Review &Storytelling Lab
Review Lab · narrative speaking from Unit 2
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Review Lab
A checkpoint, not a test.
Get talking · Section 1
5 minWarm up — no pressure
Tell your partner about the last time something went wrong. Talk for 60 seconds without stopping.
Where were you and what were you doing at this exact time last Saturday?
Take three random words (taxi, rain, phone) and build a 30-second story with all of them.
Grammar recap · Section 2
8–10 minMixed review: past tense toolkit for storytelling
Read the examples. What is the pattern? Say the rule in your own words first.
→ It was raining and we were waiting outside when the taxi finally arrived.
→ As soon as I got home, I realised I'd left my bag on the train.
→ While she was explaining the problem, the line went dead.
→ We waited until the storm stopped, then we walked back.
Reveal the rule
This lesson recycles Lessons 6–9.
More detail
Set the scene with the Past Continuous, move the action with the Past Simple, and join it all with time linkers (when, while, as soon as, after, before, until). Speak first, correct later.
Story shape
e.g. We were queuing for the ferry when they announced the cancellation. In the end, we laughed about it.
When to use
- You retell a trip, a mistake or a memorable day.
- You answer 'Tell me about a time when…' in a speaking exam.
- You want the listener to picture the scene before the action.
Common mistake
Don't use the continuous for a quick single event: I broke my phone (not I was breaking my phone).
Natural English
Vary your linkers: at first, a moment later, all of a sudden, in the end.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Challenge 1.I ____ a shower when the doorbell rang.
Challenge 2.____ we were driving home, the engine started making a noise.
Challenge 3.As soon as the doors ____, everybody rushed in.
Challenge 4.We waited ____ the rain stopped.
Challenge 5.Suddenly the lights ____ out and nobody could see a thing.
Answer from memory first. Type what you think, and only open the choices if you need them.
Quick check 1.Which tense sets the background of a story?
Quick check 2.Which linker means 'immediately after'?
Vocabulary recap · Section 3
5–7 minRecycle your toolkit
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
end up
to finally be in a situation you didn't plan
"We ended up sleeping at the airport."
Tell me about a time you ended up somewhere unexpected.
turn out
to happen in a particular way in the end
"It turned out to be the best day of the trip."
Describe something that turned out better than you expected.
in the end
finally, after everything
"In the end, we took the bus."
Finish this: 'In the end, we…'
all of a sudden
very quickly and unexpectedly
"All of a sudden, the music stopped."
Use it to start a story about a surprise.
a nightmare
a very stressful or awful experience (informal)
"Getting a taxi was a nightmare."
What's the biggest travel nightmare you've had?
look back on
to think about something in the past
"I look back on that summer and laugh."
Which year do you look back on most fondly?
Discuss with a partner
- →Tell a story that was a nightmare at the time but is funny now.
- →Describe a plan that turned out completely differently.
Finish the sentence about you
- All of a sudden, …
- In the end, we …
- It turned out that …
60-second write
Write 2 sentences about a day that went wrong, using end up and in the end.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation polish · Section 4
3–4 minStorytelling intonation: building to the surprise
- • We were just sitting there… (pause) …when the whole shelf fell over.
- • Everything was fine… (pause) …until the engine stopped.
- • And then — all of a sudden — the lights went out.
- • In the END, we walked home. (stress the linker)
How to say it
Good storytellers speed up slightly before the surprise, pause for a moment, then drop their voice on the key event. Try it — the pause does most of the work.
Reading challenge · Section 5
8–10 minTwo very different days
Nadia was cycling to an interview when her chain snapped. She was already late, so she left the bike outside a shop and ran the last kilometre. 'I arrived sweating, with oil on my hands. While I was apologising, the manager laughed and said she'd done exactly the same thing years ago. In the end, I got the job.' Tom's story went the other way. 'We were driving to the coast and everything was perfect. Then, all of a sudden, the road was closed. We turned around, took a small road, and ended up completely lost. It took four hours to do a one-hour trip. It was a nightmare at the time, but we look back on it now and laugh.'
Read once for the overall message. Decide true or false first, then answer from memory — check the text only to find the sentence that proves you right.
Q1.Nadia didn't get the job.
Q2.Tom's journey took much longer than planned.
Q3.Tom still finds the day upsetting.
