English Stories
Here are some simple stories that can be used to help students practice hearing, understanding, reading, and using different English verb tenses.
Tap or click the name of each story to visit its page, or use the PDF link next to each story for a printable PDF.
A collection of all stories in one PDF file can be found here: All English Stories PDF
English Verb Tense Reference Sheet
English Verb Tense Reference page - (PDF)
The Stories
(listed from most simple to most complex)
- Jana Goes to School - uses simple present and present continuous tenses (PDF)
- Anna Missed the Bus - uses simple past and past continuous tenses (PDF)
- Belinda Will Go on Vacation - uses simple future and future continuous tenses (PDF)
- What Happened to Billy? - uses simple present, present continuous, simple past, and past continuous tenses (PDF)
- Changes in Town - uses simple present, present continuous, simple past, past continuous, simple future, and future continuous tenses (PDF)
Suggestions for Use
- Tell the students what verb tenses to listen for in the story. Tell them the story aloud, then ask them the questions. Encourage them to answer in complete sentences using the same tenses that are used in the story.
- Tell the students what verb tenses to listen for in the story. Tell them the story aloud while they are reading along. Then ask them to answer the questions verbally and/or write their answers. Encourage them to answer in complete sentences using the same tenses that are used in the story.
- For a second read-through of a story: Remind the students what verb tenses to listen for. Read each sentence of the story aloud, pausing after each sentence to ask the students what verb tense was used in that sentence.
- Tell the students what verb tenses to look for in the story. Give them colored pencils, markers, or highlighters of various colors. Let them know which color represents each tense. Have them read the story individually or in pairs/teams, marking each sentence with the appropriate color based on its verb tense.