Online Courses

Teacher’s Name: CWE TEAM (under the supervision of Prof. HAFIDA HAMZAOUI)

Level: L1

Module: Comprehension and Written Expression

Course Title: Narrative Paragraph

 Paragraph organization

 Using transitional words showing order of events

 Using simple past, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous

 Adverbial clauses (especially time clauses)

 Editing paragraphs topic, supporting and concluding sentences – unity – transition –

punctuation – grammar )
COURSE (1) TITLE: A Narrative Paragraph

Stimulating Ideas

In narrative writing, the writer tells a story that tells the background for an event, describes
the event, and often comments on the event.

Narrative Organization

A narrative paragraph tells a story. It has a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a
concluding sentence.

The topic sentence

 The topic sentence tells the reader what the story will be about.
 It may also tell when and where the story took place.
 It should capture the reader’s interest.

The supporting sentences

 The supporting sentences tell the details of the story, including the sequence of events.
 They also include sensory details, such as what the author saw, heard, smelled, or
tasted.
 They may also tell about the writer’s feelings during the events.

The concluding sentence

 The concluding sentence “wraps up” the story. It may include a comment about why
the experience was important or how the writer felt after it.
 1. Read the student paragraph below carefully:

The Best Hamburger of My Life

When I was thirteen years old, I had a great surprise at the Grand Hotel in Toronto. My favorite
soccer team was visiting from Mexico, so I went to the hotel to get autographs from some of the
players. When I got there, I waited outside for a long time because I was very nervous. Finally, I told
my legs to start moving, and I went up to my favorite striker, Sergio Verdirame, and asked for his
autograph. My voice was trembling, but I controlled it. He stopped to listen to me, and then an
amazing thing happened. He invited me to his table for dinner. I could not believe it! Suddenly I was
sitting across the table from Sergio Verdirame! I ordered a big hamburger with everything on it
except onions. When the food came, my hands were shaking, and I could not eat and talk. After a
while, T took a deep breath and said to myself, “Hey, this happens just once in your life.” I got rid of
my nerves and started talking with the team and enjoying my hamburger. They were really great
guys, and we had a good time laughing and joking together. That was the most delicious hamburger I
ever ate in my life because I was eating it with my idol.

Examine the organization of the paragraph by answering the questions below:

1. Underline the topic sentence. What information appears in the topic sentence?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Read the following events from the story. Number them in the order in which they occurred.

……… a. The writer ordered a hamburger.

……… b. The writer was very nervous and his hands were shaking.

……… c. The writer asked the soccer player for his autograph.

……… d. Sergio Verdirame invited the writer to have dinner.

……… e. The writer overcame his fear and enjoyed his dinner.

3. In the concluding sentence, the writer explains what made him happiest. Which sentence best
describes his final comments?

a. He was able to eat a very good hamburger.

b. He was able to spend time with his favorite soccer player.
c. He was able to overcome his fear of speaking to his heroes.
d. He finally got an autograph from his favorite player.

4. What made the hamburger memorable? ……………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………
 2. Read the student paragraph below carefully:

Something Wild

For my 25th birthday, my favorite uncle gave me a gift certificate to go skydiving at a special place
near Miami. I was happy because I wanted to do something wild. On the day of my jump, I woke up
with a crazy feeling in my stomach. I could not eat breakfast because of the nerves. After we arrived
at the place, I had to sign a lot of papers because of the risk involved. I signed them quickly because I
did not want to think about the danger. Before I knew it, I was on the plane with my parachute on my
back. The only thing I could think was, “What am I doing?” One of the staff opened the door of the
plane and told me to get ready. I put my right foot over the edge and waited for the signal … “three,
two, one …” and then I was free falling, going down at almost two hundred kilometers per hour. I
was shouting, and I could feel adrenaline running through me. Nearby, there was another guy taking
photos. I like to take photos too. Then the parachute opened, and the next five minutes were the most
incredible moments of my life. I was floating completely free, like a bird. All my problems were
gone, and I could see curve of the earth, the ocean, and faraway clouds off the shore. It was awesome.
Those wonderful moments helped me to realize that I am the kind of person who likes to take risks,
and I hope I always will be.

