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Anecdotes

The document describes a personal experience attending a business conference in Chicago, including travel delays and a visit to the Art Institute. It also provides guidance on sequencing events in storytelling using various transition words and phrases. Additionally, it includes examples and a test to practice using these sequencing words.

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Ildi Angoltanár

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

5 views

Anecdotes

Uploaded by

Ildi Angoltanár

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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A Conference in Chicago

Last week, I visited Chicago to attend a business conference. While I was there, I decided
to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. To start off, my flight was delayed. Next, the airline lost
my luggage, so I had to wait for two hours at the airport while they tracked it
down. Unexpectedly, the luggage had been set aside and forgotten.

As soon as they found my luggage, I found a taxi and rode into town. During the ride into
town, the driver told me about his last visit to the Art Institute. After I had arrived safely,
everything began to go smoothly. The business conference was very interesting, and I
thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the institute. Finally, I caught my flight back to Seattle.

Luckily, everything went smoothly. I arrived home just in time to kiss my daughter goodnight.

Sequencing Steps

Sequencing refers to the order in which events happened. Sequencing is often made easier by the
use of transition words. Following are some of the most common words and expressions used to
sequence when writing or speaking.

 Beginning your story

Create the beginning of your story with these expressions. Use a comma after the
introductory phrase.

 First of all,
 To start off with,
 Initially,
 To begin with,

Examples of these beginning phrases in use include:

 To begin with, I began my education in London.

 First of all, I opened the cupboard.
 To start off with, we decided our destination was New York.
 Initially, I thought it was a bad idea.

 Continuing the story

You can continue the story with the following expressions, or use a time clause beginning
with "as soon as" or "after." When using a time clause, use the past simple after the time
expression, such as:

 Then,
 After that,
 Next,
 As soon as / When + full clause,
 ...but then
 Immediately,
Examples of using these continuing phrases in a story include:

 Then, I started to get worried.

 After that, we knew that there would be no problem!
 Next, we decided on our strategy.
 As soon as we arrived, we unpacked our bags.
 We were sure everything was ready, but then we discovered some unexpected
problems.
 Immediately, I telephoned my friend Tom.

 Interruptions and Adding New Elements to the Story

You can use the following expressions to add suspense to your story:

 Suddenly,
 Unexpectedly,

Examples of using these interrupting phrases or turning to a new element include:

 Suddenly, a child burst into the room with a note for Ms. Smith.
 Unexpectedly, the people in the room didn't agree with the mayor.

 Ending the Story

Mark the end of your story with these introductory phrases:

 Finally,
 In the end,
 Eventually,

Examples of using these ending words in a story include:

 Finally, I flew to London for my meeting with Jack.

 In the end, he decided to postpone the project.
 Eventually, we became tired and returned home.
When you tell stories, you will also need to give reasons for actions. Review tips on linking
your ideas and providing reasons for your actions to help you understand how to do so.

Events Occurring at the Same Time

The use of "while" and "as" introduce a dependent clause and require an independent
clause to complete your sentence. "During" is used with a noun, noun phrase, or noun
clause and does not require a subject and object. The construction for this kind of sentence is:

 While / As + subject + verb + dependent clause or independent clause + while / as +

subject + verb

An example of using "while" in a sentence is:

 While I was giving the presentation, a member of the audience asked an interesting
question.
 Jennifer told her story as I prepared dinner.

The construction for using "during" in a sentence is:

 During + noun (noun clause)

Examples of using "during" in a sentence include:

 During the meeting, Jack came over and asked me a few questions.
 We explored a number of approaches during the presentation.
Test Your Knowledge!

Provide an appropriate sequencing word to fill in the blanks.

My friend and I visited Rome last summer. (1) ________, we flew from New York to Rome in

first class. It was fantastic! (2) _________ we arrived in Rome, we (3) ______ went to the

hotel and took a long nap. (4) ________, we went out to find a great restaurant for dinner.

(5) ________, a scooter appeared out of nowhere and almost hit me! The rest of the trip had

no surprises. (6) __________, we began to explore Rome. (7) ________ the afternoons, we

visited ruins and museums. At night, we hit the clubs and wandered the streets. One night, (8)

________ I was getting some ice cream, I saw an old friend from high school. Imagine that!

(9) _________, we caught our flight back to New York. We were happy and ready to begin

work again.

Multiple answers are possible for some of the blanks:

1. First of all / To start off with / Initially / To begin with

2. As soon as / When
3. immediately
4. Then / After that / Next
5. Suddenly / Unexpectedly
6. Then / After that / Next
7. During
8. While / As
9. Finally / In the end / Eventually
Test Your Knowledge!