Narrative Tenses: Telling a Story in the Past
At B2 you combine several past forms to tell a story clearly. Narrative tenses are the four past tenses working together: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, and Past Perfect…
At B2 you combine several past forms to tell a story clearly. Narrative tenses are the four past tenses working together: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, and Past Perfect Continuous — plus used to and would for past habits.
The four narrative tenses
| Tense | Use in a story | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past Simple | main completed events, in sequence | She opened the door and walked in. |
| Past Continuous | background action in progress | The rain was falling heavily. |
| Past Perfect | an earlier event before the main past | She realised she had forgotten her keys. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | a longer earlier action up to a past point | She had been walking for hours. |
used to vs wouldBoth describe past habits. used to works for habits AND past states (“I used to live there”). would works for repeated actions but NOT states (✗ “I would live there”). Use would to add variety when describing repeated past actions: “Every summer we would visit our grandparents.”
How they work together
A typical narrative sets the scene with Past Continuous, tells the main events in Past Simple, and steps further back in time with Past Perfect:
- The sun was setting (background) when Omar arrived (main event). He had travelled (earlier) for two days, and he had been hoping (longer earlier) to rest.
Examples from EduCareer
- Aisha was studying when the results came out; she had revised all week.
- We used to struggle with grammar, but classes changed that.
- Every Friday, Omar would practise speaking with a partner.
Tutor tip for Arabic speakersThe key skill is showing the order of past events. When one past action happened before another, step back with Past Perfect (had + past participle): “When I arrived, the class had already started.” Don’t use Past Simple for both — it loses the time relationship that Arabic often shows with context words.
Common mistakes
- When I arrived, the class already started. → When I arrived, the class had already started.
- I would live in Cairo as a child. → I used to live in Cairo as a child. (state, not action)
- She was knowing the answer. → She knew the answer. (state verb)
Practise with the 20 questions below.
Check your understanding
Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.
1."When I arrived, the film ___ already ___."
earlier past event → Past Perfect.
2."The sun ___ when we left the house."
background scene → Past Continuous.
3."She was tired because she ___ all day."
longer earlier action → Past Perfect Continuous.
4.Which can describe a past STATE?
used to works for states; would does not.
5."Every summer we ___ go to the coast." (repeated action)
repeated action → used to OR would.
6.Which is correct?
state → used to, not would.
7."He ___ for two days before he found a hotel."
duration up to a past point → Past Perfect Continuous.
8."They ___ dinner when the phone rang."
interrupted action → Past Continuous.
9."By the time help came, the storm ___."
completed before another past point → Past Perfect.
10.Main sequential events in a story use:
Past Simple carries the main events.
11."I didn't recognise her — she ___ her hair."
reason from earlier → Past Perfect.
12.Which is a state verb (avoid continuous)?
'know' is a state verb.
13."While she ___, he was cooking."
two parallel background actions → Past Continuous.
14."He was out of breath; he ___."
recent prior activity with result → Past Perfect Continuous.
15."We ___ spend hours playing outside." (childhood habit)
past habit → used to.
16."The roads were wet because it ___."
earlier cause → Past Perfect.
17."As children, they ___ argue constantly." (repeated)
repeated past action → would.
18."When the teacher came in, the students ___."
in progress when interrupted → Past Continuous.
19."She passed because she ___ hard."
either Past Simple or Past Perfect fits the cause.
20.Past Perfect is formed with:
had + past participle.
Want feedback from a real tutor on your reading, writing and speaking?
Book a Free Consultation