How to tell an anecdote in English.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Let’s take a look at today’s lesson

This lesson looks at the subject of telling stories or anecdotes and the use of language to take a person through a past event clearly and in an interesting way.

Lesson Key: (L) = Listening (U) = Understanding. (R) = Reading.

Quick questions about anecdotes.

Are you good at telling jokes?
Why or why not?
Do you like to listen to anecdotes?
Do you have a friend that tells lots of stories?
Does your friend exaggerate sometimes?

How to tell an anecdote.

Telling an anecdote effectively and clearly is an art that can captivate your audience.
Here are some tips to help you relay an anecdote in English so that anyone can understand. Let’s watch the video from the British council.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to tell an anecdote, complete with language examples and easy to follow tips.

1. Introduction

Purpose: Engage your audience and set the context for the story.

Examples:

“Have I ever told you about the time when…”
“You won’t believe what happened to me when…”

2. Main Events

Purpose: Relay the events in the story in a clear and captivating sequence.

Language Tips:

Use sequencing words for clarity:
First
Then
Next
In the end
Finally
Incorporate linking words to show direction:
So
Because

3. Conclusion

Purpose: Finnish the story and emphasize the key takeaway or lesson learned.

Examples:

“For example, what happened that was dramatic and exciting and what did you learn?”
“And after that, I decided I will never arrive less than an hour before my train at a French train station again.”

Tips for telling an engaging anecdote.

1. Cut the Boring Details:

Eliminate unnecessary specifics that don’t add value.
Example: “Last week on Monday or … it might have been Tuesday …”

2. Keep the Action Moving:

Progress from one event to the next without getting bogged down in excessive details.

3. Use Vivid Vocabulary:

Opt for descriptive language that paints a clear picture.

Instead of “I was really scared,” say “I was absolutely terrified.“

Instead of “Then I left the house,” try “Then I ran out of the front door.“

Now tell me an anecdote.

With this structure and these tips in mind, you can effectively narrate an anecdote that is both captivating and memorable to your audience.
Here are some examples of everyday situations, you can use as an anecdote.

Introduction: “You won’t believe what happened to me when I went to take a train from Paris to Milan.”
Main events: The storyteller narrates their experience of misjudging the time, walking the length of a long train, then realising they were on the wrong side of the train platform. The use of descriptive elements, such as the coffee spilling everywhere and other passengers having the same realisation, adds colour and relatability to the story.
Conclusion: “And after that, I decided, I will never arrive less than an hour before my train at a French train station again.”

Our Task.
Please choose one or two of the anecdotes below to talk about. If you wish, you can tell me something else.

Lost Key:
“I looked everywhere for my keys. I found them in my pocket!”
Two Coffees:
“I was so sleepy I made coffee twice this morning.”
Sock in Shoe:
“I found a missing sock inside my shoe.”
Wrong Friend:
“I thought I saw my friend Steve in a shop.
It was someone else.”

Rain Surprise:
“I went out and it rained. Then it stopped when I got to the station.”
Phone Chat:
“I was talking on my phone and looking for it at the same time.”
Early Wake-Up:
“I woke up too early by mistake.”
Neighbour’s Package:
“I got my neighbour’s package. They bought garden furniture I liked, so I bought it too.”

Imagem de lookstudio no Freepik

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