1) Responding to the paragraph:

a) Where was the author when he had the experience?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
b) Why did the author jump out of an airplane?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
c) How did the author feel while in the air?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

2) Examining the organization of the paragraph

a) Underline the topic sentence. What background details does it include?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………….
b) How does the author feel about jumping out of an airplane? Why do you think he feels this
way?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
c) Does the event take place in one location?
………………………………………………………………………………………………...
d) Cross the sentence that is not directly related to the topic sentence of the paragraph.
e) Underline the concluding sentence. What did the author learn from his experience?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
 3. Read the following paragraph carefully:

I remember when I first arrived in the United States. Even before the plane landed, the
little windows in the airplane revealed snow and ice-covered houses and buildings. As I
walked off the plane, cold air crept through the corrugated ramp that led to the airport
terminal. Some people inside the airport were wearing big coats and hats, which I had seen
on television, but never so close. I felt a little dizzy and needed to sit down, and then my cell
phone rang. It was my Aunt Sophia. She was waiting for me outside in the passenger pick-up
area, so I went to the luggage area, took my suitcase and walked quickly to the exit. When
the sliding glass door opened to the outside, there was my aunt wearing a parka and waving
her arms frantically in my direction. I ran to her. She hugged me. Finally I felt secure.

Topic sentence

What is the story about? Where did it take place?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Supporting sentences
What happened first?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
What happened next?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
What else happened?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
How did the experience end?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Concluding sentence

What was important about the experience? How did it affect you?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
 Tutorial 1

a) Think of a happy experience you had. Then answer the following questions.

Question experience

When did the experience take place?

How long did it last?

Where did the experience take place?

What clear and specific memories do you

have of the experience? (put them in order)

b) Write a paragraph of 10 lines about a happy experience you had using the clues in the table
above.
COURSE (2) TITLE: Using Sensory and Emotional Details

In order to make a narrative paragraph interesting, writers include sensory and emotional
details that help the reader share the experience of the story.

1. Using sensory language can help you captivate your audience. Sensory language helps
readers experience your words, almost as if they’re present, right in the middle of your story.
What’s more, sensory details add personality and flavor to boring content, helping you stand
out in a sea of grey voices that all sound the same. Sensory details give information about
how something looks, smells, feels or what it sounds like. Your brain processes sensory
words as if you taste a sweet cake, as if you see a dazzling display of colors, as if you feel a
rough texture.

EXAMPLE

Without sensory words

Imagine your writing is slowing readers down.

With sensory words

Imagine your readers trudging. Their shoes feel heavy, squelch, and splash.

