Compulsory task: no.
Word count: 140-190 words.
Register: informal.
Make sure you use a correct narrative verb form:
Past simple: I woke up early that morning because I was pretty nervous.
Past continuous: I was having breakfast when the telephone rang.
Past perfect: I hadn’t been that nervous in my life before.
You can add:
Expressions of place and time: Later on/five minutes later/at the train station…
Adjectives and adverbs.
STRUCTURE
Title
Stories have titles.
Beginning
Introduce the main character/s and explain a bit the background of the plot.
How do the characters feel?
Main part
Main actions and parts of the plot.
Include and develop the two prompts given.
Ending
End the story. Do not leave an open ending because there is no sequel.
It can be funny/unexpected/shocking… it’s up to you.
EXAMPLE
BETTER THAN A RING
I’ll never forget the day he came home. It was a very sunny spring day, and I was resting on my sofa when I heard the doorbell. “It must be Anne”, I thought to myself. Anne was my lovely flatmate, the one who always forgot the keys. To my surprise, it was my boyfriend, who was supposed to be on a business trip until the following day.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were coming back tomorrow”, I asked, confused. “I’ve got a surprise for you”, he replied. “Come with me”. We went to his car, where he had a red box with a big lace. “This is for you. I know you’ve been wanting one of these for ages. I saw it and thought it was the perfect moment to get you one”. I didn’t expect it at all. There was a note saying, “Handle with care”. I opened it, and this little kitty was inside, black as coal. When I turned to face my boyfriend, he had one knee down. “Will you marry me?”. All I could do was nod as I was crying and speechless.
This is how my kitty became my proposal present.