Storytelling

Advanced C1

Core Elements of a Good Story 

You can introduce or review these narrative elements:

Element	Explanation	Example Sentence
Setting	Where and when the story happens.	“It was a stormy night in the heart of New Orleans.”
Characters	Who is in the story?	“Lena, a retired detective, was finally ready to let go of the past.”
Conflict	The problem or challenge.	“But then, the phone rang. Again.”
Climax	The turning point or most intense moment.	“With trembling hands, she opened the envelope.”
Resolution	How things end or are resolved.	“At last, she knew the truth—and it wasn’t what she expected.”

 Sentence Starters & Connectors for Storytelling

 Beginning a Story

• “It all started when…”

• “I never believed in fate until…”

• “If someone had told me this a year ago, I’d have laughed.”

• It was the kind of day that…

• They say you never forget your first…

  
  

 Building Suspense

• “Little did I know…”

• “What happened next changed everything.”

• “Time seemed to slow down as…”

• I had a strange feeling in my gut.

• Suddenly, everything went quiet.

  
  

 Transitioning & Connecting Ideas

• “Meanwhile, back at the house…”

• “Just as things started to settle…”

• “Without warning…”

• Not long after that…

• Out of nowhere…

  
  

 Ending a Story

• “And from that day on…”

• “I finally understood what it meant to be free.”

• “We never spoke of it again, but I knew we both remembered.”

• “Everything went back to normal… or so we thought.”

• “Some stories are better left untold.”

 Beginning a Story

Starter	Function	Example / Tip
“It all started when…”	Launches the story from a specific moment.	“It all started when my phone rang at 3 a.m.” Use for mysterious or dramatic stories.
“I never believed in fate until…”	Introduces a story involving coincidence, destiny, or unexpected outcomes.	“I never believed in fate until I missed my train—and met her.” Great for reflective or romantic narratives.
“If someone had told me this a year ago, I’d have laughed.”	Uses third conditional—creates intrigue and emotional distance.	“If someone had told me I’d end up living in Japan, I’d have laughed.” Use to practice advanced grammar.
“It was the kind of day that…”	Sets a strong mood or atmosphere from the start.	“It was the kind of day that made you want to stay in bed forever.” Encourage sensory language.
“They say you never forget your first…”	Builds emotional connection or nostalgia.	“They say you never forget your first heartbreak.” Students can insert "job", "mistake", "win", etc.

Building suspense

Starter	Function	Example / Tip
“Little did I know…”	Implies something unexpected is about to happen. Often uses inversion.	“Little did I know, my whole life was about to change.” Excellent for practicing narrative inversion.
“What happened next changed everything.”	Creates a plot twist moment.	“What happened next changed everything—I got the email.” Encourage students to dramatize the shift.
“Time seemed to slow down as…”	Adds dramatic effect to an action or moment.	“Time seemed to slow down as the glass hit the floor.” Great for describing intense or emotional scenes.
“I had a strange feeling in my gut.”	Introduces foreshadowing or instinct.	“I had a strange feeling in my gut, but I kept walking.” Use to build inner conflict or suspense.
“Suddenly, everything went quiet.”	Signals an eerie or unexpected moment.	“Suddenly, everything went quiet. Even the birds.” Works well in mystery or thriller stories.

Transitioning ideas

Connector	Function	Example / Tip
“Meanwhile, back at the house…”	Shifts location or perspective.	“Meanwhile, back at the house, the lights had gone out.” Great for group storytelling with multiple plotlines.
“Just as things started to settle…”	Introduces a new problem or disruption.	“Just as things started to settle, the storm rolled in again.” Encourages students to play with pacing.
“Without warning…”	Creates surprise or tension.	“Without warning, the door slammed shut.” Use to practice abrupt shifts.
“Not long after that…”	Indicates a smooth time progression.	“Not long after that, she moved out.” Encourage use of time adverbials.
“Out of nowhere…”	Adds unpredictability.	“Out of nowhere, a voice called my name.” Use for dramatic or paranormal narratives.

