8. SEQUENCING A STORY

https://www.creativejeffrey.com/creative/what_is_the_story_of_your_business.php

https://www.thoughtco.com/telling-stories-sequencing-your-ideas-1210770

Beginning your story: Create the beginning of your story with these expressions.

Use a comma after the introductory phrase.

• First of all,
• To start off with,
• Initially,
• To begin with,

Examples of using these beginning phrases include:

• To begin with, I began my education in London.
• First of all, I opened the cupboard.
• To start off with, we decided our destination was New York.
• Initially, I thought it was a bad idea.

Continuing the story: You can continue the story with the following expressions, or use a time clause beginning with "as soon as" or "after." When using a time clause, use PAST SIMPLE after the time expression, such as:

• Then,
• After that,
• Next,
• As soon as / When + full clause,
• ...but then
• Immediately,

Examples of using these continuing phrases in a story include:

• Then, I started to get worried.
• After that, we knew that there would be no problem!
• Next, we decided on our strategy.
• As soon as we arrived, we unpacked our bags.
• We were sure everything was ready, but then we discovered some unexpected problems.
• Immediately, I telephoned my friend Tom.

Interruptions and Adding New Elements to the Story

You can use the following expressions to add suspense to your story:

• Suddenly,
• Unexpectedly,

Examples of using these interrupting phrases or turning to a new element include:

• Suddenly, a child burst into the room with a note for Ms. Smith.

• Unexpectedly, the people in the room didn't agree with the mayor.

Events Occurring at the Same Time

The use of "while" and "as" introduce a dependent clause and require an independent clause to complete your sentence. "During" is used with a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause and does not require a subject and object. The construction for this kind of sentence is:

• While / As + subject + verb + dependent clause or independent clause + while / as + subject + verb

An example of using "while" in a sentence is:

• While I was giving the presentation, a member of the audience asked an interesting question.
• Jennifer told her story as I prepared dinner. 

The construction for using "during" in a sentence is:

• During + noun (noun clause)

Examples of using "during" in a sentence include:

• During the meeting, Jack came over and asked me a few questions.

• We explored a number of approaches during the presentation. 

Ending the Story

Mark the end of your story with these introductory phrases:

• Finally,
• In the end,
• Eventually,

Examples of using these ending words in a story include:

• Finally, I flew to London for my meeting with Jack.
• In the end, he decided to postpone the project.
• Eventually, we became tired and returned home.

Sequencing Quiz

Provide an appropriate sequencing word to fill in the blanks. The answers follow the quiz.
My friend and I visited Rome last summer. (1) ________, we flew from New York to Rome in first class. It was fantastic! (2) _________ we arrived in Rome, we (3) ______ went to the hotel and took a long nap. (4) ________, we went out to find a great restaurant for dinner. (5) ________, a scooter appeared out of nowhere and almost hit me! The rest of the trip had no surprises. (6) __________, we began to explore Rome. (7) ________ the afternoons, we visited ruins and museums. At night, we hit the clubs and wandered the streets. One night, (8) ________ I was getting some ice cream, I saw an old friend from high school. Imagine that! (9) _________, we caught our flight back to New York. We were happy and ready to begin work again.

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