Answer from memory first. Type what you think, and only open the choices if you need them.
Challenge 1.Why did Nadia run the last kilometre?
Challenge 2.How did the manager react?
Challenge 3.What happened on Tom's trip?
Listening challenge · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends swapping travel disasters
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Ella:So, what happened with your flight in the end? You said it was a nightmare.
Sam:Honestly, it was. We were queuing at the gate when they announced a four-hour delay. Everyone just groaned.
Ella:Oh no. What did you do while you were waiting?
Sam:We ate terrible airport pasta and I fell asleep on my bag. Then, all of a sudden, they changed the gate — and nobody heard the announcement.
Ella:Don't tell me you missed it.
Sam:Almost. As soon as I woke up, I saw the empty seats and started running. We got on with about two minutes to spare. It turned out fine, but I've never run so fast.
First listening: catch the language, not the details. Tick what you hear, then listen again for the answers.
Challenge 1.What was Sam doing when the delay was announced?
Challenge 2.What changed unexpectedly?
Challenge 3.How did the story end?
Skills challenge · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — telling a story in the extended turn
Task
Tell a one-minute story about a time something went wrong, with a clear beginning, middle and end.
Strategy
Use three moves: 1) Scene ('I was … when …'), 2) Problem ('All of a sudden …'), 3) Result and feeling ('In the end … I felt …'). Practise the shape, not the words.
Example
Last winter I was travelling to a friend's wedding when my train was cancelled. All of a sudden everyone was fighting for taxis. In the end I shared one with three strangers and arrived just in time for the speeches. I look back on it now and laugh.
Fluency builder · Section 8
8–10 minQuick-fire practice
Q1.Correct: 'While I was walk home, it rained.'
Q2.Complete: 'As soon as we ____ (arrive), we called you.'
Q3.Make a sentence: 'lights / went / suddenly / out / the'
Challenge 1.We ____ for the bus when it started to pour with rain.
Challenge 2.____ I got the message, I called her back.
Challenge 3.It ____ out to be a great evening.
Challenge 4.We ____ up walking home because there were no taxis.
Writing challenge · Section 9
5 minShow what you can do
Plan first: three bullet points, then study the model and notice how it links ideas. Write only after that.
Your task
Write a 90-word story about a day that went wrong. Include: one Past Continuous scene, at least two time linkers, and a reaction sentence at the end.
Plan (3 bullets)
- 1. What is the situation?
- 2. What are your two main points?
- 3. How will you finish it?
Study the model
Last August we were driving to the coast when the car made a strange noise. At first we ignored it, but ten minutes later the engine stopped completely. While my brother was calling for help, I sat on the roadside and watched the traffic. We waited nearly two hours until a mechanic arrived. In the end we never reached the beach — we had dinner in a tiny village instead. It was a nightmare at the time, but we still talk about that meal.
Communication lab · Section 10
10–15 minTalk it out
STORYTELLING LAB · 1:1 core version: you and your teacher each tell one true story (60 seconds), then swap and retell the other person's story from memory. Group version: 'story relay' — one student starts, the next continues after 20 seconds.
Useful phrases
- • So this happened last year…
- • I was just … when …
- • All of a sudden…
- • You'll never guess what happened next.
- • In the end…
- • Really? What did you do?
Decide & report
Work through the situation and agree on one decision together. Then report your decision in 30 seconds, giving two reasons.
- AYou look exhausted — what happened?
- B_______________
- AOh no! Did you get there in time?
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Fluency-first lab. Minimal correction during speaking; note errors and deal with them at the end. ~25 min total
Keep it going · Section 11
Take-homeExtend it at home
Record a 90-second voice note telling your best 'it went wrong' story.
Write the same story in 100 words, underlining every past tense you use.
Listen to a short travel podcast and note five past-tense linkers you hear.
Revise the irregular verbs from Lesson 6 — test yourself on 20 of them.
Checkpoint reflection · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've reviewed
- Set the scene with the Past Continuous, move the action with the Past Simple.
- Link your events: when, while, as soon as, after, before, until.
- Finish every story with a reaction — it's what makes people respond.
- Storytelling phrases to reuse: all of a sudden, in the end, it turned out, we ended up.
Extra Practice
Grammar · Vocabulary · Speaking · Review
Found this lesson tricky? Practise the language from Lesson 10 again.
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