Writing: B1 Lesson 6: Writing a Narrative (Telling a Story About Your Life)

Writing: Narrative & Descriptive

B1 Lesson 6: Writing a Narrative (Telling a Story)

Listen to the examples here.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to write a short personal story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, using past tenses and sequencing words.

Before You Start 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these important words for storytelling.

Narrative

| និទានកថា

A story that you write or tell to someone.

Sequence

| លំដាប់

The order in which events happen.

Setting

| ទីកន្លែង, ពេលវេលា

The time and place where a story happens.

Plot

| ដំណើររឿង

The main events of a story.

What Makes a Good Story? (B-M-E)

A good story is easy to follow. It has a clear Beginning, Middle, and End. This is the B-M-E method.

B

Beginning (Introduction)

Set the scene. Answer "Who? Where? When?"

e.g., "Last year, my friend and I went to Kep."

M

Middle (Main Events)

Tell the story. What happened? What was the problem or action?

e.g., "First, we ate crab. After that, we went to the beach. Suddenly, it started to rain!"

E

End (Conclusion)

What was the result? How did you feel?

e.g., "Finally, we ran back to our guesthouse. We were wet, but we were happy."

Your Storytelling Tools 🛠️

To write a good B1 narrative, you need two main tools: sequencing words and vivid descriptions.

Tool 1: Sequencing Your Story (Review)

Use sequencing words (time connectors) to guide your reader from one event to the next. Don't forget to use a comma (,) after most of them.

Common Sequencing Words:

First, ... Next, ... Then, ... After that, ... Suddenly, ... Finally, ...

Tool 2: "Show, Don't Just Tell"

Instead of using simple words, try to use more "vivid" (stronger, more descriptive) words. This paints a picture for your reader.

BORING (A2) 😴

"I was in my moto. It was hot. I saw a dog."

VIVID (B1) ✨

"I was riding my moto on a scorching afternoon. Suddenly, a small, terrified dog darted out in front of me."

Practice Your Skills 🎯

Quiz 1: Put the Story in Order

These sentences are jumbled. Choose the option that puts them in the correct, logical sequence (1-4).

1. He said he had lost his wallet.
2. Yesterday, I was walking near the market.
3. Finally, we found it under a table.
4. I saw a man who looked very worried.

What is the correct order for the story?

• A) 1, 2, 3, 4
• B) 2, 4, 1, 3
• C) 4, 1, 3, 2

Quiz 2: "Level Up" the Sentence

Read the "boring" sentence and choose the *most vivid* replacement.

"The food was good."

• A) The food was nice.
• B) The food was very good.
• C) The aromatic, spicy noodle soup was delicious.

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Narrative | និទានកថា
  A story that you write or tell to someone.
• Sequence | លំដាប់
  The order in which events happen.
• Setting | ទីកន្លែង, ពេលវេលា
  The time and place where a story happens. (e.g., "Last year in Kep...")
• Plot | ដំណើររឿង
  The main events of a story.
• Suddenly | ភ្លាមៗនោះ
  A sequencing word used for a quick, surprising change.
• Scorching | ក្តៅខ្លាំង
  A vivid adjective that means "very hot."
• To Dart | ស្ទុះចេញ
  A strong verb that means "to move quickly and suddenly."

Your Writing Mission ⭐

Write Your Story

Your mission is to write a short story (3 paragraphs) about a memorable day in your life. It could be a holiday, a celebration, a funny accident, or a surprising event.

Your story MUST include:

1. A clear Beginning (Set the scene).
2. A clear Middle (Tell the events in order).
3. A clear End (Explain the result or your feeling).
4. At least 4 sequencing words (e.g., First, After that, Suddenly, Finally,).
5. At least 3 vivid words (strong verbs or specific adjectives).

Write your story in the comments below or in your notebook!