a) Words related to vision (angular, azure, billowy, black, bleary, bloated, blonde, blue,
blurred, blushing, branching, bright, brilliant, broad, brown, brunette, bulbous, bulky,
camouflaged, chubby, circular, colorful, colorless, colossal, contoured, cosmic, craggy,
crimson, crinkled, crooked, crowded, crystalline, curved, dark, dazzling, deep, dim, dingy,
disheveled, distinct, drab, dreary, dull, dusty, elegant, enchanting, engaging, enormous,
faded, fancy, fat, filthy, flashy, flat, flickering, foggy, forked, freckled, fuzzy, gargantuan, gaudy,
gigantic, glamorous, gleaming, glimpse, glistening, glitter, glittering, globular, gloomy, glossy,
glowing, gold, graceful, gray, green, grotesque, hazy, hollow, homely, huge, illuminated, immense,
indistinct, ivory, knotty, lacy, lanky, large, lavender, lean, lithe, little, lofty, long, low, malnourished,
maroon, massive, miniature, misshapen, misty, motionless, mottled, mountainous, muddy, murky,
narrow, obtuse, olive, opaque, orange, oval , pale, peered, petite, pink, portly, pristine, prodigious,
purple, quaint, radiant, rectangular, red, reddish, rippling, rotund, round, ruby, ruddy, rusty,
sabotaged, shadowy, shallow, shapeless, sheer, shimmering, shiny, short, silver, skinny, small,
smudged, soaring, sparkling, sparkly, spherical, spotless, spotted, square, steep, stormy, straight,
strange, striped, sunny, swooping, tall, tapering, tarnished, teeny-tiny, tiny, towering, translucent,
transparent, triangular, turquoise, twinkling, twisted, ugly, unsightly, unusual, vibrant, vivid, weird,
white, wide, wiry, wispy, wizened, wrinkled, wrinkly, yellow).
b) Words related to hearing ( Babble, Bang, Barking, Bawled, Bawling, Bellow, Blare, Blaring, Bleat,
Boom, Booming, Bray, Buzz, Buzzing, Cackle, Cackling, Chatter, Chattering, Cheer, Chiming,
Chirping, Chuckle, Clamor, Clang, Clanging, Clap, Clapping, Clicking, Clink, Clinking, Cooing,
Coughing, Crackle, Crackling, Crashing, Creak, Croaking, Crow, Crunch, Crunching, Crunchy, Cry,
Crying, Deafening, Distorted, Dripping, Ear-piercing, Earsplitting, Exploding, Faint, Fizzing,
Gagging, Gasping, Giggle, Giggling, Grate, Grating, Growl, Grumble, Grunt, Grunting, Guffaw,
Gurgle, Gurgling, Hanging, Hiss, Hissing, Honking, Howl, Hubbub, Hum, Humming, Hush, Jabber,
Jangle, Jangling, Laughing, Moaning, Monotonous, Mooing, Muffled, Mumble, Mumbling, Murmur,
Mutter, Muttering, Noisy, Peeping, Piercing, Ping, Pinging, Plopping, Pop, Purring, Quacking, Quiet,
Rant, Rapping, Rasping, Raucous, Rave, Ringing, Roar, Roaring, Rumble, Rumbling, Rustle, Rustling,
Scratching, Scream, Screaming, Screech, Screeching, Serene, Shout, Shouting, Shrieking, Shrill, Sigh,
Silent, Sing, Singing, Sizzling, Slam, Slamming, Snap, Snappy, Snoring, Snort, Splashing, Squawking,
Squeaky, Stammer, Stomp, Storm, Stuttering, Tearing, Thudding, Thump, Thumping, Thunder,
Thundering, Ticking, Tingling, Tinkling, Twitter, Twittering, Wail, Warbling, Wheezing, Whimper,
Whimpering, Whine, Whining, Whir, Whisper, Whispering, Whistle, Whooping, Yell, Yelp).

c) Touch words can also describe emotional feelings ( abrasive, Balmy, Biting, Boiling, Breezy,
Bristly, Bubbly, Bubby, Bumpy, Burning, Bushy, Chilled, Chilly, Clammy, Coarse, Cold, Cool,
Cottony, Crawly, Creepy, Cuddly, Cushioned, Damp, Dank, Dirty, Downy, Drenched, Dry, Elastic,
Feathery, Feverish, Fine, Fleshy, Fluff, Fluffy, Foamy, Fragile, Freezing, Furry, Glassy, Gluey,
Gooey, Grainy, Greasy, Gritty, Gushy, Hairy, Heavy, Hot, Humid, Ice-Cold, Icy, Itchy, Knobbed,
Leathery, Light, Lightweight, Limp, Lukewarm, Lumpy, Matted, Metallic, Moist, Mushy, Numbing,
Oily, Plastic, Pointed, Powdery, Pulpy, Rocky, Rough, Rubbery, Sandy, Scalding, Scorching,
Scratchy, Scummy, Serrated, Shaggy, Sharp, Shivering, Shivery, Silky, Slimy, Slippery, Sloppy,
Smooth, Smothering, Soapy, Soft, Sopping, Soupy, Splintery, Spongy, Springy, Sputter, Squashy,
Squeal, Squishy, Steamy, Steely, Sticky, Stifled, Stifling, Stinging, Stony, Stubby, Tangled, Tapered,
Tender, Tepid, Thick, Thin, Thorny, Tickling, Tough, Unsanitary, Velvety, Warm, Waxy, Wet, Woolly).

