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Story Telling Ideas for Teaching ESL Students

Story telling is a good teaching technique for ESL students because:

1) Storytelling can help students learn new vocabulary in a contextualized way.

2) Storytelling can provide a fun and engaging way for ESL students to practice their listening skills.

3) Storytelling can help students develop their ability to understand spoken English.

4) Storytelling can help students improve their fluency and confidence in speaking English.

1 “The  Next Champion?”

This is a sports story about an up and coming tennis champion. The story tracks  the female tennis player’s career from her childhood and  speculates about her future success.

“The Next Champion?” (PDF)

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2 Mona Lisa’s Sister

In this international news story writing exercise, students have to write a story about the the recent (fictional) discovery of a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci similar to  the “Mona Lisa” but titled “Lisa’s Sister”.

Mona Lisa’s Sister (PDF)

3 Telling stories worksheet

“Telling stories”  is a story telling  exercise  using pictures. Students try to match the vocabulary at the bottom of the page  to the pictures. Then they can listen to the audio and try to tell stories in the  pictures. Or, they can create their own stories.

Telling stories (PDF)

4 “Mountain Rescue” story exercise

The pictures show the story of snowboarder who climbed a mountain but then had an unfortunate accident while snowboarding down.

Mountain Rescue (PDF)

5 Lost Keys

This is a human interest story. It is  a story telling exercise about a common everyday occurrence. A woman loses her keys at the department store and is worried about being late for work. But everything ends well after her keys are returned to her.

“Lost Keys” (PDF)

6 The  Astronauts Return

A story about a space exploration and research expedition.

“The Astronauts Return” (PDF)

 

7  Titanic story telling worksheet (with answers)

This  is an English language   exercise aimed at engaging students in a discussion about the story of the Titanic.  Students try to match the vocabulary at the bottom of the page to the pictures. Then they try to answer the questions and recreate the story of the Titanic in their own words. Or they can listen to the audio and then answer the questions.

Titanic (PDF)

8 “Oil Spill”

“Oil Spill” is  the story of  a damaged  tanker leaking oil and bursting into flames. The leaking oil  kills wildlife and contaminates the environment.

Oil Spill (PDF)

9 “Cat in Tree”

These pictures about a genius cat who gets stuck in a tree form the basis of a local human interest story.

“Cat in Tree” (PDF)

Related Resources:

3 kinds of exercises for teaching transitions

6 memorable narrative essay writing practice exercises (PDF)

6 delightful descriptive paragraph and essay writing exercises  (PDF)

11 essential exercises for elementary writing students (PDF)

10 Mt Vesuvius worksheet

“Mt Vesuvius” is an  exercise for discussing the volcano Mt Vesuvius.  Students use their own ideas to answer the questions.  

MT Vesuvius (PDF)

11 Message in a Bottle worksheet 

“Message in a Bottle” is a   questionnaire for discussing and   Imagining the story behind a message in a bottle.

Message in a Bottle (PDF)  

12 Talking about the Loch Ness Monster

  This is a questionnaire  looking at the Loch Ness Monster and discussing  the possibility of its existence.  

Loch Ness (PDF)

Excellent ESL Teaching Exercises for Houses and Neighborhoods

January 3rd 2024

One of the most elementary topics that can be used to get students talking and giving  opinions in English is housing. It’s one of those universal topics that works really well in speaking classes. Everyone has opinions about the how they want to live.  It can be taught at many levels as long as the vocabulary is adapted to  the students’ abilities.  Role plays, questionnaires, surveys and picture-vocabulary matching exercises are some of the activities that work well with this topic.

1 Write a conversation: talking about houses & neighborhoods

This is a conversation writing exercise which could be the basis of a speaking activity or role play.  Students get to talk about and describe their houses and neighborhoods.

Write a conversation: houses & neighborhoods (PDF)

What’s your house like? PDF

(see the YouTube video)

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2 Expressing opinions about houses

A vocabulary and critical thinking exercise for discussing houses and places to live. Students use the words at the bottom of the page to complete the sentences and then agree/disagree with the statements and give reasons for their choices.

