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  4. A short story

A short story

A young woman sits in a restaurant looking bored

Look at the short story and do the exercises to improve your writing skills.

Instructions

Do the preparation exercise first. Then do the other exercises.

Preparation

Reading

A short story

It was Katia's 20th birthday and she was looking forward to seeing her friends. They were meeting at Mamma Mia's, her favourite Italian restaurant, for a special birthday dinner. Katia was excited and got to the restaurant at exactly 7 o'clock, the time they had arranged to meet. She looked around for a familiar face, but no one had arrived yet. So she decided to wait outside and stood patiently in the warm evening sunshine.

The restaurant quickly filled up with customers, but none of them were Katia's friends. 'Where are they?' she thought. At half past seven she was still waiting, so she called her best friend Isa. 'Why doesn't she answer her phone?' Katia asked herself. Then she called Jonty, Alex and Yoko, but they didn't answer either. 'What's going on?' she wondered.

At 8 o'clock Katia went home. Her friends had forgotten her birthday and she felt lonely and miserable. She opened the front door and walked into the dark house. The living room door was closed. 'How strange,' she thought because she always left it open. Nervously, she opened the door. Suddenly the lights went on and all her friends jumped up and shouted 'Surprise!' So they hadn't forgotten and in the end it was the best birthday ever.

Top Tips for writing

When you write a story, use ...

  1. the past simple, past continuous and the past perfect, e.g. At half past seven she was still waiting; Her friends had forgotten her birthday and she felt lonely.
  2. adjectives and adverbs, e.g. a special birthday dinner; The restaurant quickly filled up.
  3. direct speech with reporting verbs and punctuation, e.g. 'How strange,' she thought.
  4. discourse markers, e.g. then, after that or in the end.

Worksheets and downloads

A short story - exercises479.92 KB
A short story - answers195.38 KB
A short story - story395.91 KB
A short story - writing practice200.69 KB
Discussion

Have you ever had a special birthday celebration? Tell us about it!

Language level
B1 Intermediate
Topics
stories
birthdays
friends
writing
Average: 3.8 (28 votes)
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Comments

Submitted by nicolle on Sat, 04/15/2023 - 13:20

On my 7th birthday I think it was the coolest, I love swimming and my favorite princess is the little mermaid Ariel, my dad rented a place where there was a pool and he also got Ariel, I remember that my friends and cousins were very happy because all the children like swimming pools and after that they also did a show, like a live story, then I remember that I started crying because the little mermaid already had to leave and still my family keeps bothering me with that, it's not fun, I was 7 years old!, I think that was my best birthday party, and a little detail; my dad is a great person :D

Submitted by pomelo on Mon, 03/20/2023 - 15:49

I don't have any special birthdays :(

Submitted by Samu03 on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 13:26

Yes, I celebrated my first birthday with my grandfather from Colombia, it was an emotional moment and it was very funny, but at the final my grandfather returned to Colombia, but this moment it was very special for me and for my brother, but my grandmother couldn't come to Spain, because she was working and she can't come, but in the future my grandparents can live in Spain

Submitted by maartaaacaarbonell on Fri, 03/03/2023 - 13:23

My special birthday was when I did 10 years. The day before my birthday my mum said I had to go to sleep to my grandma's house in Sabadell because the next day, my birthday day, I had to go the hospital because I had somehing wrong with my toe. I don't know why but i thought that that was real.
The next day i wok up at 6:00 am and my mum gave me a bracalet with the infinity sign. She had the same one but with a different colour.
After she gave me this, my grandma gave me a card with some letters. Then my mum and my grandma drove me to the airport. Then with the letters of the card i figured out that i was going to Venice.
I spent my whole day there. Oly a day, because y birthday it's only a day, so...
It was so good but it was so cold.
At 11:00 pm we had to go to the airport. In the plane i looked all the photos I took with the instant camera that my dad gave me the day before.

Submitted by shinta on Thu, 10/20/2022 - 11:30

Yes, I went to the hotel of Disney for my birthday. And when I ate lunch, the character of Disney celebrates my birthday. But, I was 5 years old, so I do not remember detail. It's sad...

Submitted by Gayani on Sun, 01/23/2022 - 02:07

My 12th birthday. 2 days before my birthday I thought that no one can remember my birthday. '' oh, I don't think that anyone can remember my birthday''. So I started to work to remind my birthday to everyone. ''I can't to this thing much longer. I think they are trying to take it easy''. Then I didn't want to do it much longer so I didn't did it. But after 2 days that day were my birthday. They were so strange but I was so angry. '' ohhhh, why? can't they really remember it'' After few minutes I came out of my room there was a cake on the table and they all said surprise. I was so spires. '' I knew that you don't forgot my birthday''. And that was the best birthday ever.

