WRITING A STORY – A2 English Writing Test

1  Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions.

1   When did you last go shopping?

2   Where did you go?

3   What did you buy?

4   Were you happy with the things you bought?

2  Read a story by Emma about her shopping trip. What did she buy? Was she happy with it?

Last weekend, I went shopping. I wanted to buy some shoes. My friend Tamsin came with me. When we arrived at the shopping centre, we started walking towards a shoe shop, but I saw a nice scarf in another shop. I bought it. After that, I saw a really nice bag, so I bought it, then a hat and a jumper. Two hours later, I got to the shoe shop, but of course I didn’t have much money. Luckily, there were some nice shoes and they were very cheap, so I bought them. I was really happy!

3  Look at the Key Language for a story. Find words in Emma’s story to complete it.

KEY LANGUAGE FOR A STORY

Starting a story:

One day, last week / month / 1………………, on Saturday, in June, two weeks ago

Saying when things happened in a story:

Then, when, 2……………… that, after an hour / two hours, two hours / three days later, suddenly, finally, in the end

Adding comments in a story:

Of course, 3………………, Unfortunately

Ending a story:

I was really tired / really 4………………! What an amazing day! It was so funny!

4  We often begin a story by saying when it happened. Complete the sentences with the correct words.

1   About three weeks ………………, my friend Alex asked me to go shopping with him.

2   ……………… Saturday, I got on the bus to go into the city centre.

3   ……………… day, Liam woke up and decided to go shopping.

4   ……………… August, I got some money for my birthday, so I went shopping.

5  We use the past simple to tell a story. Complete the story with the correct past simple form of the verbs.

Two weeks ago, I 1………………… (decide) to go shopping. I 2………………… (want) to buy a new computer game, but I 3………………… (not have) much money. I 4………………… (look) in the games shop, but of course the games 5………………… (be) too expensive. So I 6………………… (go) to a charity shop. Luckily, they 7………………… (have) some really good games, and they 8………………… (not be) expensive. What a lucky day!

6  Look at the highlighted sentence in Emma’s story. We can use when to join two actions in the past simple. Join these actions using when.

1   I got home. I went to bed.

      When I got home, I went to bed.

2   We arrived at the shops. It started raining.

      ………………………………………………………….

3   I looked in my bag. I saw that my purse wasn’t there.

      ………………………………………………………….

4   I saw these jeans. I wanted to buy them.

      ………………………………………………………….

7  Choose the correct words to say when things happened.

1   I bought a few things and then / after I went home.

2   I got on the bus and half an hour in the end / later I was in the city centre.

3   I was in the supermarket and I finally / suddenly felt ill.

4   We looked around the shops and after / later that we went for a coffee.

5   I spent all day shopping and I suddenly / finally got home at seven o’clock.

8  Complete the sentences with luckily, unfortunately or of course. What do we always use after these words?

1   …………………., I didn’t have enough money to buy that lovely coat.

2   …………………., they had the jumper in red, my favourite colour.

3   When we got to the shop, it was closed. …………………., I was very disappointed.

4   …………………., I found the perfect present for my friend.

5   …………………., they didn’t have the boots in my size.

9  It is important to give your story a clear ending. You can do this by saying how you felt, or by saying something about the events in the story. Match the sentence halves to make sentences for ending a story.

10  You are going to write a story about a time you went shopping. First, make notes by answering the questions.

•   When was it?

•   Where did you go?

•   What did you buy?

•   Were you happy with the things you bought?

•   What happened in the end?

11  Write a story about a time you went shopping. Use your notes from Exercise 10. Remember to think about how you end your story and use some of the language from this worksheet.

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………

………………………….……………………………………….……………