Stories in simple english
28 English Short Stories with Big Ideas for Thoughtful English Learners
By aromiekim and Dhritiman Ray Last updated:
When it comes to learning English, what if you can understand big ideas with just a little bit of text?
I’m talking about award-winning short stories in English.
Stories are all about going beyond reality, and these will not only improve your English reading but also open your mind to different worlds.
Contents
- 1. “The Bogey Beast” by Flora Annie Steel
- 2. “The Tortoise and the Hare” by Aesop
- 3. “The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse” by Beatrix Potter
- 4. “The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond
- 5. “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
- 6. “Orientation” by Daniel Orozco
- 7. “Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu
- 8. “The Missing Mail” by R.K. Narayan
- 9. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
- 10.
“The School” by Donald Barthelme
- 11. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
- 12. “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling
- 13. Excerpt from “Little Dorrit” by Charles Dickens
- 14. “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
- 15. “Evil Robot Monkey” by Mary Robinette Kowal
- 16. “The Boarded Window” by Ambrose Bierce
- 17. “The Zero Meter Diving Team” by Jim Shepherd
- 18. “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs
- 19. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
- 20. “Little Red Riding Hood” by The Brothers Grimm
- 21. “A Tiny Feast” by Chris Adrian
- 22. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
- 23. “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams
- 24. “Paul Bunyan,” adapted by George Grow
- 25. “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde
- 26. “Cinderella” by Charles Perrault
- 27. “The Friday Everything Changed” by Anne Hart
- 28. “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway
- How to Use Short Stories to Improve Your English
- Use Illustrations to Enhance Your Experience
- Listen to Recordings of Stories
- Explore Stories Related to a Theme
- Choose the Right Reading Level
- Practice “Active Reading”
- Choose Only a Few Words to Look Up
- Make Your Own Summary
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
A woman finds a pot of treasure on the road while she is returning from work.
Delighted (very happy) with her luck, she decides to keep it. As she is taking it home, it keeps changing.
However, her enthusiasm refuses to fade away (disappear or faint slowly).
What Is Great About It: The old lady in this story is one of the most cheerful characters anyone can encounter in English fiction.
Her positive disposition (personality) tries to make every negative situation seem like a gift, and she helps us look at luck as a matter of our view rather than events.
This classic fable (story) tells the story of a very slow tortoise (turtle) and a speedy hare (rabbit).
The tortoise challenges the hare to a race. The hare laughs at the idea that a tortoise could run faster than he, but the race leads to surprising results.
What Is Great About It: Have you ever heard the English expression, “Slow and steady wins the race”? This story is the basis for that common phrase.
This timeless (classic) short story teaches a lesson that we all know but can sometimes forget: Natural talent is no substitute for hard work, and overconfidence often leads to failure.
Timmie Willie is a country mouse who is accidentally taken to a city in a vegetable basket. When he wakes up, he finds himself at a party and makes a friend.
When he is unable to bear (tolerate or experience) the city life, he returns to his home but invites his friend to the village.
When his friend visits him, something similar happens.
What Is Great About It: Humans have been living without cities or villages for most of history.
That means that both village and city life are recent inventions. And just like every other invention, we need to decide their costs and benefits.
The story is precisely (exactly) about this debate. It is divided into short paragraphs and has illustrations for each scene. This is best for beginners who want to start reading immediately.
Ruskin Bond used to spend his summer at his grandmother’s house in Dehradun.
While taking the train, he always had to pass through a small station called Deoli. No one used to get down at the station and nothing happened there.
Until one day he sees a girl selling fruit and he is unable to forget her.
What Is Great About It: Ruskin Bond is a writer who can communicate deep feelings in a simple way.
This story is about our attachment to strangers and why we cherish (value or appreciate deeply) them even though we do not meet them ever again.
Earth has been destroyed by war and no one lives on it anymore.
The robots and the machines continue to function and serve human beings who have long ago died.
What Is Great About It: The title is taken from a poem that describes how nature will continue its work long after humanity is gone.
But in this story, we see that nature plays a supporting role and the machines are the ones who have taken its place.