Submitted by hermione123 on Thu, 04/29/2021 - 11:04

CALLING ALL USERS! LET'S MAKE A SEQUEL! Elsa007 came up with this idea. Users can write a sequel of a short story that previous users have written. So, you can continue the story here. And, please write the username who makes the story ;D Boa Boa, people call him like this. He lives in mountains, rarely comes down to the town where people gather to live. Some say he's the guardian of the town. (Elsa007) Others say he is just a suspicious hunter. Boa Boa lives in a small house made of wood. There aren't many rooms. Only a bathroom, and a kitchen with a dusty carpet, where he sleeps at night. He lives on his own, right beside the river in the forest. One night, Boa Boa hears a sound. It's a weak sound almost like a whisper, but every word is clear (hermione123). A sound that says:.... Ps. If you have a better title for this comment, not the story (that capital sentence), you can change it :)
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Submitted by Andrii on Fri, 04/16/2021 - 14:22

Yes, I have had special celebrations a few times. I invited my friends, and we went to a cinema. After that we had pizza for lunch. And lastly we had a lazer tag.

Submitted by Zeta02 on Wed, 09/16/2020 - 03:24

It was interesting, I made 1 misstake

Submitted by Mamou1 on Fri, 08/14/2020 - 10:58

Have you ever had a special birthday celebration? Tell us about it! Hello! yesssss for my 12 years old. Its'was the most exiting and the fantastic birthday I ever had because you know I born in 29 of February but, this day arrived each four years because February is normally 28. so 29 February was may birthday. First in the morning me and my mom went to salon to do my hair I was exited and I jump everywhere. After we went to pick the cake it's a huge one because all my classmates and other people in my school was invited ans also my family. of course. after we picked the cake we came back at home it''s was already 12 :00 I said hurry I need to dress and prepare which movie we are going to see. a horror movie or a action movie? I thought. At 1:00 PM my Friends arrived with a gift there was 10 first and then we were 20 and more . we began by eating and watch a horror movie. then at 3:00 we danced with different music it's was fantastic and we laugh a lot. after we went outside to play different game it's was enjoyable I participated a lot . there was many different meals . At 5:00 PM my Mom and My Dad came with the chocolate-strawberries cake. the cake was just amazing and delicious really the prove is we ate it all nothing left. after the cake we continue entertaining dancing talked ect..... in the end my birthday finished at 10 PM because me and my family after the birthday party at home we went to the cinema to watch a movie again really this day was the most fabulous journey in my life.

Submitted by chien_01 on Sun, 03/08/2020 - 12:07

Not really! I have never celebrated my birthday, though I would like to.

Submitted by hermione123 on Sat, 05/01/2021 - 15:03

In my country, birthday isn't completely important. If you're under nine years old, you might get a party or cake or gifts. But, when you're already 10 years old or older, you may not care again about birthday. Most kids here just greets the birthday kid or sometimes give presents (but it rarely happens) . And who greets and gives the birthday kid are only the birthday kid's closest friends. I even forget my 12 birthday because we don't so care about it.

Submitted by Makam on Wed, 02/05/2020 - 03:59

I celebrate my birthday with my fantastic family.

Submitted by Elife on Tue, 02/04/2020 - 23:47

Yes. Four years ago, I had a lot of jobs and I was tired in my birthday, but in the night, my classmates made a sorprise for me, it was fantastic, great and beautiful for me. I got very excited...

Submitted by lancer on Sat, 11/23/2019 - 15:11

I have grandpa and grand ma. Grandpa was dead years ago. He's a little short but he's handsome, very kind and funny. My grandfather's birthday comes after a few days. So i really miss my grandpa. My grandma does too. Today I saw my family album with my grandma. We found a photo of grandpa and grandma standing. Even in my eyes, grandpa looks really short, but grandma is tall. "How strange, how they had got married? Anyway he is something." I smiled at it and thought that there was a good story. After seeing the album, we had a talk about grandpa. At that time, I asked her to tell me about their marrige. She said. "We always sat down to date, But it was too late when we stood up."