(download PDF)

3 Types of houses worksheet (with answers)

    This is a matching activity helping to familiarize students with types of houses. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures. 

Types of houses (PDF)

Closely Related Resources

7 Terrific Transportation, Traveling and Getting Around Language Exercises

6 ESL Exercises and Worksheets for Talking about Cities

6 Complaints and Everyday Annoyances Exercises

Housing /directions home

4 Talking (survey) about neighborhoods

A vocabulary and speaking activity for talking about neighborhoods. This is great for elementary students with limited fluency.

Talking about neighborhoods (PDF)

5 Elementary  housing vocabulary worksheet (with answers)

This exercise includes  vocabulary commonly used to talk about housing and give opinions about neighborhoods and lifestyles.  It is also used to  discuss the pros and cons of different types of accommodation. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures and answer the questions.

Elementary housing vocabulary (PDF)

6  Parts of speech sorting: houses & neighborhoods

Another way to review and reinforce vocabulary for a topic is by doing a parts of speech sorting exercise.

Parts of speech for houses & neighborhoods (PDF)

7 Housing preferences interview

This is an elementary speaking activity and interview in which pairs of students choose their preferred living options from the choices given in each box. They then write a short report comparing their partners preferences with their own.

Housing preferences interview (PDF)

8 Brainstorming the house: an icebreaker for discussing where you live and describing your house

Some icebreakers are so simple you might feel a fool for not having thought of them before. I certainly have. Brainstorming things…furniture …items…adjectives ..etc that might be used for parts of the house. What a no-brainer! But I didn’t think of it for 30 years of teaching. Icebreakers like this are great for setting up question writing exercises. Once the board is full of vocabulary, you can give a couple example questions, “What kind of furniture do you have in your living room?/ Do you have a big bed?/ Do you have a microwave in your kitchen etc…..” and ask students to create their own questions around the vocabulary.

(Download PDF)

 9 Dream house mini-presentation worksheet

This is an  English  language  brainstorming, outlining and planning exercise  for a presentation about a dream house. Students consider the factors listed on the page and jot down their ideas. I had to add some example sentences to make this activity work effectively. And then it was seamless!

Dream house worksheet (PDF)

 10 Housing complaints, annoyances and problems (vocabulary and speaking with answers)

“Housing complaints’ is a slightly more advanced activity for talking about housing . Students match vocabulary to the pictures. Then they can ask each other the the questions at the bottom of the page.

Elements of housing complaints (PDF)

11 Parts of houses worksheet (with answers)

This is a matching activity helping to familiarize students with  vocabulary for houses. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures.

Parts of houses (PDF)

Related Resources:

9 Super Elementary Speaking Exercises

5 Elementary Conversational Expressions Exercises

5 First Day Activities for an ESL Class

10 Really! Elementary ESL classroom icebreakers

7 Essential Speaking Activities for ESL Classes

3 Great Icebreakers to Start a Class

8 Invitation and Request Dialogues for Everyday Scenarios

 12 Buying a house role play

An imaginative role play in which students any kind of house they like and perform a role play with a partner using the questions on the second page of the handout.

Buying a house role play  (PDF)

 

13 Describing a Room

This is an ESL writing worksheet for students to describe a room in their house, apartment or dormitory. First, students brainstorm ideas at the top of the page. Then, they write a paragraph about their room.

Describing a room paragraph writing  (PDF)

Other Resources

Body language and gestures quizzes and exercises

Comparative adjective worksheets

Aspects of Nouns

Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. There are several types of nouns, including proper nouns, common nouns, concrete nouns, and abstract nouns. Additionally, there are collective nouns, countable and uncountable nouns, compound nouns, and possessive nouns. The exercises below use pictures, matching exercises, sentence gap fills, as well as listening and speaking exercises to teach nouns. The aim is to use a variety of exercises and engage multiple intelligences.

