English A2 – Pre-Intermediate

Lesson 4: Telling a Story

Using “First, Then, After that, Finally”

🎯 Lesson Goal

Organize your ideas in a logical, chronological order.
Connect separate sentences into a smooth narrative.
Identify the difference between regular and irregular verbs in a real story.

🛤️ The Roadmap of a Story

In English, we use Sequence Markers to help the listener follow the timeline of our story. Without them, the story feels like a list of disconnected facts!

First,

The start of the story or the first action.

⬇️

Then,

Moving to the next event in the sequence.

⬇️

After that,

Another way to say “next” to keep your story interesting.

⬇️

Finally,

The end of the story or the last action.

💡 Writing Tip: The Comma Rule

When you start a sentence with a sequence marker, always put a comma (,) immediately after it. This tells the reader to take a small pause.

✅ First, I woke up. (Correct)

❌ ~~First I woke up.~~ (Incorrect)

🎧 Activity 1: Listen and Repeat

Repeat these sentences out loud. Pay close attention to the pause after each comma:

🔊 First, I cleaned my room.
🔊 Then, I watched TV.
🔊 After that, I cooked dinner.
🔊 Finally, I went to bed.

📚 Activity 2: Reading Practice

Read this short narrative. Notice how the sequence words turn four separate events into a story:

“First, we went to the park. Then, we played basketball. After that, we ate ice cream. Finally, we walked home together.”

🔍 Activity 3: Story Analysis

Your Task: Read the story “A Busy Morning.” Identify the Sequence Markers and check the Verbs. Are they Regular or Irregular?

“First, I woke up at 7:00 a.m. and drank a large glass of water. Then, I exercised for twenty minutes in my living room. After that, I cooked a healthy breakfast. Finally, I grabbed my bag and walked to the bus station.”

Regular Verbs (-ed):
Exercised, Cooked, Grabbed, Walked

Irregular Verbs:
Woke up, Drank

✍️ Writing Challenge: Your Last Weekend

Using the sequence markers and your knowledge of past verbs, describe four things you did last Saturday:

First, __________________________________________.
Then, __________________________________________.
After that, ______________________________________.
Finally, _________________________________________.