d) Words related to smell often underutilized; sensory words connected with smell can be very
effective ( Ambrosial, Antiseptic, Aroma, Aromatic, Briny, Citrusy, Decayed, Decomposed, Doggy,
Fetid, Floral, Flowery, Foul-smelling, Fragrant, Gamy, Gaseous, Horrid, Inodorous, Malodorous,
Mephitic, Musky, Musty, Odiferous, Odor, Odorless, Old, Perfumed, Piney, Polluted, Pungent, Putrid,
Rancid, Rank, Redolent, Reeking, Scent, Scented, sickly, Smell, Smoky, Stagnant, Stench, Stinky,
Sweaty, Tempting).

e) Some sensory words can be used for both taste and smell (Acrid, Burnt, Fishy, Fresh, Fruity,
Lemony, Minty, Moldy, Mouth-watering, Rotten, Salty, Sour, Spicy, Spoiled, Sweet, Tantalizing).
2. The stories cover a range of emotional details (hot buttons)…love, hatred, anger, fear, hope,
embarrassment, betrayal, joy and more. The most powerful stories bundle a few of these
emotions into one sentence.
READ / DISCOVER / SHARE

 Joy – a sense of elation, happiness, and perhaps even exhilaration, often experienced as a
sudden spike due to something good happening.
 Gratitude – a feeling of thankfulness, for something specific or simply all-encompassing,
often accompanied by humility and even reverence.
 Serenity – a calm and peaceful feeling of acceptance of oneself.
 Interest – a feeling of curiosity or fascination that demands and captures your attention.
 Hope – a feeling of optimism and anticipation about a positive future.
 Pride – a sense of approval of oneself and pleasure in an achievement, skill, or personal
attribute.
 Amusement – a feeling of lighthearted pleasure and enjoyment, often accompanied by smiles
and easy laughter.
 Inspiration – feeling engaged, uplifted, and motivated by something you witnessed.
 Awe – an emotion that is evoked when you witness something grand, spectacular, or
breathtaking, sparking a sense of overwhelming appreciation.
 Elevation – the feeling you get when you see someone engaging in an act of kindness,
generosity, or inner goodness, spurring you to aspire to similar action.
 Altruism – usually referred to as an act of selflessness and generosity towards others, but can
also describe the feeling you get from helping others.
 Satisfaction – a sense of pleasure and contentment you get from accomplishing something or
fulfilling a need.
 Relief – the feeling of happiness you experience when an uncertain situation turns out for the
best, or a negative outcome is avoided.
 Affection – an emotional attachment to someone or something, accompanied by a liking for
them and a sense of pleasure in their company.
 Cheerfulness – a feeling of brightness, being upbeat and noticeably happy or chipper; feeling
like everything is going your way.
 Surprise – a sense of delight when someone brings you unexpected happiness or a situation
goes even better than you had hoped.
 Confidence – emotion involving a strong sense of self-esteem and belief in yourself; can be
specific to a situation or activity, or more universal.
 Admiration – a feeling of warm approval, respect, and appreciation for someone or
something.
 Enthusiasm – a sense of excitement, accompanied by motivation and engagement.
 Eagerness – like a less intense form of enthusiasm; a feeling of readiness and excitement for
something.
 Euphoria – intense and the all-encompassing sense of joy or happiness often experienced
when something extremely positive and exciting happens.
 Contentment – peaceful, comforting, and low-key sense of happiness and well-being.
 Enjoyment – a feeling of taking pleasure in what is going on around you, especially in
situations like a leisure activity or social gathering.
 Optimism – positive and hopeful emotion that encourages you to look forward to a bright
future, one in which you believe that things will mostly work out.
 Happiness – a feeling of pleasure and contentment in the way things are going; a general
sense of enjoyment of and enthusiasm for life.
 Love – perhaps the strongest of all positive emotions, love is a feeling of deep and enduring
affection for someone, along with a willingness to put their needs ahead of your own; it can be
directed towards an individual, a group of people, or even all humanity.
Activity1: Write an S next to the sentences that have sensory details and an E next to the
sentences that have emotional details.

