Understanding Narrative Tenses in Storytelling

In this video, Ben explains how to tell a story in English using narrative tenses. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in everyday life and exams. The video covers the four narrative tenses: past simple, past continuous, past perfect, and past perfect continuous, with examples and a longer anecdote to illustrate their use. Ben concludes with tips for effectively using these tenses in storytelling.

Why is storytelling important in English exams?

• It helps in writing reviews and articles.

• It is only useful for literature students.

• It is not important at all.

• It is a requirement for all exams.

What is a narrative tense?

• A tense used only in literature.

• A tense used for hypothetical situations.

• A tense used to describe future events.

• A tense used to tell stories effectively.

Which tense is used for actions that started and finished in the past?

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past continuous

• Past perfect continuous

What is the function of the past continuous tense?

• To describe actions that never happened.

• To describe actions that will happen in the future.

• To describe actions that were ongoing in the past.

• To describe actions that are ongoing in the present.

How is the past perfect tense formed?

• Using 'had' plus the base form of the verb.

• Using 'have' plus the past participle.

• Using 'had' plus the past participle.

• Using 'has' plus the past participle.

Which tense is used to describe an action that started before another past action and continued up to it?

• Past continuous

• Past perfect

• Past simple

• Past perfect continuous

What is the past perfect continuous tense used for?

• To describe actions that started before another past action and continued up to it.

• To describe actions that were ongoing in the past.

• To describe actions that never happened.

• To describe actions that will happen in the future.

Which tense is used for actions that have no connection to other actions in the past, present, or future?

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

• Past perfect

• Past simple

What is the role of the past continuous tense in storytelling?

• To describe actions that are ongoing in the present.

• To describe actions that were ongoing in the past.

• To describe actions that will happen in the future.

• To describe actions that never happened.

What is the past perfect tense used for?

• To describe actions that happened before another past action.

• To describe actions that were ongoing in the past.

• To describe actions that never happened.

• To describe actions that will happen in the future.