In this podcast I'm going to talk about part two of the Cambridge English PET or Preliminary writing paper, where you have the option of writing a story. I'm going to read three model stories to you (probably slightly longer than they are usually - about 150 words instead of just a hundred). I'll explain the verb forms, structure and essential vocabulary you'll need to make your story a winner for the exam. Here we go!
When you are writing your story, remember to think it should have three main parts. The first part describes the scene or the situation the story is happening in. In this first part, we'll use some verbs in past continuous (it was raining) and possibly, if you can, in past perfect continuous (It had been raining all day).
So when we know what the situation is or what the scene is, then we can begin to start the action. Now, as you know, you must follow the first line of the story. In the exam you will see the first line of the story and then you continue from there. This first line may perhaps be an action with past simple verbs. However, you can still use your past continuous or past perfect continuous to describe the scene and then return to the action. Let's look at an example in my first story in this podcast:
The first line that we must use is:
Jack saw something on the beach, so he went over to get a closer look.
After this first line, we can use some past continuous to describe the scene:
That day, Jack was walking by the sea. The wind was blowing gently and the water was blue and quite calm.
Then we can go back to the action and continue with our past simple verbs:
Jack stopped and picked the thing up. etc.
In the last part of the story, we must give the reader an explanation of all the events. It explains any mystery in the story so we can end it and make it complete.
Right. So in this first story, notice the use of the past continuous - Jack was walking, the wind was blowing gently, the sun was shining which describes the scene of the story and gives the reader a background. After the past continuous, the action continues with words like 'then', 'suddenly' and past simple follows that: Jack saw the body, he ran, he arrived... Then, the ending - the conclusion - where the reader learns the explanation of the events of the story so the story can end. Listen carefully. How does the story end?
The first line is: Jack saw something on the beach, so he went over to get a closer look.
That day, Jack was walking by the sea. The wind was blowing gently and the water was blue and quite calm. Jack stopped and picked the thing up. It was a hat - a man's hat. Jack felt it and it was dry. Jack turned his head and looked out to sea. There weren't any big waves and the sun was shining. The sea didn't look dangerous - nobody would die in such a calm sea. Anyway, there weren't any clothes on the beach. Jack looked around him but the beach was empty. There were only a few seagulls flying up high in the blue sky.
Then, suddenly, Jack saw the body lying on the sand. 'Oh, no!' he thought. He ran towards the body as fast as he could. The moment Jack arrived, the body moved and a man sat up. 'Thank you for bringing me my hat, young man. It was such a lovely day, I think I fell asleep and my hat blew away!'
This second story is similar to the first. There is the use of past continuous to describe the scene at the beginning of the story: She was walking. But there is also the use of past perfect, which explain events that happened earlier than the story: Mary had been to a party... Then the intrigue or mystery, which is presented with the question: Why was the ladder there? And Mary's answer: It didn't make sense, or perhaps it did. Finally, the ending which explains everything with past simple of the verb: then a light went on, Mary recognized... Also notice here phrases with two clauses or parts connected with linking words: because..., so... You should try to use linking words in your story. Listen to the story now. How does it end?
Mary saw the ladder against the wall of the house and suddenly felt afraid...
Mary had been to a party with her friends. She was walking because her friend's house was not far from where she lived. It was dark now and there were no lights on in her house. Why was there a ladder against the wall of her home? It didn't make sense, or perhaps it did. She suddenly saw the upstairs window was open. Thieves! Thieves had got into the house through the window. They were probably still inside.
While Mary was wondering what to do, the front door slowly opened. The thieves were coming out! But then a light went on in the house and Mary recognized a familiar face - her dad. He saw Mary and waved. 'Hi, Mary!' he said. 'I forgot my keys when I went out, so I had to fetch the ladder and get in through the upstairs window!'
There is a similar structure to this third and final story. But this time I use past perfect continuous to describe an action that started before the story and continues into the story: It had been raining all evening... There are the usual past continuous verbs too: The four girls were having... Then the intrigue, mystery with questions: Who was it? What did he want? This finishes with the ending and events in past simple that explain the mystery so the story can now end: the waiter went out... they both came back together... Listen to the story. How does it end?
The car was still outside in the street and a man was sitting inside...
It had been raining all evening and Jane and her friends were enjoying a few soft drinks in the cafeteria. It was nice and warm in the café. The four girls were having a lot of fun because it was the first time that their parents had let them go out alone. They were thirteen years old. No parents! What fun!
Jane looked at the car again. She couldn't see the colour of the car very well because it was getting dark but she could see a face looking out of the window. Who was it? What did he want? Jane told her friends about the man and they all felt a little frightened.
Then Jane had an idea. She asked the waiter to go outside and talk to the man. So the waiter went out and spoke to him, but then they both came back together. 'It's me, your father, Jane!' said the man from the car. 'I'm waiting to take you all home. You went out without your umbrellas!'
I hope this has been useful. Good luck with your exams! Bye for now!
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