……..1. The morning mist brought in the smell of the ocean.

……..2. We were very nervous, so we called the police.

……..3. I had never felt such happiness.

……..4. The dates were sticky and sweet, and they were a delicious compliment to the hot, bitter tea.

……..5. I felt a sharp pain in my ankle, and I recognized the sting of a jellyfish.

……..6. We could hear the roar of the waterfall for a long time before we actually saw it.

……..7. Olivia reached for the doorknob, and it was burning hot.

……..8. Ricky and I arrived around 8:00, and we were happy to be home.

……..9. We were greeted by a large man with long black hair.

……..10. I was shocked and disappointed by the results.

……..11. My mother always smelled like flowery perfume.

……..12. The news left us saddened and worried about the future.

Activity 2: Use sensory details to support the following sentences.

1. Our guide had an interesting fashion sense.

He wore the same khaki pants every day, but his shirts always had colorful patterns of
flowers, dancers, or other tropical scenes.

2. We ate a wonderful meal.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. The flower garden was delightful.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. My mother’s kitchen was everyone’s favorite room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
COURSE (3) TITLE: Using Transitional Words Showing Order of Events

 Writers of narrative paragraphs use sequence of words and expressions to clarify the order of
events in a story. The following sequence words (next, after that, afterwards, then, later,
finally, eventually, a little while later, soon) are used when events happen in chronological
(time) order. They often begin sentences.
 Writers use the following words and expressions (meanwhile, while, at the same time that) to
show that two events occurred at the same time.

N.B:

  It is not always necessary to go directly in a chronological order. An event that happens

last can appear first in the paragraph. In fact, this is another way to arouse interest in the
reader. As long as the paragraph seems fairly logical, the writer has a lot of creative freedom
in writing this kind of a paragraph.

Read the following example:

John's day began with a shock. As soon as he arrived at the office that morning, he learned
that his best friend was dead. Wasn't it just twelve hours ago that they were eating chicken
wings and tipping back beer in front of a baseball game at the Cooper's Bar and Grill? After a
long day of crunching numbers at the office, they stopped at a bar for a Thursday afternoon
happy hour. They saw a few coworkers there, and before they knew it, it was closing time.
Bill got in a car with someone he met just that evening and that was the last time John saw
him.

Activity 1: Read the following sentences, then number them in the order you think they
occurred. Use the sequence words and phrases as clues.

a. A few years ago, my two older brothers and I went trekking in the mountains.
b. Finally, I found the muddy trail, and we made it back to our base camp.
c. Soon we were hiking through thick pine forests.
d. We set out from our base camp on a bright winter morning.
e. After the experience, I realized it is very important to be careful when hiking in the mountains.
f. A little while later, we stopped to eat, and my oldest brother said we should turn around because we
were losing the trail in the snow.
g. Eventually, it began to snow, and visibility became poor.
h. Going back down the mountain was harder because it was icy and slippery, and we could not find
the way. We became tired, cold and thirsty.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
a
Activity 2: Read the following sentences, then number them in the order you think they
occurred. Use the sequence words and phrases as clues.

