Narrative and Storytelling

When to use: describing something that happened, telling a story

Chunks in this category (18)

• So basically what happened was…▾

  • Why are you late? So basically what happened was my train broke down.
  • So basically what happened was the shop gave me the wrong size.
  • You missed the party? So basically what happened was my son got sick that night.
• At some point I realised…▾

  • At some point I realised I'd left my phone on the bus.
  • We walked for hours, and At some point I realised we were totally lost.
  • I kept buying snacks until At some point I realised I was spending too much.
• The thing that surprised me was…▾

  • The trip was great. The thing that surprised me was how friendly everyone was.
  • The thing that surprised me was how cheap the fresh fruit was there.
  • How was your first week? The thing that surprised me was how quiet the office is.
• Long story short…▾

  • There was a mix-up with the booking. Long story short, we got a free upgrade.
  • Long story short, I missed my flight and stayed another night.
  • We argued about the paint for weeks. Long story short, we chose blue.
• Looking back on it…▾

  • Looking back on it, moving house in winter was a bad idea.
  • I was so nervous at the interview. Looking back on it, it went fine.
  • How do you feel about quitting? Looking back on it, it was the right choice.
• And then out of nowhere…▾

  • We were having a picnic. And then out of nowhere it started pouring.
  • I was driving home, And then out of nowhere a dog ran into the road.
  • The meeting was calm. And then out of nowhere my boss announced she was leaving.
• The funny thing is…▾

  • I hate cooking. The funny thing is I'm actually pretty good at it.
  • The funny thing is I'd already bought the same jacket last year.
  • We searched everywhere for my keys. The funny thing is they were in my pocket.
• What I didn't expect was…▾

  • The hike was hard. What I didn't expect was how cold it got at the top.
  • What I didn't expect was how much my kids would enjoy the museum.
  • How was the new diet? What I didn't expect was that I'd sleep better.
• That's when I realised…▾

  • I got to the airport, and That's when I realised my passport was at home.
  • My doctor checked my blood pressure. That's when I realised I needed to slow down.
  • The bill came. That's when I realised I'd forgotten my wallet.
• It got to the point where…▾

  • My back hurt so much. It got to the point where I couldn't sit at my desk.
  • The neighbours were so loud, It got to the point where we called the landlord.
  • Work was so busy. It got to the point where I was skipping lunch every day.
• Before I knew it…▾

  • I started watching the series, and Before I knew it, it was midnight.
  • We were chatting over coffee. Before I knew it, three hours had passed.
  • Before I knew it, my little girl was starting school.
• The whole thing started when…▾

  • The whole thing started when my sister borrowed my car without asking.
  • Why aren't they talking? The whole thing started when he forgot her birthday.
  • My love of baking? The whole thing started when I lost my job and had free time.
• So there I was…▾

  • So there I was, standing in the rain without an umbrella.
  • The bus left without me. So there I was, alone at the station.
  • So there I was, holding a cake, and nobody remembered the party.
• The next thing I knew…▾

  • I sat down on the sofa. The next thing I knew, it was morning.
  • The next thing I knew, the dog had eaten my sandwich.
  • We were chatting at dinner. The next thing I knew, the restaurant was closing.
• I'll never forget the time…▾

  • I'll never forget the time my dad got lost at the airport.
  • Cooking is hard for me. I'll never forget the time I burned the rice.
  • I'll never forget the time we missed our flight to the wedding.
• It turned out that…▾

  • I thought I'd lost my wallet. It turned out that it was in my bag.
  • It turned out that the restaurant was closed on Mondays.
  • We waited an hour, but It turned out that the concert was cancelled.
• Just as I was about to…▾

  • Just as I was about to leave the house, it started raining.
  • My phone rang Just as I was about to fall asleep.
  • Just as I was about to pay, I realised I'd forgotten my card.
• The worst part was…▾

  • The flight was delayed. The worst part was waiting with no food.
  • The worst part was telling my boss I'd made a mistake.
  • I hurt my knee. The worst part was walking up the stairs.