Narrative Tenses

Narrative tenses are the verb tenses we use when telling stories or talking about past events. They help us show what happened, what was already happening, and what had happened before something else.

The four main narrative tenses are the Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous.

Past Simple

Use the Past Simple for completed past actions. It usually describes the main events that move a story forward.

• She opened the door and walked in.
• I saw him at the station yesterday.
• The phone rang, so I answered it.

Past Continuous

Use the Past Continuous for actions that were in progress at a particular moment in the past. It is often used to set the scene or describe what was happening when another event occurred.

• It was raining when we left the house.
• She was reading a book when the phone rang.
• People were talking quietly while we were waiting.

Past Perfect Simple

Use the Past Perfect Simple for an action that happened before another past action or time.

• She had already left when I arrived.
• I didn’t recognise him because he had changed so much.
• By the time we reached the station, the train had gone.

We don’t need the Past Perfect every time we talk about two past events. Use it when you want to make the order especially clear.

If you need more practice, read my complete guide to the Past Perfect tense.

Past Perfect Continuous

Use the Past Perfect Continuous for an action or situation that continued for some time before another past event. It often explains a result or shows duration.

• He had been working all day, so he was exhausted.
• They had been arguing for hours before they finally made up.
• The ground was wet because it had been raining.

Narrative Tenses in Context

Look at how the tenses work together:

It was a cold evening and the wind was blowing hard. I had just finished work and was walking home when I heard a strange noise. I had been thinking about my plans for the weekend and hadn’t noticed anyone behind me.

Notice how the Past Continuous sets the scene, the Past Perfect tells us what happened earlier, and the Past Simple moves the story forward.

Words such as when, while, before and after also help make the order of events clear. Learn more about time conjunctions in English

Common Mistakes with Narrative Tenses

Using only the Past Simple

A story written entirely in the Past Simple can sound repetitive.

Instead of:

I walked home. It rained. I saw a man.

Compare:

I was walking home while it was raining when I saw a man.

Using the Past Perfect too often

The Past Perfect is useful when we need to show that one action happened before another. If the order is already obvious, the Past Simple may be enough.

Past Perfect Simple or Continuous?

Compare:

• She had written three emails before lunch.
  → completed result
• She had been writing emails all morning.
  → duration or ongoing activity

Still unsure which form to use? See Past Perfect Simple vs Past Perfect Continuous.

Using stative verbs in continuous forms

Stative verbs such as know, believe, understand and want are not normally used in continuous forms.

❌ I had been knowing him for years.

✅ I had known him for years.

You can learn more about this in my lesson on stative and action verbs.

Cambridge Exam Tip

If you are preparing for B2 First or C1 Advanced, narrative tenses can help you show a wider range of grammar when writing about past events.

Try to use them naturally:

• Past Continuous to set the scene
• Past Perfect to show an earlier event
• Past Simple to move the story forward

Accuracy is more important than forcing complicated structures into your writing.

Preparing for B2 First? Explore more B2 First grammar lessons.

Narrative Tenses QUIZ

Download the Narrative Tenses Practice Worksheet in PDF here