How to Tell a Story in English: Past Tenses Made Simple
Agnes Inglese · English for real conversations How to Tell a Story in English: Past Tenses Made Simple You know the past tenses. You can use them in grammar exercises. But when you tell a story about work, a holiday or a bad day, choosing the right tense suddenly feels difficult. Sound familiar? Let's make it easier with one short story. I was driving to work when my car broke down . Then I realised I had left my phone at home. Photo: Michael Lechner, Wikimedia Commons (CC0). 1. Three tenses. Three different jobs. In a good story, we don't just say what happened. We also show what was happening and what had happened before . PAST CONTINUOUS The background Use was/were + -ing for an action that was already in progress. I was driving to work. PAST SIMPLE The main events Use the Past Simple to say what happene...