Speaking: Storytelling & Narrative Skills B1 - Lesson 2: Using Time Expressions to Sequence (last year, then, after that) ⏰📅➡️
Objective: To learn and practice using a variety of time expressions to clearly sequence events when narrating personal experiences or stories.
- Understand how different time expressions indicate when events happened.
- Learn phrases for specific points in time (e.g., last year, on Monday, at 6 PM).
- Learn phrases for showing the order of events (e.g., first, then, after that, finally).
- Learn phrases for indicating duration (e.g., for two hours, all day).
- Practice using these time expressions to make narratives clearer and more engaging.
When telling a story, it's crucial that your listener understands the order in which things happened. Time expressions are the tools that help you do this. They act like signposts, guiding your listener through the timeline of your narrative. Using them correctly will make your stories much easier to follow and more interesting.
Time Expressions for Specific Points in Time
These tell us exactly when something happened:
-
Yesterday, ... / This morning, ... / Last night, ...
-
Last week, ... / Last month, ... / Last year, ...
-
On Monday, ... / In January, ... / In 2022, ...
-
At 8 o'clock, ... / At noon, ... / At midnight, ...
-
A few days ago, ... / Some time ago, ...
Time Expressions for Sequencing Events
These show the order in which events happened (also called sequencers):
-
First, / Firstly, / To start with, / To begin with, ...
-
Then, / Next, / After that, / Afterwards, ...
-
Later, / Later on, ...
-
Meanwhile, / In the meantime, / At the same time, ... (For simultaneous events)
-
Finally, / In the end, / Eventually, / Lastly, ...
-
Before that, ... / Prior to that, ... (Something that happened earlier)
Time Expressions for Duration
These tell us how long something lasted:
-
For two hours / three days / a week / a long time...
-
During the meeting / the holiday / the Khmer New Year...
-
All day / All morning / All week...
-
From Monday to Friday / From 9 AM until 5 PM...
-
Throughout the entire event / the whole trip...
Practice Dialogue: A Day Out
Read this dialogue. Notice the different time expressions used. Practice with a partner.
Channary: What did you do yesterday?
Piseth: Oh, I had a great day! In the morning, around 9 AM, I went to the Russian Market with my cousin. We shopped for about two hours.
Channary: Nice! What did you do after that?
Piseth: Well, next, we decided to have lunch near the riverside. We found a nice little spot. Later on, in the afternoon, we visited the National Museum. We were there until it closed at 5 PM.
Channary: Sounds like a busy day!
Piseth: It was! Finally, we just went home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
Activity 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences with suitable time expressions from the lesson. There might be more than one correct answer. Click "Reveal Sample Response" for an example.
1. ________ I woke up, I had a shower. ________, I got dressed and had breakfast.
Your time expressions:
2. I lived in Battambang ________ three years ________ I moved to Phnom Penh.
Your time expressions:
3. We waited for the bus ________. ________, it arrived after 30 minutes.
Your time expressions:
Activity 2: Tell a Story with Time Expressions
Think about something you did recently (e.g., yesterday, last weekend). Prepare to tell a short story about it (3-5 sentences). Make sure to use at least three different time expressions to show the sequence or timing of events. Share your story with a partner or record yourself.
Example starter: "Last Saturday, I decided to clean my apartment..."
- Vary your expressions: Don't always use "then... then... then...". Mix it up with "after that," "next," "later on," etc.
- Be logical: Ensure your time expressions create a clear and logical sequence for your listener.
- Use prepositions of time correctly: Remember 'on' for days/dates (on Monday), 'in' for months/years/longer periods (in July, in the morning), 'at' for specific times (at 3 PM).
- Listen to native speakers: Pay attention to how native speakers use time expressions when they tell stories.
Summary: This lesson focused on using various time expressions to clearly sequence events in a narrative. You learned phrases for specific points in time, for showing the order of events, and for indicating duration. Using these effectively will make your storytelling in English much clearer and more engaging for your listeners.