Casa · B2 Upper Intermediate · Lesson 16 of 20 · Step 2

Literature & Storytelling

Narrative voice and advanced narrative tenses

Use past perfect continuous to set the scene in narratives
Use 'would' to describe past habits within a narrative
Analyse and produce literary narratives with varied tense use

Words · tap a card to see it used

Grammar

Narrative tenses: past perfect continuous and 'would' for past habit

The past perfect continuous (had been + -ing) establishes background actions in progress before the main narrative events: 'She had been writing for hours when the power went out.' In narratives, 'would + infinitive' describes repeated past actions or habits: 'Every evening, she would sit by the window and read.' Combining these tenses creates rich, layered storytelling.

He had been walking through the rain for over an hour when he finally reached the village.

Every morning, she would wake before dawn and write in her journal.

The river had been rising steadily, and the villagers knew the bridge would not hold.

He would often sit alone in the café, watching the world pass by the window.

Exercises · type, then check

1. Complete each sentence with the correct narrative tense form of the verb in brackets.

1.She (read) for three hours when the phone finally rang.

2.Every evening, the old man (walk) to the end of the pier and watch the sunset.

3.The snow (fall) all night, and by morning the roads were impassable.

4.As a child, he (spend) hours in the library, lost in adventure stories.

5.They (travel) for six months before they finally settled in the small coastal town.

2. Match each narrative opening with its appropriate continuation.

1.She had been waiting at the station for over an hour

2.Every Sunday without fail,

3.The wind had been howling since midnight,

4.Throughout her childhood,

5.He had been working on the manuscript for years

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Reading

The Letter

Clara had been living alone in the old house for nearly five years. Every morning she would rise at six, make a pot of strong coffee, and sit at the kitchen table where the light was best. She had been working on a novel — a story about her grandmother's life during the war — but progress had been slow. Some days she would write for hours and produce only a single paragraph she was willing to keep. The house had been her grandmother's, and its rooms were filled with traces of a life Clara had only half known. One afternoon, while sorting through a box she had been meaning to open for months, she found a letter. It was addressed to someone she had never heard of, in handwriting she recognised as her grandmother's. The letter had been sealed but never posted. Clara held it for a long time before opening it. What she read inside would change the direction of both her novel and her understanding of her own family. She had been telling the wrong story all along.

1. What had Clara been doing in the house for five years?

2. How did the discovery of the letter affect Clara?

Speaking · say it out loud, with a partner or alone

1Take turns telling a short story (2–3 minutes) about a memorable experience. Use past perfect continuous to set the scene and 'would' to describe habits. Your partner should note which narrative tenses you used.

2Discuss: What makes a story compelling? Think about a novel, film, or personal experience that stayed with you. What narrative techniques made it powerful?

Writing

Write the opening paragraph of a short story (8–10 sentences). Set the scene using past perfect continuous and describe a character's habits using 'would'. End with a moment that disrupts the routine.

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Finished?

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