a. For years, I did not know what to do with my life, but after I decided to become a helicopter pilot, I
became very dedicated to my goal.
b. At the beginning, I delivered groceries in my truck.
c. After that, I had to get a visa and prepare to come to the U.S.
d. Next, I made a plan to get the money for my training. I became a truck driver and drove all over
Japan for five years.
e. First, I did some research and found out that it would cost a lot of money.
f. Finally, I was ready to take my training. Someone advised me to do a program in the U.S. because it
was not as expensive, so I decided to come here even though I needed more English.
g. Now, I am in the U.S. I go to school to study English. At the same time, I take flying lessons.
h. Later, I got another job delivering fuel to gas stations. I live in my truck to save money.
i. Finally, I am learning to pilot a helicopter, and soon I will be ready fly solo. I know that I will reach
my goal in two years.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
COURSE (4) TITLE: Use of PAST tenses in narrative paragraphs

Past perfect Past simple Past continuous

Definition to describe the first of 2 Action completely finished Action in progress when
actions another action happened

Structure had + P.P.of V Regular V. + ed Was /were + V-ing

Irregular V. (list)

Affirmative I had watched I watched I was watching

he had written he wrote They were writing

Negative I had not watched I did not watch I wasn’t watching

He hadn’t written he didn’t write We were not using

Yes/no? Had he watched? Did you watch? Was he using?

Interrogative What had you written? What did he write? What were you writing?
:
Wh.?

After Ago …PC…..When…PS…..

Time Before yesterday Just / while / as …PC..,
markers As soon as last PS..
…until… in 1962 All the day
By the time that When I was… All the morning
no sooner…than… /at ......o’clock.
hardly… when …

Spelling : to bat : batted was / were batting

Doubling the to dial : dialled was / were dialling
last to prefer: preferred was / were preferring
consonant. but : But :
boxed / showed was / were boxing
cleaned / posted was / were cleaning

Spelling after enjoyed, was / were obeying /

‘y’ carrying
but:
carried .
PRACTICE TENSES

1) Use the simple past for succession of events: Narrate with the simple past tense when
events follow each other. Here are some examples. Notice that each event occurs in
succession.

 I got up and went to the kitchen. I opened the door and looked into the fridge.

 She arrived in Dallas, took a cab, and checked in to her hotel. Next, she had some dinner in
a restaurant. Finally, she visited a colleague before she went to bed.

2) Use the past continuous for interrupted actions: to express that an action is interrupted, use
the past continuous to describe what was happening when there was an interruption. Use
the past simple with the action that interrupts what was happening.

 Finally, as we were discussing the issue, the teacher walked into the classroom. Obviously,
we stopped talking immediately.

 Sharon was working in the garden when the telephone rang.

3) Use the past perfect for previous actions: to express something that was finished before
another event in the past, use the past perfect. This is especially useful when providing an
explanation for what happened.

 We decided to go out and celebrate because we had just finished remodelling our home.

 Janet didn't join us for dinner as she had already eaten.

4) Use the past perfect continuous for the length of actions: the past perfect continuous is
used to express how long something had been happening up to a point in time in the past.

 We had been hiking for more than ten hours and it was time to call it a day.

 She had been nagging him for months to get a better job when he finally was hired.
 Tutorial 2

a) Write out the following sentences on to a piece of paper to form a paragraph. Conjugate each
verb in the past and provide the correct prepositions.

1. Yesterday evening Jack _____ (get) home _____ (preposition) half past five.

2. He immediately _____ (make) himself a cup _____ (preposition) coffee and _____ (sit down) to
read a book.

3. He _____ (finish) the book _____ (preposition) half past seven.

4. Then, he _____ (make) dinner and _____ (get ready) to go out with his friends.

5. When his friends _____ (arrive), they _____ (decide) to go out to see a film.

6. He _____ (stay out) until midnight with his friends.

7. Finally, he _____ (fall) asleep _____ (preposition) about one o'clock.

b) Complete the story using the past simple, past perfect, or past continuous of the verbs in
brackets.