1 Elementary countable and uncountable nouns (food)

Knowing countable and uncountable nouns is important for students because: it helps them understand the difference between singular and plural nouns; it helps them in everyday language; and it helps them understand when to use articles like ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’.

(download PDF)

See the video on YouTube

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Subscribe to get full access to the latest and best resources from eslflow.com. There are no ads in the newsletter and you will receive entertaining, high quality, and up-to-date teaching resources regularly. And, if you subscribe, you will be supporting the eslflow website.

2 Countable/uncountable nouns for cities (upper elementary)

Talking about the advantages and disadvantages of cities is a popular way for teaching more advanced countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

(download PDF)

(see the video on YouTube)

3 Countable and uncountable nouns sorting (with answers)

 One of the most confusing thing for ESL students is distinguishing between countable and uncountable nouns.  In the handout below students try to identify countable and  uncountable nouns  in the pictures and and list them in the appropriate columns.  Then they choose 5 nouns and write 5 sentences.

Nouns sorting (PDF)

Related Parts of Speech Resources

5 Parts of Speech Exercises

10  Adjectives Exercises Including Adjectives for People and Things 

8 Preposition Exercises for Location, Time and Movement (PDF)

Nouns home

4 Quantifiers (with answers)

• Another aspect of using nouns is being to use quantifiers which describe the degree or quantity of a specific noun.
• Students look at each pictures and then write an appropriate sentence  to describe how much or how little of each noun is being expressed by the picture.

Quantifiers  (PDF)

5 Nouns Quantities/quantifiers

This is another exercise focusing on quantities and quantifiers.

(download PDF)

6 Abstract Nouns (with answers)

• Abstract nouns are words that can represent concepts, states and conditions.
• Pictures and photos can often be used to help students visualize abstract nouns !
• In the exercise below students try to match the abstract nouns to the pictures and complete the sentences.

Abstract nouns  (PDF)

 7 There is/there are (with answers)

Students  complete the sentences with there is/there are and appropriate vocabulary to describe the pictures.

There is/there are  (PDF)

Related Resources:

6 Picture-Based Present Continuous Worksheets (PDF)

5  Useful Passive Tense Practice worksheets

6  Present Perfect Language and Speaking Worksheets

7 Incredibly Useful Past Tense Simple Teaching Activities (PDF)

3 Great Exercises for the Conditionals

Prepositions Listening and Speaking Exercises for Location, Time and Movement

If you are an educator looking to infuse your lessons with dynamic, interactive, and engaging content, this is the right place. This webpage has been designed specifically to help make the teaching and learning of prepositions of location and movement fun and effective.

The resources here (and on the Invitations page) cover an extensive range of everyday contexts such as calendars, event schedules, restaurant and movie information, and review charts. These relatable and practical scenarios not only make the learning process more enjoyable but also help students understand the real-life application of prepositions.

You will find numerous downloadable PDF exercises that cater to different learning styles and proficiency levels. These exercises, which range from fill-in-the-blanks to matching games, offer a great way to consolidate learning and evaluate student progress.

To further reinforce learning, this page also offers listening and video exercises. These interactive components allow students to hear and see prepositions in action, which can significantly improve their comprehension and retention. They provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn at their own pace, as they can pause, rewind, and replay as necessary.

Moreover, the speaking exercises available here are designed to boost students’ confidence and fluency. By simulating real-life situations, these exercises encourage students to use prepositions of location and movement naturally and accurately.

All these resources are easily accessible and ready for immediate use in the classroom. They are continually updated and expanded to keep them current and relevant. Teaching prepositions has never been easier or more engaging.

1 Prepositions of location (with audio, video and answers)

This is an  exercise  to help   English language learners  understand prepositions of location. Students match the prepositions to the pictures and  try to complete the sentences. Then they can listen to the audio and compare answers.

Prepositions of location (PDF)

See the YouTube video

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Subscribe to get full access to the latest and best resources from eslflow.com. There are no ads in the newsletter and you will receive entertaining, high quality, and up-to-date teaching resources regularly. And, if you subscribe, you will be supporting the eslflow website.

