Expert · Fluency and confidence · topic 55 of 59 · 18 min
Telling a story well
Explanation
People remember stories much better than facts. In an interview, at a family function or with new friends, a short, clear story makes you sound fluent and interesting. The good news: every story uses the same simple shape (ढाँचा).
| Part | What it does | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Setting | Where, when, who | Last Diwali, I was travelling home to Indore by train. |
| 2. Problem | Something goes wrong or changes | At Bhopal, I realised my wallet was missing. |
| 3. Turning point | The surprise or the big moment | Suddenly, a little girl walked up holding it. |
| 4. Ending | How it finished | In the end, everything was there, even my ticket. |
| 5. Point | Why the story matters | Since then, I always trust people a little more. |
Three past tenses working together
Past simple tells the main events (I got on, I looked, she smiled). Past continuous paints the background, the action that was going on (It was raining, people were sleeping). Past perfect goes one step further back (I had left my bag at the station).
It was raining heavily, and everyone was rushing to the platform.
Say it: it woz RAY-ning HEV-i-lee, and EV-ree-wun woz RUSH-ing to the PLAT-form
तेज़ बारिश हो रही थी, और सब प्लेटफ़ॉर्म की तरफ़ भाग रहे थे।
Past continuous: the background of the story.
When I reached the counter, I realised I had left my bag in the auto.
Say it: wen ai REECHT the KOWN-ter, ai REE-a-lyzd ai had LEFT my BAG in the AW-toh
जब मैं काउंटर पर पहुँचा, तो मुझे एहसास हुआ कि मैं अपना बैग ऑटो में छोड़ आया था।
Past perfect (had left): this happened before the other past event.
Sequence words: the road signs of a story
At first, I thought it was a joke.
Say it: at FURST, ai THAWT it woz a JOHK
पहले तो मुझे लगा यह मज़ाक है।
Suddenly, the lights went off.
Say it: SUD-en-lee, the LYTS went OFF
अचानक बत्ती चली गई।
After that, things got even worse.
Say it: AAF-ter THAT, things got EE-ven WURS
उसके बाद तो हालत और बिगड़ गई।
In the end, we all laughed about it.
Say it: in the END, wee AWL LAAFT a-BOWT it
आख़िर में, हम सब उस पर हँस पड़े।
"In the end" = finally, after everything. "At the end" = at the last part of something: "at the end of the film".
Make it alive
- Add one feeling: "I was so nervous that my hands were shaking."
- Use direct speech: She looked at me and said, "Uncle, is this yours?"
- Give one small detail people can see: "a blue wallet with a torn corner".
- Keep it short: one to two minutes is enough. Cut anything that does not help the story.
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Watch the lesson
Telling a story well · 1/7
Hello! Today you learn to tell a story that people enjoy listening to.
Prefer a video by a teacher? Find free videos on “how to tell a story in english speaking practice in hindi” on YouTube ↗
In real life: Telling a story at a job interview
Interviewer: Tell me about a time you solved a problem at work. Meena: Sure. Last year I was working at a mobile shop in Nagpur. One Saturday our billing system suddenly stopped working, and the shop was full of customers. Interviewer: What did you do? Meena: At first, everyone panicked. I had seen a power cut cause the same problem before, so I restarted the router and the billing computer. While it was restarting, I wrote the bills by hand so nobody had to wait. Interviewer: And then? Meena: In the end, the system came back in ten minutes and we didn't lose a single sale. My manager asked me to train the new staff on what to do. Interviewer: That's a great example.
Practice (0/4 done)
Say this story opening with feeling.
It was raining heavily, and I was waiting for the last bus home. Suddenly, the lights went off.
तेज़ बारिश हो रही थी, और मैं घर की आख़िरी बस का इंतज़ार कर रहा था। अचानक बत्ती चली गई।
Listen and type the sentence.
Tell (or write, then say aloud) a true or made-up story of a day when something went wrong. Keep it under two minutes.
Which sentence best sets the background of a story?
Quick quiz
Related help
Before this, learn
This topic builds on these. If something here feels new, open them first.
Related topics
- Debates: give reasons and win respectFluency and confidence · same module
- Shadowing and thinking in EnglishFluency and confidence · same module
- Your daily speaking routineFluency and confidence · same module
- Requirements and user storiesFull-Stack Development · Planning an app
- Present perfect: have done, has beenTenses made easy
- Designing the data modelFull-Stack Development · Planning an app
Questions people ask about this
Open a question to see the answer and why. The first ones are this topic's own quiz, so try the quiz above before you peek.
Complete: "I ___ my keys at the office, so I couldn't open the door."
Answer: had left
Past perfect shows the earlier past action: leaving the keys happened before the problem at the door.
Which is the best order for a story?
Answer: Setting, problem, turning point, ending
Start with the setting, then the problem, the turning point and the ending.
Which sentence is correct?
Answer: Yesterday I went to the bank and the manager was angry.
Keep the story in the past: "went" and "was".
"In the end" means...
Answer: finally, after everything happened
"In the end" = finally. "At the end of" = the last part of something.
What makes a story come alive?
Answer: A feeling, a small detail and a line of direct speech
Feelings, details and real words people said help listeners picture the story.
Which tense is "I will be working"?Related
Answer: Future continuous
will be + -ing = future continuous.
Which word usually goes before the long action?Related
Answer: while
"While" introduces the longer background action.
Which of these is a correctly written user story?Related
Answer: As a student, I want to search my notes, so that I can find a formula quickly
A user story names the role, the need and the reason. The other options are tasks or design details.
What is the 3rd form (past participle) of "go"?Related
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Next steps
- 4 more topics in “Fluency and confidence” before its exam: Debates: give reasons and win respect, Shadowing and thinking in English, Your daily speaking routine, Speaking with confidence.
- Module 13 exam: fluency and confidence · 13 questions · 20 min, without help. 5 topics of this module still to finish first.
- 59 topics left in the course before the final exam.