It (be) Tuesday evening and I (get) ready to go to bed when the phone (ring). To my surprise, it
(be) my friend Peter. He (call) from his mobile and he was very annoyed because he (lose) his keys
and he (cannot) get into his flat. He (think) he (leave) them at work but now it was midnight and the
office was closed so he (cannot) get in to check. Luckily I had the keys to his flat because a month
before he (give) me a spare set so that I could look after his cat while he was on holiday. When he
finally (arrive) to pick them up, it was three o'clock in the morning, and I (lie) on the sofa fast asleep.

c) Read the following paragraph and correct the mistakes with the simple past and the past
continuous. There are nine (09) mistakes:

When I was at university as a student about two years ago, I enrolled in a diving course. My diving
teacher was having a big surprise: I wasn’t knowing how to swim. In fact I had a big fear of water.
When I was a child, my parents tried to help me, so they make me take many swimming courses.
Although I try hard, I did not learning to swim. When I enrolled in the diving course, I was still afraid
of water. Every day when I entered the swimming pool, I battle with my fear. Fortunately my courage
won every time. Finally one day when I practising my dive, I realized that I was do very well. So
finally after six months of hard work, I completed the course. It is true that I was always the worst of
the group, but in my own evaluation, I was a champion because I conquer my fear of water. For me,
this experience was very important. It was a test of courage and I passed it.
 
d) Read the following paragraph and correct the mistakes with the simple past tense. There are
ten (10) mistakes:

Two years ago, my friends and I decide to go to a special temple in my country. We wake up very
early in the morning that day. We brought some fruit and drinks for breakfast. After we ate our fruits,
we want to climb the mountain. We got to the temple about 10 a.m. It was very beautiful. We stay
there and talked, but after a while, we wanted to hike some more. We did not brought food, but we had
some water, and we starting climbing. We become tired, but we did not wanted to stop. We was thirsty
too, but did not had enough water. Finally, we met some people and they gave us drinks and helped us.
That day, I learn to be very careful when I go hiking in the mountains.

e) Read the following paragraph and correct the mistakes with the simple past and the past
continuous. There are ten (10) mistakes:

Facing Danger in French Guiana

Three years ago, I was living in an exciting and adventurous place: French Guiana. My
husband and I own a lovely house that was right next to the jungle. Many animals lived there,
such as crocodiles, monkeys, poisonous spiders, jaguars, tigers, and snakes. People often
warn us that our house was too close to the jungle, but we enjoying the house so much that
we decided to stay. Then one morning I had a frightening adventure. I was plan to go for a
swim in the pool. I put on my swimming suit, and went outside and start to cross the patio. I
was take off my jacket to dive in the water when suddenly, I had a big surprise. A big snake
was swim in my pool and move quickly towards me. I could not breathe. It seemed as
though he staring at me for a long time. I ran into the house to call the police. When they
arrive, the snake was gone. That day I learned to never jump in that pool before inspecting it
for visitors.

COURSE (5) TITLE: Use of Transitional Devices in Narrative Paragraphs

Starting sentences with a time expression: start sentences with linking phrases such as: then, next,
finally, before that, afterwards, later, soon etc. to connect sentences and show time relationships in
your narrative writing.

 First, we flew to New York on our great adventure. After New York, we moved on to
Philadelphia. Then, it was on to Florida for some scuba diving.

 After breakfast, I spent a few hours reading the newspaper. Next, I played softball with my
son.

Transition words ordering event in a chronological order: after, afterwards, before, earlier, eventually,
later, next, now, once, soon, sooner, then, today, until, first, second,..

 After breakfast, I spent a few hours reading the newspaper. Next, I played football with my
son. Then, my wife called both of us to have lunch…

Transition words showing simultaneous events: during, in the meantime, meanwhile, while, when,
at the same time

 She waited while he poured a cup of coffee.

 I was working at a restaurant; meanwhile my wife was going to university.

Time clauses to show relationships in time

 After we had finished our homework, we watched a funny movie.