2 Prepositions of time (with audio, video and answers)

    This is an  exercise exercise  to help   English language learners understand prepositions of time. Students try to complete the sentences explaining the meanings of the pictures using prepositions of time. Then they answer the questions at the bottom of the page.

Prepositions of time (PDF)

See the YouTube video

3 Prepositions of movement (with audio and answers)

This is a similar format to the exercise above but this time focusing on   prepositions of movement. Students match the prepositions to the pictures and try to write short sentences. Or they can listen to audio and fill in the missing words.

Prepositions of movement (PDF)

4 Prepositions of location questions

This is a speaking exercise for prepositions of location using “Wh” and Yes/No questions. Students can practice the grammar and have a conversation at the same time (or just the grammar).

Download PDF

5 Pair work speaking exercise for prepositions of time and location (business)

Here is another excellent speaking exercise which uses a chart format. Prepositions of time and location can be practiced using calendars and event schedules. This business schedule is for practicing prepositions of time.

Download PDF

Related Resources:

Invitations and requests dialogues and listening exercises

Note: Find more useful pair work speaking exercises for practicing prepositions of location and time on the Invitations page.

Comparative adjective worksheets

10  Adjectives Exercises Including Adjectives for People and Things 

3 Parts of Speech Exercises

6 Picture-Based Present Continuous Worksheets

4 Exercises for Aspects of Nouns

6  Present Perfect Language and Speaking Worksheets

7 Incredibly Useful Past Tense Simple Teaching Activities (PDF)

3 Great Exercises for the 2nd Conditional (PDF)

5 Future Tense Exercises

2 Exercises for Elementary Adverbs

 

6 Describing an office (with prepositions)

This is an elementary exercise for English language learners to practice using prepositions by describing an office layout.

Describing an office (PDF)

 

7 Using Prepositions (building people)

This is an  elementary  speaking exercise  for English language learners to practice using prepositions. Students ask questions using the picture above. Try to use as many prepositions in the questions and answers as possible.

For example:

A: What can you see in the apartment on the right on the first floor?(or) What’s happening in the apartment on the right on the first floor?

B: A man is playing guitar in front of a movie poster.

Using prepositions  (PDF)

 

8 2 classroom activities focussing on prepositions 

These are 2 fun  elementary   exercises  for English language learners to practice using prepositions in the classroom.

2 classroom preposition activities 

Other Resources

Body language and gestures quizzes and exercises

Likes/Dislikes, Interests and Hobbies Brainstorming, Listening and Speaking Activities

Elementary English language listening and speaking activities generally focus on likes/dislikes, hobbies, interests and routines. These topics allow students to get used to practicing the present simple tense with topics that relate to their daily lives.

1  Likes and dislikes speaking activity (pre-intermediate)

This is a pre-intermediate listening/ speaking activity. Students listen and complete each person’s likes and dislikes.

Likes/dislikes speaking activity (PDF)

See the YouTube video

Subscribe to Eslflow

Subscribe to get full access to the latest and best resources from eslflow.com. There are no ads in the newsletter and you will receive entertaining, high quality, and up-to-date teaching resources regularly. Also, if you take out a paid subscription, you can download large collections of PDF, audio and video materials in zip files.

2 Likes and dislikes speaking activity (with audio, video and  answers)

This is a great  listening/speaking activity to get an elementary language class speaking and practicing the present simple tense. Students have to be able describe each person’s likes and dislikes in the pictures. Or listen to the audio and write their answers.

Elementary likes/dislikes speaking activity (PDF)

(View as Youtube video mp4)

3 Basic gerunds for likes/dislikes (answers and audio)

Basic gerunds vocabulary and listening/speaking exercise for talking about likes and dislikes. Students write sentences about the pictures and then answer questions using gerunds.  It can also be a listening activity. Students listen to the audio and match Item (A/B/C….) to the pictures.