They continue their work without any human or natural assistance. This shows how technology has replaced nature in our lives and how it can both destroy us and carry on without humanity itself.
This is a humorous story where the speaker explains the office policies, as well as gossip about the staff, to a new employee.
It is extremely easy to read as the sentences are short and without any overly difficult words.
Many working English learners will relate to it as it explains the absurdities (silly moments) of modern office life and how so little of it makes sense.
What Is Great About It: Modern workplaces often feel like theaters where we pretend to work rather than get actual work done. The speaker exposes this reality that nobody will ever admit to.
He over-explains everything from the view out the office window to the intimate details of everyone’s life—from the overweight loner to the secret serial killer.
It talks about the things that go unsaid; how people at the office know about the deep secrets of our home life, but do not talk about it.
Jack’s mother can make paper animals come to life.
In the beginning, Jack loves them and spends hours with his mom. But as soon as he grows up, he stops talking to her since she is unable to speak in English.
When his mother tries to talk to him through her creations, he kills them and collects them in a box.
After a tragic loss, he finally gets to know her story through a hidden message that he should have read a long time ago.
What Is Great About It: The story is a simple narration that touches on complex issues. It is about leaving your own country with the promise of a better life.
It is also about the conflicts that can occur between families when different cultures and languages collide. In this case, the tension is so high that it destroys the relationship between a mother and her son.
It also has a moving message about never taking your loved ones for granted.
This story is part of R.K. Narayan’s “Malgudi Days” short story collection.
Thanappa is the village mailman who is good friends with Ramanujam and his family. He learns about a failed marriage and helps Ramanujam’s daughter get engaged to a suitable match.
Just before the wedding, Thanappa receives a tragic letter about Ramanujam’s brother. He decides not to deliver it.
What Is Great About It: Despite the best of intentions, our actions can cause more harm to our loved ones than we ever intended.
The story is about the complicated relationships and feelings which are always present in our social circles, but we are often ignorant of them.
The year is 2081, and everyone has been made equal by force.
Every person who is superior in any way has been handicapped (something that prevents a person’s full use of their abilities) by the government.
Intelligent people are distracted by disturbing noises. Good dancers have to wear weights so that they do not dance too well.
Attractive people wear ugly masks so they do not look better than anyone else.
However, one day there is a rebellion, and everything changes for a brief instant.
What Is Great About It: Technology is always supposed to make us better. But in this case, we see that it can be used to disable our talents.
Moreover, the writer shows us how the mindless use of a single value like equality can create more suffering for everyone.
A school teacher is narrating all the recent incidents that have happened on campus.
First, they mention a garden where all the trees died. Pretty soon deaths of all kinds begin to occur.
What Is Great About It: Most of the adults do not know how to deal with death, even though they want to teach children about it.
It makes us realize how weak our education systems are because they can not help us deal with life’s most basic issues.
Eventually, the students start to lose faith in everything, and the adults have to put on a show of love to make themselves less frightened.
It shows how adults can fail to explain and understand death, and so they just pretend that they do. In this way, the cycle of misunderstanding and avoiding life’s issues continues.
11. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
A mother is telling her daughter how to live her life properly. The daughter does not seem to have any say in it.
What Is Great About It: This may not be technically a story since there is no plot. “Girl” talks about how girls are taught to live restricted lives since childhood.
The mother instructs (tells) her to do all the household chores, indicating that it is her sole purpose (only aim or duty).
Sometimes the mother tells her to not attract attention, to not talk to boys and to always keep away from men.
On the other hand, she hints that she will have to be attractive to bakers and other suitable males in society to live a good life.
This story is about these conflicting ideas that girls face when growing up.
“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is about a Mongoose who regularly visits a family in India.
The family feeds him and lets him explore their house, but they worry that he might bite their son, Teddy.
One day a snake is about to attack him when the Mongoose kills it. Eventually, he becomes a part of the family forever.
What Is Great About It: This is a simple story about humans and animals living together as friends. It is old, but the language is fairly easy to understand.
It reminds us that animals can also experience feelings of love and, like humans, they will also protect the ones they love.
“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is part of Kipling’s short story collection “The Jungle Book,” which was famously made into a movie by Disney.
