English: Unit 2 ‘Once Upon a Time’ – Narrative Writing and Storytelling – First Year Secondary

Introduction

In this unit, “Once Upon a Time”, we explore the art of storytelling and narrative writing. Narratives are used to recount past events, tell stories, and share experiences. This unit covers vocabulary related to storytelling, the use of narrative tenses (Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Used to), and techniques for writing engaging narrative paragraphs. Mastering narrative writing is essential for both the writing section of the BAC exam and for effective communication in English.

Learning Objectives

• Identify and use vocabulary related to storytelling and narratives
• Master the use of narrative tenses: Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Used to
• Understand the structure of a narrative paragraph (orientation, complication, resolution)
• Write a coherent narrative paragraph using sequencing words and appropriate tenses
• Analyse model narratives and identify their key features

Part 1: Key Vocabulary — Storytelling and Narratives

A. Types of Stories:

• Fairy tale — a story involving magical creatures and events (e.g., Cinderella)
• Fable — a short story with a moral lesson, often with animal characters (e.g., The Tortoise and the Hare)
• Myth — a traditional story explaining natural or social phenomena (e.g., the myth of Prometheus)
• Legend — a story from the past that may not be entirely true (e.g., the legend of King Arthur)
• Anecdote — a short, amusing or interesting story about a real event
• Autobiography — the story of a person’s life written by that person
• Biography — the story of a person’s life written by someone else

B. Narrative Structure Words (Sequencing Words):

• Beginning: once upon a time, first, at first, initially, in the beginning, long ago
• Middle: then, next, after that, afterwards, later, suddenly, unexpectedly, meanwhile, while, as
• End: finally, in the end, eventually, ultimately, at last, afterwards

C. Adjectives for Describing Stories:

• exciting / thrilling / gripping / fascinating
• moving / touching / emotional
• humorous / funny / amusing
• suspenseful / dramatic / tense
• boring / dull / predictable / confusing

Part 2: Grammar — Narrative Tenses

A. The Simple Past Tense

We use the Simple Past to describe completed actions in the past — the main events in a story.

• Regular verbs: verb + -ed (walked, played, started)
• Irregular verbs: special forms (went, saw, wrote, ate, took)

Examples:

• The prince saw Cinderella and fell in love.
• She opened the door and entered the room.
• They lived happily ever after.

B. The Past Continuous Tense

We use the Past Continuous (was/were + verb-ing) to describe:

• An action in progress at a specific time in the past
• Actions that were interrupted by other events (Simple Past)
• Background actions/settings in a story

Examples:

• It was raining heavily that night. (background setting)
• While she was walking home, she met an old friend. (interrupted action)
• At 8 PM yesterday, I was studying for my exam. (specific time)

C. Used to

We use “used to + infinitive” to describe past habits or states that no longer exist.

• Affirmative: Subject + used to + base verb
• Negative: Subject + didn’t use to + base verb
• Question: Did + subject + use to + base verb?

Examples:

• I used to play football every Friday when I was a child.
• She didn’t use to like vegetables, but now she loves them.
• Did you use to live in Algiers?

D. Choosing the Right Tense

In a narrative, we combine these tenses to create a vivid story:

• Past Continuous = the background / setting the scene
• Simple Past = the main events that move the story forward
• Used to = describing how things were before the story begins

Example paragraph:
It was a cold winter evening. The wind was blowing fiercely, and the snow was falling heavily. Ahmed was sitting by the fire, reading a book, when he suddenly heard a strange noise outside. He put down his book, stood up, and walked slowly towards the window. He used to be afraid of darkness when he was younger, but now he felt brave.

Part 3: Writing a Narrative Paragraph

A. Structure of a Narrative:

1. Orientation (Introduction): Who? What? Where? When? Sets the scene and introduces characters.
2. Complication (Problem): What went wrong? The main event or problem that makes the story interesting.
3. Resolution (Conclusion): How did it end? What was the outcome?
4. Re-orientation/Coda (Optional): A final comment or moral lesson.

B. Model Narrative — “An Unforgettable Day”

Orientation:
Last summer, my family and I visited the beautiful coastal city of Jijel. The sun was shining brightly, and the sea was sparkling like a thousand diamonds. We were all excited about spending the day at the famous waterfalls.

Complication:
While we were hiking through the forest towards the waterfalls, my little brother suddenly slipped on a wet rock and twisted his ankle. He started crying, and my parents looked worried. We were still far from the hospital, and my brother couldn’t walk.

Resolution:
Luckily, a kind hiker who used to be a nurse saw what had happened. She quickly examined my brother’s ankle and applied a bandage. After resting for a while, my brother felt better, and we slowly made our way back. In the end, we didn’t reach the waterfalls that day, but we learned an important lesson about safety and kindness.

C. Useful Expressions for Narratives:

• To begin with… / It all started when…
• Suddenly… / Without warning… / All of a sudden…
• Fortunately… / Unfortunately… / Luckily…
• As a result… / Consequently… / Because of this…
• In the end… / Finally… / Eventually…

Part 4: Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Continuous)

1. While I ________ (walk) to school, I ________ (see) an accident.
2. She ________ (cook) dinner when the phone ________ (ring).
3. They ________ (play) football at 5 PM yesterday.
4. He ________ (not / hear) the news because he ________ (sleep).
5. What ________ you ________ (do) when I ________ (call) you?

Exercise 2: Rewrite using “used to”

1. When I was young, I played with toys every day. → I ________
2. My grandmother lived in a small village. → My grandmother ________
3. People didn’t have mobile phones in the 1990s. → People ________
4. Did you read comic books as a child? → ________

Exercise 3: Writing Task

Write a narrative paragraph (120-150 words) about one of the following topics:

1. A memorable holiday or trip
2. An accident or incident you witnessed
3. A funny story from your childhood

Use at least three sequencing words, one past continuous sentence, and one “used to” sentence.

Part 5: BAC Exam Tips

• In the BAC exam, the writing task may ask you to write a narrative about a personal experience.
• Always plan your narrative before writing: decide on the orientation, complication, and resolution.
• Use a variety of tenses (Simple Past + Past Continuous) to make your writing more dynamic.
• Include at least 2-3 sequencing words to ensure coherence.
• Check subject-verb agreement and irregular verb forms carefully.
• Keep your story focused — do not add irrelevant details.

Summary

In this lesson, we learned about narrative writing in English. We studied vocabulary related to storytelling, mastered the use of narrative tenses (Simple Past, Past Continuous, and Used to), and understood the structure of a narrative paragraph. We also practised through exercises and examined a model narrative. Narrative writing is a key skill for the BAC exam and for effective communication in English.

Similar Lessons

• Bac English: The Past Tenses (Simple Past, Past Continuous, Past Perfect) – 3rd Year Secondary School
• English: Unit 1 “Getting Through” – Vocabulary and Grammar – First Year Secondary
• Bac English: Linking Words and Connectors – Writing Guide with Examples – 3rd Year Secondary School