Basic gerunds likes/dislikes (PDF)

(Basic gerunds video on YouTube)

Related Resources:

4 Short dialogues discussing hobbies worksheet (with audio and answers)

This is an English speaking skills and fluency exercise . Students try to complete the short dialogues using the speech bubbles. Or they can listen to the audio and complete the speech bubbles with the answers that they hear.

Discussing hobbies (PDF)

5 Common conversations

This is an elementary ESL exercise for practicing and reviewing basic questions and answers necessary for basic socializing. Students look at the pictures and fill in appropriate questions and answers.

Common conversations (PDF)

5 Movie likes/dislikes brainstorm and speaking

Movies usually (in my experience) get students motivated. Students have to match movie genres to the pictures and then think of movie titles for each genre. Then they can ask their partners the questions at the bottom of the page.

(Download PDF)

6 Music likes/dislikes brainstorm and speaking

This exercise explores genres of music and asks students about their musical preferences. Similar to the speaking activity above, it is a great way to start off a class.

(Download PDF)

Related resources

8 Daily routines and schedules language activities

4 Online Shopping Listening/Speaking and Vocabulary Exercises

9 Super Elementary Speaking Exercises

5 Elementary Create a Conversation Exercises for Speaking Classes

5 Elementary Conversational Expressions Exercises

5 First Day Activities for an ESL Class

10 Really! Elementary ESL classroom icebreakers

7 Essential Speaking Activities for ESL Classes

12 Great Icebreakers to Start a Class

8 Invitation and Request Dialogues for Everyday Scenarios

ESL Listening Activities Guide

 7 Free time activities speaking lesson

This is an elementary ESL speaking exercise for talking about free time activities. Students match the vocabulary to the pictures and then interview a classmate about their favorite free time activity.

Free time activities speaking lesson (PDF)

 8 Things I like to do

Another good icebreaker and  elementary ESL exercise for getting an elementary ESL class started by brainstorming language  for the things students like to do on a daily basis.

“Things I like to  do” graphic organizer (PDF)

7 Crucial Kitchens, Cooking and Utensils Vocabulary and Expressions Exercises

21st May, 2024

Kitchen and cooking vocabulary exercises including picture-vocabulary matching exercises focusing on:

• elements of cooking
• food preparation
• ways and methods of cooking
• kitchen utensils
• food services

1 Verbs for food preparation worksheet (with audio answers)

  This is an  English  language  listening/speaking exercise  focusing on verbs for food preparation and cooking.  Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures and write a short  sentence for each picture.

Verbs for food preparation and cooking (PDF)

(audio and video mp4)

(audio and video mp4 YouTube)

Subscribe to Eslflow

Subscribe to get full access to the latest and best resources from eslflow.com. There are no ads in the newsletter and you will receive entertaining, high quality, and up-to-date teaching resources regularly. And, if you subscribe, you will be supporting the eslflow website.

2 Elements of food services vocabulary worksheet (with answers)

This  listening/speaking exercise introduces  basic food services vocabulary including common expressions used in kitchens and restaurants. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures.

Elements of food services (PDF)

(audio and video mp4)

(audio and video mp4 YouTube)

3 Elements of cooking vocabulary worksheet (with answers)

This is an English language exercise introducing basic cooking vocabulary. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures. Click on the image or the link to download the printable PDF file.

Elements of cooking (PDF)

4 Brainstorming Cooking worksheet

A good way to start any lesson is by brainstorming. Here is an execise that introduces the topic of cooking . Students or the class try to complete the brainstorm sheet with their own ideas.

Brainstorming cooking (PDF)

Related Resources for the Hospitality Industry

Food, Restaurants and Cooking Home

10 Food, Eating and Restaurant Vocabulary and Speaking Exercises

8  Hotel Vocabulary and Speaking Skills Exercises

5  Airport and Airline Vocabulary and Language Skills Exercises with Answers

5 Intercultural Communication Language Exercises and Worksheets

5 Cool Advertising & Branding Vocabulary & Language Exercises

5 In the kitchen vocabulary worksheet (with answers)

This is an  English  language  exercise  introducing  elementary kitchen  tool, utensils and equipment vocabulary.  Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures.