If you enjoy the story but need a break from reading, check out this captivating trailer for Disney’s newer version of the movie.
Dorrit is a child whose father has been in prison ever since she could remember. Unable to pay their debts, the whole family is forced to spend their days in a cell.
Dorrit thinks about the outside world and longs to see it (wishes to see it).
This excerpt introduces you to the family and their life in prison.
The novel is about how they manage to get out and how Dorrit never forgets the kindness of the people who helped her.
What Is Great About It: Injustice in law is often reserved for the poor. “Little Dorrit” shows clearly how it works in society.
It is about the government jailing people for not being able to return their loans, a historical practice the writer hated since his own father was punished in a similar way.
The story reveals how the rich cheat the poor and then put them into prisons instead of facing punishment.
A man travels to a freezing, isolated place called Yukon. He only has his dog with him for company.
Throughout his journey, he ignores the advice other people had given him and takes his life for granted.
Finally, he realizes the real power of nature and how delicate (easily broken) human life actually is.
What Is Great About It: The classic fight between life and death has always fascinated us. Nature is often seen as a powerful force that should be feared and respected.
The man in this story is careless and, despite having helpful information, makes silly mistakes. He takes the power of natural forces too lightly.
The animal is the one who is cautious and sensible in this dangerous situation. By the end, readers wonder who is really intelligent—the man who could not deal with nature or the dog who could survive?
Sly is a chimpanzee who is much smarter than the other chimpanzees. He loves to play with clay on a potter’s wheel all day and likes to keep to himself.
But one day when the school kids bully him, he loses his temper and acts out in anger. Seeing this, the teacher punishes him and takes away his clay.
What Is Great About It: Sly is a character who does not fit into society. He is too smart for the other chimps, but humans do not accept him. He is punished for acting out his natural emotions.
But the way he handles his rage, in the end, makes him look more mature than most human beings. Nominated for the Hugo award, many readers have connected with Sly since they can see similarities in their own lives.
“The Boarded Window” is a horror story about a man who has to deal with his wife’s death. The setting is a remote cabin in the wilderness in Cincinnati, and he feels helpless as she gets sick.
There’s an interesting twist to this story, and the ending will get you thinking (and maybe feeling a bit disturbed!).
What is Great About It: If you enjoy older stories with a little suspense, this would be a good challenge for you–in fact, until now, it’s still included in a lot of horror story compilations.
It talks about the event that made a hermit decide to live alone for decades, with a mysterious window boarded up in his cabin.
Aside from what actually happens in the story, there’s also a lot of emphasis on psychology and symbolism.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was one of the most deadly accidents in the twentieth century.
This is a story about that event through the eyes of a father and his sons. The family was unfortunate enough to be close to the disaster area.
The story exposes the whole system of corruption that led to a massive explosion taking innocent lives and poisoning multiple generations.
The technical vocabulary and foreign words make this text a little more difficult. However, the story is relatively easy to follow.
What Is Great About It: It is no secret that governments lie to their own people. But sometimes these lies can cost lives.
Very often we accept this as normal, but this tale opens our eyes to the cost of our indifference (lack of concern).
The story is divided into small parts that make it both easy and exciting to read.
The various events are about life in general in what was then known as the Soviet Union. And just like any other good story, it is also about human relationships and how they change due to historic events.
A man brings a magical monkey’s paw from India, which grants three wishes to three people.
When the White family buys it from him, they realize that sometimes you do not want your wishes to come true.
What Is Great About It: Sometimes we wish for things, but we do not think about their consequences.
In this story, the characters immediately regret when their wishes come true because either someone dies or something worse happens.
They realize that they never thought about the ways their wishes could destroy people and their lives.
Mrs. Mallard has heart troubles that could kill her.
When her husband dies, the people who come to give her this news try to do so gently. When she is finally informed, she bursts into tears.
Eventually, she goes to her room and locks herself in.
However, while thinking about the future, she is excited by the idea of freedom that could come after her husband’s death.
After an hour, the doorbell rings and her husband is standing there alive and well. When she sees him, she has a heart attack and dies.
