STORYTELLING

Stories or anecdotes are usually told in five stages.
1. Introduction = told something ( Have you heard....)
2. Background = start to story
3. Problem = what is going on in the story
4. Resolution =
5. Comment = conclusion

A BEIJING SURPRISE

A. ..... (1)...... somebody lit some candles and put them around the room, (2)........... I still couldn't see my notes very well. The speech was complete disaster. You can imagine my surprise when the Chinese businessmen started to smile and clapped loudly when I finished the talk. I sat down and started to eat my meal. (3).... I aske the translator sitting next to me why everyone had clapped so enthusiastically, she replied, "None of the people here speaks English. I'll transalte your speech for them (4) .......

B....... Since then I've prepared my any of my speeches. They seem to work better when I improvise. I did give the translator my notes though!

C. ..... I was in Beijing as a part of trade delegation and our company was one of several asked to give a speech. I had spent a long time preparing my speech and had written about five pages of notes. I suppose there were about thirty people in the room listening to me and I was quite nervous.

D....... Have I ever told you about the time I was asked to give a speech to some CHinese businessman ?

E ..... I started to speak. (5) .........there was a power cut and all the lights in the room went out. (6).......I couldn't see my notes very well at all. (7)............, I continued speaking , (8)........... I realized that I had four or five. (9).......I just improvised (10) I found page one.


2. Complete the story in I with the linking words and phrases in the box.

a). in the end
b). just then
c). however
d). when
e). because of this
f). and then eventually
g). but soon
h). So
i). but
j). later

The answer
A. = Resolution
B. = Comment
C. = Background
D. = Introduction
E. = Problem

1.
2. but
3. in the end
4. later
5. just then
6. because of this
7. however
8. and then eventually
9. so
10. when

3. Work with a partner. Look at the prompt below. Choose five and use them to create your own story. Tell your story in the stages described in 1 and include some of the words and phrases in 2. When you are ready, tell your story yo another pair.

a secretary
an pffice party
a car crash
an airport
a text message
the CEO
a bottle of champagne
a strange taxi ride
$60,000
an e-mail
a business trip
a broken lift
a hotel bridal suite
a stolen laptop
a meal in the restaurant