In the kitchen- elementary vocabulary (PDF)

6 In the kitchen vocabulary worksheet (advanced-with answers)

This is a more advanced  English  language  helping students to expanding their knowledge the vocabulary for kitchen  equipment and activities .

In the kitchen- advanced  (PDF)

7 Some methods of preparing food and cooking worksheet (with answers)

This is an exercise focusing on methods of preparing food. Students try to match the vocabulary with the appropriate pictures.

Methods of cooking  (PDF)

7 Exceptional Classifying and Classification Paragraph and Essay Writing Exercises

One of the most important things in classification writing is creating the best groups or categories. Once you do this, your ideas usually fall into place. Below are some helpful exercises for brainstorming,  outlining, planning and writing classification sentences, paragraphs and essays.

1 Classifying exercise 1

This is a pre-writing or introductory exercise for a classification paragraph or essay. Students use their own ideas and try to divide each of the topics on the worksheet into 3 categories. Then they practice writing sentences to express their classifications on the next page.

Classifying exercise 1 (PDF)

2 Classifying essay graphic organizer

This is a graphic organizer for a classification paragraph or essay. It is a great way to organize ideas and think clearly about a topic.

Classifying organizer (PDF)

3 Classifying essay outline

This is an outline template for a classification paragraph or essay. It demands that beginner writing students focus on the important parts of an essay: a thesis or topic sentence,  an attention getter, three body paragraphs and a conclusion.

Classification outline  (PDF)

4 Ways of classifying

This is another pre-writing or introductory exercise for a classification paragraph or essay. Students try to divide each of the topics on the worksheet into 3 categories. Then write topic sentences for 4 of the topics.

Ways of classifying  (PDF)

Related Resources:

10 opinion and argument writing worksheets

8 comparison/contrast templates and exercises

10 cause/effect writing activities

3 kinds of exercises for teaching transitions

6 memorable narrative essay writing practice exercises (PDF)

6 delightful descriptive paragraph and essay writing exercises  (PDF)

11 essential exercises for elementary writing students (PDF)

5 Classifying friends

A useful brainstorming and critical thinking exercise for any kind of
lesson about friendship or relationships. Students use the pictures to divide friends into 3 categories. For example, you might classify your friends into the categories of funny, generous and weird or outgoing,  fashionable  and introverted. Then, under each category title they give examples of the behavior of each category.

Classifying friends  (PDF)

6 Classifying travelers

This is similar to the exercise above but the topic is travelers. Students try to divide travelers into 3 categories and list the things they do. You might classify travelers into categories such as: 1  adventure loving, 2 luxury loving and 3 culture loving or 1 beach tourists 2 mountain tourists and 3 city tourists. There are so many ways to do this.

Classifying travelers (PDF)

7 Classifying roommates exercise

This is an alternative topic to the above exercises. Students try to divide roommates into 3 categories and list the things they do. Roommates could be divided into groups such as 1 lazy, 2 funny and 3 diligent or 1 helpful, 2 unhelpful and 3 bossy.

Classifying roommates (PDF)

Delightful Descriptive Writing Exercises and Worksheets

Descriptive writing is an attempt to give a clear description of people, places, objects, or events using descriptive language and informative details. Descriptive writing exercises can include:

• brainstorming
• outlining
• word sorting
• sentence writing with pictures
• transitions exercises

1 Descriptive essay outline template

This is an essay outline worksheet to help students focus on organization and planning when preparing to write essays. It helps them write clearly and logically.

Descriptive essay outline template  (PDF)

2 Brainstorming for a descriptive essay about a place

This is an English language writing exercise for students to brainstorm ideas for a descriptive essay.

Brainstorming descriptive writing ideas (PDF)

3 Descriptive writing word sorting (with answers)

This is an exercise that helps students expand their vocabulary and shows them that there are many words available to help them write more creatively and with more attention to detail.

