Narration is HARD and an Advanced-range skill. And while mastery happens at high levels, A LOT of practice needs to happen in those Novice and Intermediate ranges.
Level: Spanish 2–3 (Intermediate Mid)
Grammar Focus: Preterite vs. Imperfect
Goal: Write a detailed paragraph (8–10 sentences) narrating a past experience using both tenses accurately.
Instructions (in English for clarity)
Write a short essay describing an unforgettable moment from your life — a trip, a celebration, a surprising event, or a childhood memory.
- Use the imperfect to describe background information, habits, and situations in progress.
- Use the preterite to narrate specific actions, events, or changes.
- Include transition words and sentence starters to connect your ideas naturally.
Sentence Starters & Chunks (use as a guide)
To Begin Your Story
- Cuando era niño/a, ________
- Siempre me gustaba ________
- En aquel entonces, ________
- Recuerdo que ________
- Un día, ________
To Describe the Background (Imperfect)
- Hacía buen/mal tiempo y ________
- Todos estaban ________
- Mi familia solía ________
- Mientras yo ________, mis amigos ________
- En ese momento, yo pensaba que ________
To Narrate Key Events (Preterite)
- De repente, ________
- En ese instante, ________
- Finalmente, ________
- Unos minutos después, ________
- Entonces, ________
To Add Details or Reactions
- Me sentí muy ________ porque ________
- Todos empezaron a ________
- No podía creer lo que ________
- Fue un momento muy ________
To Conclude Your Story
- Al final, ________
- Ese día cambió mi vida porque ________
- Desde ese momento, ________
- Nunca olvidaré cuando ________
Example Model Paragraph
Cuando era niña, mi familia siempre iba a la playa cada verano. Hacía calor y el mar brillaba con el sol. Un día, mi hermano y yo construíamos un castillo de arena cuando de repente una gran ola lo destruyó. Al principio, me sentí triste, pero luego todos empezamos a reír. Mi mamá tomó una foto y dijimos que ese era nuestro “castillo viajero”. Fue un día simple, pero inolvidable. Desde ese momento, aprendí a disfrutar las pequeñas cosas.
Checklist for Students
Used both preterite and imperfect correctly
Included at least 3 transition words
Wrote 8–10 complete sentences
Described background + events + reaction + conclusion
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