Tutorial 3
a) Fill in the gaps in this paragraph providing appropriate linking language:

_________ I drove my rusty old car to visit my best friend. _______ I arrived, he had done his best
to prepare a tasty meal. ________, we took a long walk through the park next to his home.
__________ we had been out for more than an hour, my friend asked me if I could keep a secret.
_________, I swore not to tell anyone anything. _________ he recounted a wild tale of a crazy night
out on the town __________. ________, he told me he had met the woman of his dreams and that they
were to get married ___________. Imagine my surprise!

b) Use transitional devices in the following narrative paragraph.

Let me tell you the story about a woman named Jyll and a friend of hers called Jack. The
(1)__________ thing that happened was that Jyll was running out of fresh water at her cabin. She
decided she would have to walk into town to pick up some fresh spring water. (2)__________ she left
she wanted to contact her neighbour, Jack, to let him know she would be out of the area for the day.
(3)__________ she left the cabin, she grabbed the old wooden pail. (4)__________ she would use it as
a signal to Jack that she was absent from the cabin. She tied a rope around the handle of the pail and
(5)__________ was able to toss the pail up into the air and over the giant arbutus tree next to the
cabin. High up there it could be seen by Jack while he stood on the porch of his cabin down the road.
He would know she was away from the cabin. This was a safety measure. Jyll (6)__________ went
off to town for the spring water not knowing that Jack had gone tumbling down. (7)__________ that
day, it was discovered what had happened. (8)__________ Jyll had gone to fetch the pail for water,
she hadn’t noticed Jack coming around the bend in the forest path. (9)__________ the doctor and
police were able to reconstruct the scene of the crime. It seems that when Jyll threw the pail up in the
tree, it hit Jack’s crown on its way down. (10)__________ Jack has had his nob patched, but he hasn’t
seemed the same fellow. (11)__________ Jyll has been known to giggle at Jack’s disaster which
sometimes gets her in trouble with his mother. (12)__________ Jack and Jyll still play at being
neighbours, but Jack won’t go near the water pail.
COURSE (6) TITLE: Use of adverbial Time Clauses

Use time clauses to show relationships in time: Use when, before, after, while, as, by the

time, until, till, since, as soon as, whenever, every time, the first, second, third, fourth etc.,

next, last time, etc. to introduce a time clause. Pay special attention to the use of tenses with

time clauses. Begin a sentence with a time clause, but use a comma before the main clause.

OR Begin with the main clause and end with the time clause using no comma.

 After we had finished our homework, we watched a funny movie.

 They attended a meeting as soon as they arrived to work.

Tutorial 4
a) Combine each of the following pairs of sentences by changing one clause into a time
clause, using any of the time adverbs, such as when, after, before, unless, until, as soon
as. The first one has been done for you:

I will read this book. I will eat dinner.

I will read this book after I eat dinner.

1. He will get wet. He is going swimming.

2. We are meeting the team. The team are arriving at the station.

3. I got to work late. I got up late.

4. The police will catch the criminal. The criminal will make a mistake.

5. They are going on holiday. They are finishing their exams.

b) Complete these sentences with the appropriate adverb of time.

1. He cleaned his teeth __________ he went to bed.

2. The ambulance arrived at the scene five minutes __________ the accident had happened.
3. __________ I am older, I want to start my own business.
4. I went straight to the hospital __________ I heard about your accident.
5. They watched the programme __________ the end even though it was not very interesting.
6. They took short breaks every half an hour __________ they were playing tennis.
7. Rebecca went to bed __________ she got home because she was so tired.
8. People should be very careful __________ they cross busy roads.
9. We cannot light the barbecue __________ the rain stops.
10. Paul found somebody’s wallet on the ground __________ he was walking to the bus stop.

c) Write a narrative paragraph of 12 lines on a funny or embarrassing incident you had you

had. Use two adverbial time clauses, past perfect, past simple and past continuous.