Descriptive writing word sorting (PDF)

4 Essential shapes vocabulary

This worksheet is designed to help students learning English become familiar with vocabulary for shapes. Students match the vocabulary to the pictures. 

(download PDF)

Related Resources:

6 narrative essay writing templates and worksheets

8 comparison/contrast templates and exercises

10 cause/effect writing activities

11 essential basic exercises for paragraph/essay writing 

3 kinds of exercises for teaching transitions

5 Descriptive sentences practice

This is an English language writing exercise for students to practice writing descriptive sentences. Students look at the pictures and try to write between two and five sentences.

Writing descriptive sentences (PDF)

6 The Weekend Market (descriptive essay transitions with answers)

This is a transitions and linking words exercise for a descriptive essay. Well placed transitions help make essays easier to read and understand.

Descriptive essay transitions exercise (PDF)

(see the video on YouTube)

7 Descriptive Paragraphs ( transitions exercise with answers)

This is an English language exercise to help students understand transitions.  Students try to fill in the blanks with the words below each paragraph.

Descriptive paragraph transitions exercise (PDF)

Memorable Narrative Essay Writing Practice Exercises

Narrative essay writing is best taught with a combination of brainstorming, outlining and practice writing exercises that encourage students to write in the past tense and use appropriate transitions. Teaching narrative essay writing is quite enjoyable as it allows students to write about personal experiences.

5 characteristics of narrative writing include:

1. A narrative typically tells a story from a particular point of view, and this point of view is usually that of the narrator.

2. A narrative often has a plot, which is a sequence of events that the story follows.

3. A narrative may have characters, who may be either fictional or based on real people.

4. A narrative typically takes place in a specific time and place.

5. A narrative may have a theme, which is a central idea or message that the story conveys.

1 “First Day at University” (narrative essay transitions exercise with answers)

This is an exercise to help students understand transitions in narrative essays.

Narrative essay transitions (PDF)

Related Resources:

Story Telling Exercises for  ESL Students

Writing topic sentences

Elementary to pre-intermediate reading comprehension exercises

10 opinion and argument writing worksheets

8 comparison/contrast templates and exercises

10 cause/effect writing activities

3 kinds of exercises for teaching transitions

6 delightful descriptive paragraph and essay writing exercises  (PDF)

Subscribe to Eslflow

Subscribe to get full access to the latest and best resources from eslflow.com. There are no ads in the newsletter and you will receive entertaining, high quality, and up-to-date teaching resources regularly. Also, if you take out a paid subscription, you can download large collections of PDF, audio and video materials in zip files.

2 Narrative paragraph practice (favorite memories)

This is an exercise for students to practice writing narrative or past tense sentences about happy moments and experiences. Students look at the pictures and try to tell a story in 2-5 sentences.

Narrative writing practice-favorite memories (PDF)

3 Brainstorming an important event (narrative essay)

This is a brainstorm worksheet for a narrative essay about an important event.

Brainstorming an important event (PDF)

4 Narrative transitions sentence writing worksheet

This is an exercise challenging  students’ understanding of narrative transitions. They have to create an appropriate narrative situation for each transition.

Narrative essay transitions sentence writing worksheet (PDF)

5 Narrative sentences practice (or past tense writing exercise)

This is an exercise for students to practice writing narrative or past tense sentences. Students look at the pictures and try to tell a story in 2-5 sentences.

Narrative writing sentences  (PDF)

7 Brainstorming influential life experiences (with answers)

This is an exercise for students to brainstorm ideas and write sentences in preparation for a personal profile essay using narrative techniques. On page 1 they use the vocabulary to write short sentences for suitable for each picture. On page 2 they write the sub-topics they might use in an essay and explain their experience in a few sentences.

Influential experiences writing practice (PDF)

Other resources

Transportation and  getting around

Daily routines speaking and reading exercises

Talking about houses and neighborhoods

Sentence starters

Activities for the present continuous