Preparation
1. Complete the time expressions with the words below.
ago at day end few last moments next some
a a __________ weeks ago
b one __________
c _____ time last year
d _____ weekend
e the __________ day
f a few __________ later
g _____ that moment
h a few months __________
i in the __________
Show answers
a few b day c some d last e next f moments
g at h ago i end
2. Read the task and the text below. Underline five time expressions from exercise 1 in the story.
Write a story about a time when you were in a difficult situation and your phone (or another electronic device) helped you.
A bite for lunch by Logan
A few months ago, I was on a camping holiday with friend, Jack. One day, we went for a walk in some woods. We stopped to have lunch and sat down in some long grass. At that moment, Jack jumped up.
‘Ow! leg!’ he said. He showed me his leg. There was a large red mark on the skin and it was very painful.
‘Was it a snake?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know. I didn’t see anything,’ he replied.
Fortunately, mum is a doctor. We took a photo of Jack’s leg on phone and sent it to her. A few moments later, she called. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘It isn’t a snake bite. It’s probably an insect.’
‘So is it an emergency?’ I asked.
‘No, it isn’t,’ she replied. ‘You don’t have to go to hospital.’
And she was right: the next day, Jack’s leg was fine.
Show answers
a few months ago, one day, at that moment, a few moments later, the next day
3. Explain in your own words how an electronic device helped Logan and Jack.
________.
________.
________.
Show answers
your own answers
4. Form adverbs from these adjectives. Then add them to the sentences below.
amazing hard polite safe unfortunate
1) They worked ____________ and finished quickly.
2) It was a bad flight, but we arrived ____________ on the island.
3) _______, I got 100% in maths test.
4) She smiled and asked ____________ for her keys.
5) _______, we lost the match.
Show answers
1) hard 2) safely 3) Amazingly 4 politely 5) Unfortunately
Writing Strategy
Try to include some direct speech when you write a narrative.
Put quotation marks around the words that the person speaks. Put a comma, question mark or exclamation mark before the closing quotation marks.
‘Who are you?’ I asked. ‘I’m Joe,’ he said.
5. Read the Writing Strategy. Then add the missing punctuation to these sentences.
1) ‘How long is the film I asked.
2) Lucy smiled. I don’t know she replied.
3) ‘Who are you she asked. And why are you here
4) ‘Help me he shouted. I can’t swim!
5) Don’t worry said Ben. The water isn’t very deep.
Show answers
1) ‘How long is the film?’ I asked.
2) Lucy smiled. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied
3) ‘Who are you?’ she asked. ‘And why are you here?’
4) ‘Help me!’ he shouted. ‘I can’t swim!’
5) ‘Don’t worry,’ said Ben. ‘The water isn’t very deep.’
Writing Guide
6. Plan your own story using the task in exercise 2. Answer the questions with your own ideas.
1) Where were you? When? Who were you with?
________
2) What was the problem or difficult situation?
________
3) What kind of electronic device helped you?
________
4) How did you use the device to solve the problem?
________
5) What happened in the end?
________
Show answers
your own answers
7. Write a story. Use your notes from exercise 6.
Extra exercises
Strategy
When you write a narrative, you need to set the scene at the beginning. Say where you were, when you were there, and who you were with. At the end, you need to write a sentence to finish the narrative. Say how the story ended and if it ended well or not.
1. Read the Strategy. Then look at sentences 1-4. Do they come from the beginning or the end of a narrative? Write B or E.
1) A few years ago, I went to the park with brother to play football.
2) After that, I always went a different way to school.
3) One day last summer, I was at the beach with some friends.
4) I never saw the dog again.
Show answers
1) B 2) E 3) B 4) E
2. Write a story about a time when you had a frightening experience with an animal. Include the information below.
– Where you were, when you were there, and who you were with.
– What the animal did.
– What you did when you saw the animal.
– How it all ended.
IELTS Practice Tests Online