Submitted by hsroh on Tue, 08/13/2019 - 20:00

Attack from UFO Hello, I’m Ben and I’m 14. I still remember what happened. This happened when I was 6 which was 2119. It was a Saturday morning. I woke up early and I was eating breakfast. As usual, I went to the market place. Suddenly, the UFO came and vanished everything apart from me. First, I thought it was just a dream, but sadly, it wasn’t! How terrible! I went home as fast as I can but UFO has already taken my house. The next day evening, the police said that the people who survived will sent to the 2nd Earth. The planet called N-0507. Few hours later, I was sent to the space ship. Soon the captain said “count down 3...2...1...blast up!”. It was exciting for 3 second because the UFO attacked our ship I found my mom and my friends. The captain said that he will let the people aged 20 to 24 to help people in UFO to come to our ship. But as I know, it is dangerous. It was a moment that I had to choose between my family and my life. I chose my family. Later I finally went to the UFO and... BOOM! Me and other people were falling down from the UFO. The hopitel space ship resqued us and luckily I was still alive. THE END.

Submitted by kleona8210 on Sun, 06/09/2019 - 09:54

I am in 9th grade so with my classmates I decided to take a trip to the village of Lumas and visit Sineci. The school permitted us to stay for 1 month there. We all were very happy and excited about this trip. On a sunny day, we arrived in the village by bus. I knew very well this village because my grandparent lives there, so we decided to go to my grandparents to know more about Sineci. My grandparents live in a beautiful house surrounded by forest. When we went to their house my grandparents told us for the beautiful place where Sineci is located and for the local residents, that was built there. Rexhina, Stela, and Ledian asked them for the cave of Sineci. Grandparents told them that the cave is on a high mountain. Also, they told my friends about the lost city of Katunda and the source of the dragon. At this moment I made a promise to myself that I will discover the mystery about this place. We left for Sineci. The road was very difficult. To go there, we must pass some small streams. While walking amidst the woods we were hearing melodious chirruping of several birds. When we had arrived we saw the wonderful locality out there. Sineci was a magical place. It consisted of two large ponds. The SKY WAS REFLECTED FROM THE POND water and as a result, the ponds were blue like the sky.  The people there told us that the ponds are too deep and many people had died there. We stopped at the locality and ate something. I and my friend Genta, after we end the lunch decided to climb the cliff to see the forest. When we climbed to the top, we saw the source of Sinec. The source of Sinec was coming out of a giant old rock.
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Submitted by Alice_Raccoon on Thu, 05/09/2019 - 05:48

It was Dasha`s 15th birthday. She didn’t expect us, but her mother was in business. She helped us organize this day. Dasha did not guess anything. First, her mother sent Dasha to the store. At the same time, we were preparing her room for her arrival. There were a lot of balls and gifts. For 15 minutes we managed to arrange everything just fine. Moreover, we were sure that everything would go as it should. But, our plan was failed. While we were preparing her room, she saw us through the window. Surprise was failed. But she was impressed by our preparations. So far, she remembers this birthday as the most positive and enjoyable. Her mother told us: “Next time close the curtains, otherwise there will be no surprise”. It will remain in her heart forever. Thanks to polinafris, my friend)

Submitted by Yushra on Mon, 01/28/2019 - 16:01

It was 22nd January 2017. My 12th Birthday. And it was our School Picnic too! So I thought it'll be double fun celebrating my birthday at beach.(Our picnic spot was at a beach). But I found that everyone has forgotten about my birthday. I was so sad. And I noticed that everyone was hiding something from me. That made me more sad. (After a few hours later) I was sitting on a chair front of the ocean. Suddenly my friends jumped on me saying Happy Birthday!!!!! I was so happy. And the best part was while cutting the cake they pushed my face on the cake and I was like a Cake Monster!! IT WAS MY BEST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION EVER!!
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Submitted by Elsa007 on Sat, 04/28/2018 - 15:39

I had a special celebration saying, “Happy Birthday my love”....... Yucky!! ;)

Submitted by luchi on Thu, 04/26/2018 - 14:49

well in my last birthday my classmates made a sorprise for me it was fantastic, I was going to cry
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Submitted by Batgirl on Wed, 04/25/2018 - 16:49

Yes, I had. I celebrated my last birthday in the quest room. I invited three of my best friends and we had a great time together.
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Submitted by Tennia on Wed, 04/25/2018 - 16:07

I only celebrated my birthday one time because my family don't have time but I prefer that. I prefer be with my mother than a party. She is special for me. Note: I don't have moneey and time.

Submitted by thomas56 on Tue, 02/20/2018 - 18:10

no, I didn't have any special celebration for my birthday
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