Short Story - tips
Task overview
In Part 7 you have to write a story. You look at three pictures and describe the story you see in them. You have to write thirty-five words or more.
Example task
Look at the three pictures.
Write the story shown in the pictures.
Write 35 words or more.
Look at the pictures and think of keywords and phrases that you can use for each picture
First picture:-
Group of boys/friends/restaurant/hungry/John’s Birthday
Went to..were going to celebrate…were looking for…, found..etc.
Second picture:-
Waiter/birthday party/cake/drinks/table
Sat down/were sitting
Ordered, drank, ate, talked, enjoyed, had fun etc.
3rd picture
Empty plates/stomachs full
Had a good time,
Make a plan
Beginning: a group of friends organised a surprise party/dinner to celebrate John’s birthday
Middle: sat down, were very hungry, ordered food, drinks and cake and talked
End: had a good time, finished all the food and were very full
Think about which linking words and time markers you can use.
Examples:-
Linking words: so, but, because,
Time markers: Last week/Saturday, at the beginning/end of the evening/afternoon/day etc., At first That morning/day/afternoon etc., later on, a few minutes/hours later, after dinner, then, in the end, etc.
Now write your story using at least 35 words.
Exam help
Use words and phrases which describe each picture and what was happening or happened. Remember to use narrative tenses: Past Simple and Past Continuous: (while they were talking, the waiter brought a delicious cake)
Say who you can see in each picture and what the people were doing.
Say where the story happened. (at our favourite restaurant)
Use words that explain when things happened (e.g. at first, later on, after, when, in the end, etc).
Use words like because and so if possible.
Use some adjectives. The pizzas were delicious/ the boys were so/very hungry.
Choose a title for your story. (John’s Surprise Birthday Party)
Check your work for grammar or spelling mistakes.
Write at least thirty-five words.
Sample:
John’s Surprise Birthday Party
Last Saturday was John’s birthday, so his friends organised a surprise party. They told John they were looking for somewhere to eat but they knew they were taking him to a party in their favourite restaurant.
When they arrived at the restaurant they were all very hungry, so they ordered the largest pizzas on the menu. After they ate the pizzas and while they were talking, the waiter brought a delicious cake.
The boys had so much fun and ate everything on the table and when they were finished, they felt really full! At the end of the evening, John was so happy and he said: “Thanks for such a great time, that’s the best present ever”.