Overview
Narrative tenses are the combination of past simple, past continuous, and past perfect used together when telling a story. The past simple carries the main events; the past continuous sets the background; the past perfect shows what happened before the main events.
The Three Narrative Tenses
- Past SimpleMain events in sequence: She arrived, opened the door…
- Past ContinuousBackground / interrupted: It was raining when she arrived.
- Past PerfectEarlier event: She realised she had forgotten her keys.
How They Work Together
- Past simple = the camera moving forward (main story)
- Past continuous = the scene being set (backdrop)
- Past perfect = flashback to before the story started
- Keywords: when, while, after, before, as soon as, by the time
Common Mistakes
- ❌ When I arrived, she already left → ✅ had already left
- ❌ While I drove, she called → ✅ While I was driving…
- ❌ I was watching TV then I heard a noise → ✅ when I heard (sudden event)
When to use
Telling a Story
She walked in and found a note on the table.
Setting the Scene
The rain was falling heavily when he arrived.
Adding a Flashback
I realised I had left my wallet at home.
News & Reports
The fire had started before the team arrived.