Using all four naturally in one story is a strong sign of grammatical range.

Sample answer

Describe a time you were late for something important.

"I'd like to talk about the day I was nearly late for my HSC chemistry exam. It was about four years ago, in Dhaka.

I'd planned everything the night before. I had my admit card, my pens and my calculator ready. But that morning, it was raining heavily, and when I got to the main road, there wasn't a single rickshaw. I'd never seen the road so empty.

At first I waited, hoping one would come. Then I started to panic, because the exam started at ten and it was already twenty past nine. Just as I was about to give up, a neighbour of ours drove past on his motorbike. He saw me standing there, completely soaked, and offered me a lift.

In the end, I got there with about five minutes to spare. I was dripping wet and shaking, but I made it.

Looking back, I think it taught me to always leave much earlier than I think I need to, especially in the rainy season. And I'll always be grateful to that neighbour."

Time words that keep a story flowing

at first, to begin with
then, after that, soon after
just as, while, as soon as
suddenly, out of nowhere
eventually, finally, in the end

Try it yourself

Make notes for 1 minute and speak for 2 minutes:

Describe a time when something unexpected happened.

You should say:

when and where it happened

what happened

how you reacted

and explain how you felt about it.

After you record, count the past tenses you used. Did you use at least three of the four types?

Honest note

Your story doesn't need to be dramatic. Small, everyday stories told with clear detail often work better than big, dramatic ones you can't describe well.

Your task today

Write notes for three stories from your life using the five-step structure. Record yourself telling one of them.