Here is some of the help and advice I talk about in the podcast. I will also read you a model story.

'When Jasmin looked down at the soft ground, she could see quite clearly that the tiger had recently come this way.'

Use of 'when' here. 'When ' is a good word to use in your story as it means you create a complex, 2-part sentence.

It was foggy in the early morning light, but she clearly noticed that something was moving in the long grass.

Here we can show where the action is happening, and things that can be seen from where we are. Note the use of past continuous.

It had all started when she began hanging out with gamers*. They said she was a ‘natural’. So she had started training. All that time spent in the gym working out to get fit for the most realistic computer game ever.

Notice the use of the past perfect here to talk about what happened before the present moment in the story.

Despite, however, although, so, because...

She turned and set off again.

We now use past simple to describe the action in the story.

She fell about ten metres. Luckily, her fall was broken by a branch

Fortunately, she had not reached the bottom,

Although this world was not real, the tears on her cheeks were wet, and the cold morning fog and her fear made her body shake.

(linker 'however' - making the story exciting - what happened next?)

However, what happened next made Jasmin scream. The branch began to break - slowly, at first.

Finally, her friends came to rescue Jasmine and took her out of the virtual world.

Strong B1 to B2-level story. Today, as I'm still on holiday, I'm offering you the complete version of the very popular story I published in September - A Window on Time. Read and listen to the comprehension questions before you start listening.

1) What was the bad news Geoffrey received at the beginning of the story?

2) What physical changes happened to Geoffrey when he entered the classroom for the first time?

3) Why did Geoffrey stay in the classroom and not make an attempt to get back to his own time?

4) What was the plan that Geoffrey, or Geoffer, Ken and Timmy made for 6.30 that evening?

5) Why did Geoffrey decide not to stay in the past as a teenager, and live his life again?

Below, are the answers. Please, don't look until you have listened to the story!

1) What was the bad news Geoffrey received at the beginning of the story?

He learned from the hospital that he possibly had cancer.

2) what physical changes happened to Geoffrey when he entered the classroom for the first time?

a) his skin was younger and fairer

b) he had lost his stomach - he now had a firm, flat tummy

c) his voice was higher pitched.

d) He was 14 again.

3) Why did Geoffrey stay in the classroom and not make an attempt to get back to his own time?

Because he was excited to at the thought of seeing his parents again.

4) What was the plan that Geoffrey or Geoffer, Ken and Timmy made for 6.30 that evening?

Ken was going to bring some cigarettes and they were going to smoke them.

5) Why did Geoffrey decide not to stay in the past as a teenager, and live his life again?

He realised he would make the same foolish mistakes, and he missed his wife and two children.

Victims of Nature Complete Version (B1, B2)

This is the full version of the two story parts published last September.

Comprehension questions

1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leaving the Alpujarra?

2) What did Gustavo mean by the comment "we're just victims of nature"?

3) The story says, "When Alberto saw the pink clouds at dawn, he knew bad weather was on the way". What was the saying mentioned in the story which told Alberto there was going to be a storm?

4) Why was Alberto worried when he saw the effects of the storm on the mountain?

5) Why did the picnickers run away from the pool?

6) Was this a true story?

There are some more exercises at my website:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-206.htm

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-207.htm

Answers to the questions above - please listen to the podcast first before you read the answers.

1) What reasons did Alberto's mother give Alberto for leaving the Alpujarra?

She said Alberto would be bored:

"You’ll be bored stiff. Only sheep, poverty and danger around here. Do you want to be a shepherd for the rest of your life?"

She said Alberto should be like his brother, Gustavo:

"Your brother took a risk and left. Look at him now. He’s taken charge of his life: he’s set up his own business in Granada - paying a mortgage on his flat. He has an expensive car and a lovely wife and baby."

She said Alberto would probably die in the Alpujarra:

Where’s that going to lead you?’ Off a cliff probably, off another cliff - just like your father, and tears fell down her cheeks.

2) What did Gustavo mean by the comment "we're just victims of nature"?

That the mountainous Alpujarra was too dangerous to live in:

This place defeats a human being. Those mountains are too big, too dangerous. You can’t beat them. Life here is beyond our control. This land will kill you in the end. Here, we’re just victims of nature itself.’

3) The story says, "When Alberto saw the pink clouds at dawn, he knew bad weather was on the way". What was the saying mentioned in the story which told Alberto there was going to be a storm?

“Red sky at night, shepherds' delight, but red sky in the morning, shepherds’ warning”, which means red clouds in the evening means good weather tomorrow, but red clouds in the morning bad weather that day.

4) Why was Alberto worried when he saw the effects of the storm on the mountain?

He was worried about the picnickers lower down the river in Trevelez:

"Every day in August the place was full of swimmers and picnickers. Those enormous wooden logs were rushing towards them. To make matters worse, they would fall over the waterfall down into the swimming pool below killing everybody in their path."

5) Why did the picnickers run away from the pool?

Because they were frightened when they saw Alberto:

At the sight of this mad-looking, bearded mountain man, who had apparently fallen out of the sky into the middle of the pool, some forty or fifty people, very frightened people, screamed and raced out of the water.

6) Was this a true story?

Yes it was, although I have made invented how the swimmers and picnickers were saved, of course. See the video of the near disaster at practisingenglish.com podcast 207.