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B1 Writing

B1Stories25 min

A story with a surprise ending

Write a short story that builds up to an unexpected ending, using past tenses, linking words and descriptive language.

Short stories are a common writing task in exams and a good way to practise past tenses. A story with a surprise ending makes the reader expect one thing and then shows something different at the end. Set the scene in the first paragraph, build up the action in the middle, and keep the surprise for the last few sentences. A mix of past tenses and some descriptive words make the story more vivid.

Model text

The note under the door

It was a cold, windy evening in November, and Kofi was reading on the sofa when he heard a quiet noise at the front door. Someone had pushed a small white envelope under it.

Inside there was a note in neat handwriting: 'I know what you did last Tuesday. Meet me at the bus stop at eight.' Kofi's heart was beating fast. What had he done last Tuesday? He had been to work, he had cooked dinner and he had gone for a walk in the park. Nothing strange at all.

At eight o'clock, he walked nervously to the bus stop. An old woman was standing there, holding a large cake. 'You're the young man who rescued my cat from a tree in the park last Tuesday,' she said with a smile. 'This cake is to say thank you.'

Useful language

TenseUseExample
Past simplethe main events, one after anotherHe opened the door and looked outside.
Past continuousbackground, or an action in progressIt was raining and the wind was blowing.
Past perfectan action before another past actionSomeone had left a parcel on the step.
  • Suddenly, the lights went out.
  • At first, nothing happened. Then the door slowly opened.
  • She held her breath and opened the box.
  • To his surprise, the room was full of people.
  • It was only then that she realised the truth.

Exercise 1 of 2

Past tenses and story language

Choose the best form or phrase.

  1. I _____ along the beach when I saw something shiny in the sand.

  2. When we arrived at the station, the train _____.

  3. She opened the box, _____ inside and screamed with joy.

  4. While Aiko _____ dinner, someone knocked on the door.

  5. _____, the lights went out and the room became completely dark.

  6. He was sure he _____ the key in his pocket, but it wasn't there.

  7. To _____ surprise, the shop was completely empty.

0 of 7 answered

Exercise 2 of 2

Complete the story

Type the correct form of the verb in brackets: past simple, past continuous or past perfect.

  1. It (snow) heavily when Lena left the house.

  2. When she got to the bus stop, the last bus (already / leave).

  3. She (decide) to walk home through the park.

  4. While she (cross) the bridge, she heard a strange sound.

  5. A small dog (sit) under a tree, shaking with cold.

  6. She (pick) it up and carried it home.

  7. The next morning, she discovered that the dog (run) away from a farm two days earlier.

0 of 7 answered

Your turn

Writing task

Write a short story for a school magazine competition. Your story must begin with this sentence: 'When Sofia opened the door, she couldn't believe her eyes.' Make sure the ending is a surprise for the reader.

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Sample answer

When Sofia opened the door, she couldn't believe her eyes. Her small flat, which she had left tidy that morning, was full of boxes, balloons and paper chains.

At first she thought she was in the wrong flat. She checked the number on the door twice. Then she heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. Someone was moving around and whispering. Her heart was pounding as she walked slowly towards the sound.

Suddenly, the kitchen door flew open and her younger brother jumped out. 'Surprise!' he shouted. Sofia laughed with relief and hugged him. 'It isn't my birthday until next month!' she said.

Her brother's face went red. He had read the date on the calendar wrong, and the party guests were arriving in ten minutes.

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Source

Original lesson by Joy English.

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