What Is Great About It: Marriages can be like prisons for women. The one in this tale definitely seems like a heavy burden. Despite her grief, Mrs. Mallard is able to keep herself healthy with the hope of freedom from her husband.
But as soon as she realizes that she will have to go back to her old life, her body is unable to take it.
The story explores the conflicting range of human emotions of grief and hope in a short span, and the impact it can have on a person’s mind and body.
This is a story that every English-speaking child knows. It’s about a little girl who meets a wolf in the forest while going to see her sick grandmother.
The wolf pretends to be her grandmother in order to trick the little girl. There are actually different versions of it, with different endings–the one I’ve linked above is the most popular.
What Is Great About It: “Little Red Riding Hood” is a fairy tale, which is a story for kids that has been traditionally told through generations.
It’s often used to teach children that it’s bad to talk to strangers, since the image of being eaten by a wolf can be very scary.
It has been adapted into different movies and media, and you’ll still hear mentioned in pop culture a lot.
The basic characters are taken from Shakespeare’s famous play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
However, in this story, the plot and the concept are entirely different.
Titania and Oberon are the rulers of fairies who have been dealing with problems in their marriage.
One day they find a human child and decide to adopt him. They hope that this child will help them save their relationship.
However, the child develops a deadly disease and the fairies have no idea what to do since they have never known illness or death.
This is a tragic tale about how they try to understand something they have never seen before and their deep love for a stranger who is so unlike them.
What Is Great About It: The story is able to explore human relationships through imaginary creatures. It explores the grief of parenthood and also the uncertainty of knowing whether your child will ever even know you.
It also beautifully captures the sense of the unknown and the helplessness which every human being faces when faced with it.
Every year, a small town holds an event known as “the lottery” that everyone attends.
During this event, someone from the community is randomly chosen…but for what reason?
What Is Great About It: The story makes you wonder about human behavior, particularly within a group of people.
Perhaps you may have heard of the term “mob mentality” and how it can allow for some pretty surprising things to happen.
This short story is considered to be one of the most famous short stories in American literature.
It shows an example of what is known as a dystopian society, where people live in a frightening way. To learn more, check out this TED-Ed video that tells you how to recognize a dystopia.
A simple, stuffed rabbit toy is given to a young boy as a Christmas present.
At first, the rabbit isn’t noticed, as the boy is distracted by much fancier gifts. While being ignored, the rabbit begins to wonder what it means to be “real.”
One day, a certain event brings the rabbit into contact with the boy. After that, the toy’s life changes dramatically (a lot).
What Is Great About It: Have you ever loved a toy or doll so much, that you treated it as if it were alive? This story shows the power of love from a very unexpected viewpoint: that of a fluffy stuffed rabbit.
The velveteen rabbit toy is loved dearly by its owner, regardless of how worn out he becomes.
Although this story was made for children, its message is for anyone of any age. The rabbit’s quest (journey) of becoming “real” can be understood in a very human way.
The story shows the importance of self-value, being true to yourself and finding strength in those who love you.
The story of Paul Bunyan has been around in the United States for many years. He’s the symbol of American frontier life, showing the ideal strength, work ethic and good morality that Americans work hard to imitate.
Some sources break down his story into even shorter versions.
What is Great About It: Paul Bunyan is considered a legend, so stories about him are full of unusual details, such as eating fifty eggs in one day and being so big that he caused an earthquake.
It can be a pretty funny read, with characters such as a blue ox and a dog that’s reversible.
This version of the story is also meant to be read out loud, so it’s fast-paced and entertaining.
In the middle of a city is a very fancy, decorated statue of a prince, and it is known as the Happy Prince.
One day, a swallow bird decides to rest on the statue, only to get wet by the tears of the crying statue.
The Prince, as it turns out, is not happy at all. When he was alive and living in his palace, he had no idea how much suffering was happening outside his home.
Now as a statue that stands high above the city, he can finally see the many injustices happening to the people.
At the Prince’s request, the swallow begins to take off pieces of the statue and give them away to the poor. Together, the two work to try and give what aid they can to the less fortunate.
What Is Great About It: It can be easy to ignore people who are struggling and having a hard time. However, it is not good to always “turn a blind eye” and pretend not to notice.
