A short story about family, fitting in, and getting it wrong — practise the narrative tenses that bring a story to life.
Read the story carefully, then answer the comprehension questions using the dropdown menus.
Aisha had never worn jeans to her grandparents' house before. That Saturday, she was cycling home from her friend Mia's flat when she suddenly remembered the family lunch. She had promised to be there by one o'clock, and it was already half past twelve. There was no time to change.
When she arrived, her cousins were playing in the garden and the smell of her grandmother's cooking was drifting through the open window. Aisha pushed her bike against the wall and walked nervously to the door. She had forgotten that her aunts and uncles were visiting too.
As she stepped into the living room, the conversation stopped. Everyone looked at her jeans. For a moment, nobody said anything, and Aisha felt her cheeks turn red. She had wanted to make a good impression, but now she was sure she had ruined everything.
Then her grandmother came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She looked at Aisha, smiled warmly, and said, "You cycled all this way to be with us. That is what matters." The tension disappeared at once. While the family were eating together, Aisha realised that she had worried about the wrong thing. Her grandmother had never cared about the jeans — only about her granddaughter.
1 Aisha was home when she remembered the lunch.
2 She had promised to arrive by .
3 When she arrived, her cousins were in the garden.
4 Aisha had forgotten that her were visiting too.
5 As she entered the living room, the conversation .
6 For a moment, Aisha felt her cheeks .
7 Her grandmother said that what really mattered was that Aisha .
8 In the end, Aisha realised she had worried about .
Use the past continuous for a longer background action, and the past simple for a shorter action that interrupts it or moves the story on. Choose the correct form.
1 Aisha home when she remembered the lunch.
2 She suddenly that it was the family lunch.
3 When she arrived, her cousins in the garden.
4 The smell of cooking through the open window.
5 As she into the room, the conversation stopped.
6 Her grandmother out of the kitchen and smiled.
7 While the family together, Aisha felt happy.
8 The sun brightly while she cycled home.
Use the past perfect (had + past participle) for an action that happened before another past action. Choose the correct form.
1 Before that day, Aisha jeans to her grandparents' house.
2 Earlier that week, she to be there by one o'clock.
3 When she got home, she realised she all about the lunch.
4 She that her aunts and uncles were visiting too.
5 Standing in the doorway, Aisha was sure she everything.
6 She to make a good impression.
7 By the time lunch ended, Aisha that she had worried too much.
8 Her grandmother about the jeans at all.
Write a short story (80–120 words) about a time when you felt caught between what your family expected and what you wanted — real or invented. Use the past simple, the past continuous, and at least one past perfect.
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