Foreshadowing provides hints or clues about what will happen later in the story, keeping the audience engaged and curious about the outcome.
Phrases like 'little did I know' and 'unbeknownst to me' can be used to introduce foreshadowing into a story, creating anticipation for future events.
Descriptive language, such as 'blanketed in snow,' paints vivid images in the listener's mind, making the story more engaging and relatable.
Common weather-related phrases include 'blanketed in snow,' 'the rain was pouring down,' 'the sun was beating down,' 'bitterly cold,' and 'baking hot,' which help describe the atmosphere vividly.
Switching tenses, such as using past simple for specific actions and past continuous for ongoing actions, provides context and adds depth to the narrative, especially when describing interruptions or simultaneous events.
Past simple is used for short, completed actions, while past continuous is used for longer, ongoing actions that may be interrupted or happening simultaneously with other events.
The present simple can make a story feel more dramatic and immediate, often used to create a sense of urgency or to bring the listener into the moment of the narrative.
Pippa and Beth talk about some language you can use to tell a good story.
TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/christmas-stories/250110
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