TELLING PERSONAL STORIES
<Useful language>
Javier Santos Asensi, EOI Valencia
Introducing your story:
It’s important that you draw your audience attention to what you have to say. Make it sound interesting.
Did I (ever) tell you… about the time I…
about this friend of mine who…
what happened to me when…
Let me tell you about (something that happened to me…)
Have you heard the story of…
Recently, I have…
One night, a man…
A few years ago…
Once there was…/ There was once a…
One evening…
Setting the scene & giving background details:
This story happened to me [last summer] when I was…
A few years ago, when this friend of mine was…
Last August, when my family was on holiday in…
This story I’m going to tell you about happened (to me) in [1989]/ at [a small village in Sierra Nevada]…
I was [working for this Australian company] at the time.
Sequencing relevant events & moving the story on:
First (of all), (a few) weeks later,…
To begin with, … Three days later, …
At first/ In the beginning, Later on/ Then/ Next, …
Then, … Next day, [I woke up and…]
After that/ Afterwards,… The following day,…
After a while, … Soon (afterwards), …
For days, s/he… As soon as s/he [realized…]
Bringing the story to a climax- Introducing the main event(s) and results:
I was standing…/ waiting for… when…
It was only when… that I…
At that moment, …
When all of a sudden, …
And then, suddenly/ out of the blue, …
Now, the thing is…/ Well, the point is…
I was surprised/ amazed/ shocked horrified to find out/ see/ hear that…
To my surprise, I…/ Surprisingly, I…
But that was just nothing. Listen to what happened then…
We realized that…
I decided to… because…
It turned out that…
Well, what happened in the end was…
Luckily/ Unfortunately/ Not surprisingly/ Amazingly, …
Showing your feelings:
AFRAID: I was really scared/ scared stiff turned pale trembled/ shook (violently)
HAPPY: I was feeling delighted relieved over the moon (very happy)
ANGRY: It was beginning to annoy me irritate me make me furious
NERVOUS: I got worried anxious on edge
Other useful expressions to move on the narration
I had no idea how to/ I didn’t have a clue what to do
There was absolutely nothing I could do about it
I did my best to…
It went totally out of control
I had a nasty shock when…
I started to get the feeling that…
It was a real shame that…
He was only kidding/ pulling my leg
They all burst laughing
Finishing off the story:
Eventually/ Finally, … All in all, …
In the end, … Luckily/ Fortunately, …
To cut a long story short When we finally got home…
Everything worked out all right in the end
It was one of the funniest/ silliest/ embarrassing/ worst things that has ever happened to me
The funniest thing about it as that…
It was (kind of) funny/ weird/ exciting/ interesting/ amazing/ upsetting… (at the time)
It was an awful/ terrible experience
To our relief, we found her sleeping peacefully
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes
You never know how things turn out
I wouldn’t have suspected such a turn/ twist of events
Interrupting and getting back to the narration
And what happened then? Go on, will you?
So, what happened next/ after that Anyway… As I was saying/ telling you…
And what did you do then? No, where was I?
Reacting to stories:
Try to get involved in your classmates’ stories. Make notes if you do not feel like interrupting. Ask questions to fill in
the gaps in the story. React to events in the story showing your interest, sympathy, disgust or comprehension.
Really! Oh, dear! Oh, my God! Poor you!
Come on! I can’t believe it! Is that right? Is that so?
Brilliant! Terrific! Absolutely! Great!
That’s amazing! Incredible! Unbelievable! Awful!
You’re kidding me You must be joking! No way!
How extraordinary! How weird! How boring!
What a drag! What a bore! What a funny/ weird/ unusual story