Ending a story

Closer	Function	Example / Tip
“And from that day on…”	Shows transformation or permanent change.	“And from that day on, I never left the door unlocked again.” Encourage linking cause and consequence.
“I finally understood what it meant to be free.”	Adds emotional reflection.	“I finally understood what it meant to be free—letting go of the past.” Ideal for stories with growth or realization.
“We never spoke of it again, but I knew we both remembered.”	Creates an emotional or mysterious tone.	Great for endings that are subtle or unresolved.
“Everything went back to normal… or so we thought.”	Suggests a twist or lingering consequence.	“Everything went back to normal… or so we thought.” Great for suspense or horror genres.
“Some stories are better left untold.”	Adds mystery, closure, or irony.	“Some stories are better left untold. This might be one of them.” Use for impactful or ambiguous endings.

Verbs of Emotion, Action & Perception

Verb	Meaning (PT)	Example in Storytelling	Narrative Use / Effect
To glance	Olhar de relance	She glanced at the clock and froze.	Shows quick, possibly nervous or secretive observation
To hesitate	Hesitar	He hesitated before answering.	Builds tension or internal conflict
To sprint	Correr em disparada	He sprinted across the parking lot.	Adds urgency or danger
To whisper	Sussurrar	She whispered his name in the dark.	Suggests secrecy, fear, or intimacy
To vanish	Desaparecer	The figure vanished into the night.	Good for mystery or fantasy settings
To tremble	Tremer (de medo, frio, emoção)	He trembled as he spoke the truth.	Reveals vulnerability or intense emotion
To gasp	Arfar / suspirar de surpresa	I gasped when I saw the blood.	Expresses shock, surprise, fear
To creep	Mover-se sorrateiramente	She crept through the abandoned house.	Creates suspense or fear
To stagger	Cambalear, tropeçar	He staggered out of the smoke, coughing.	Used in scenes of injury, confusion, or exhaustion
To mutter	Murmurar, resmungar	She muttered something I couldn’t understand.	Adds realism to nervous or angry speech
To shiver	Arrepiar-se, tremer	He shivered from cold and fear.	Describes fear, tension, or discomfort
To peer	Espiar, olhar com esforço	She peered into the darkness, searching.	Builds curiosity or uncertainty
To dash	Correr rapidamente, disparar	He dashed out the door without his keys.	Adds fast-paced action or panic
To flinch	Recuar instintivamente	She flinched at the sudden bang.	Used for trauma, fear, or reactions
To clutch	Agarrar com força	He clutched the phone to his chest.	Indicates desperation, fear, or protectiveness
To roam	Vagabundear, andar sem rumo	They roamed the streets for hours.	Creates a sense of loss, wandering, or search
To howl	Uivar, gritar (dor ou desespero)	He howled in frustration.	Expresses deep emotion—grief, anger
To choke	Engasgar-se (literal ou figurado)	She choked on her words, unable to speak.	Conveys strong emotions, like shock or sorrow

Idiomatic expressions

Expression	Meaning	Example	Storytelling Use
To freeze in one’s tracks	Ficar paralisado, literalmente ou por medo/surpresa	I froze in my tracks when I saw the shadow move.	Adds dramatic pause in suspenseful moments
To hit rock bottom	Chegar ao fundo do poço	After losing my job and my home, I had hit rock bottom.	Powerful for emotional or redemption arcs
To go with one’s gut	Confiar no próprio instinto	I went with my gut and turned left instead of right.	Shows internal decision-making
To be in over one’s head	Estar em uma situação fora do controle	I realized I was in over my head when the plan fell apart.	Good for thrillers or conflict scenes
To hold one’s breath	Segurar a respiração (literal ou de expectativa)	We held our breath as the door creaked open.	Builds suspense
To be shaken to the core	Estar profundamente abalado	What I saw that night shook me to the core.	Expresses deep emotional or psychological impact
To keep one’s cool	Manter a calma sob pressão	Even in chaos, she kept her cool.	Useful in contrast to panic
To feel a chill down one’s spine	Sentir um arrepio na espinha	I felt a chill down my spine as the music stopped.	Excellent for eerie or ghost stories
To burst into tears/laughter	Cair no choro/risos repentinamente	He burst into tears when he saw the photo.	Great for emotional peaks
To be at a loss for words	Ficar sem palavras	I was at a loss for words when he proposed.	Shows overwhelming emotion (joy, confusion, shock)