Sometimes, even one good deed (action) can make a big impact on both the person doing it and the person receiving it.
“The Happy Prince” is a story that shows the importance of charity and empathy. These two things can come with a lot of sacrifices, but you can gain a lot in other ways.
The story also points out that you should judge a person not by what they have, but by what they give.
You may already know the story of Cinderella; many people saw the Disney movie or read a children’s book of it.
However, there are actually many different versions of “Cinderella.”
This one by Charles Perrault is the most well-known one and is often the version told to children.
What Is Great About It: “Cinderella” is a loved story because it describes how a kind and hard-working person was able to get a happy ending.
Even though Cinderella’s stepsisters treated her awfully, Cinderella herself remained gentle and humble. It goes to show that even though you may experience hardships, it is important to stay kind, forgiving and mindful.
Because only “strong boys” are allowed to do this, the girls are teased for being “weaker.”
Not only that, but the boys also get more privileges than the girls, such as being the first to get magazines.
One Friday, a girl asks the classroom teacher why girls are not allowed to get water as well. This one question causes a big reaction.
What Is Great About It: One brave act, from one brave person, can cause a big change for the better. In this story, a single girl speaks out against what she thinks is wrong.
Her courage surprises everyone, but she inspires the girls to stand up for themselves against the boys who mistreat them.
The story reflects on gender equality and how important it is to fight for fairness. Just because something is accepted as “normal” does not mean it is right.
At a Spanish train station, an American man and a young woman wait for a train that would take them to the city of Madrid.
The woman sees some faraway hills and compares them to “white elephants.
”
This starts a conversation between the two of them, but what they discuss seems to have a deeper meaning.
What Is Great About It: This story is very well-known as a text that makes you “read between the lines”—in other words, you have to try to find a hidden meaning behind what you read.
Much of the story is a back-and-forth dialogue between two people, but you can tell a lot about them just from what they say to each other.
There is a lot of symbolism that you can analyze in this story, along with context clues. Once you realize what the real topic of the characters’ conversation is about, you can figure out the quiet, sadder meaning behind it.
How to Use Short Stories to Improve Your English
Short stories are effective in helping English learners to practice all four aspects of language learning: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Here’s how you can make the most out of short stories as an English learner:
Use Illustrations to Enhance Your Experience
Some short stories come with illustrations.
If you find a short story with illustrations, look at the pictures first to guess what the story is about.
What are they doing in the illustration? What part of the story is illustrated? The illustrations will help you to understand the meaning of the story.
You can even write your own caption or description of the picture. It can be a sentence or one word.
When you look at the story, go back to your image description. How do they relate?
Listen to Recordings of Stories
In our fantastic digital age, it is possible to find wonderful short stories online in audio or video form.
If you find a video with English-language subtitles, you can read while also listening to how a native speaker pronounces words.
Some of the short stories above are available in video format on FluentU, which is an online English immersion program.
In addition to short story video tellings, the program has many types of authentic videos like movie clips, music videos and inspirational talks.
These can help you work on your listening comprehension and pronunciation alongside your reading skills. Each video has interactive subtitles and a video dictionary for unfamiliar words.
For example, here’s a video retelling of “The Tortoise and the Hare”:
If you’re doing a review quiz for the content, you have the option of speaking in the answers for some speaking practice.
Explore Stories Related to a Theme
Like novels, short stories can be in any genre you can imagine. Do you like ghost stories? Science fiction? Romance?
You can find short stories, old and new, on the subject that you want. Some short stories teach a lesson, like fables do. Other short stories use a lot of metaphors or symbolism.
If you’re learning about hobbies, find a short story about something that you like to do. Are you learning about food? Find a short story with a lot of food vocabulary. The list goes on.
Choose the Right Reading Level
First, some short stories are over 5,000 words long while others can be as short as 50.
When you’re selecting the right short story for you, you have many different types and lengths to choose from.
If you choose a story that’s too difficult, you’ll spend too much time looking up vocabulary, missing the whole point of the story. If you choose a story that’s too easy, you’ll learn little to no new vocabulary and you may become bored.
Make sure that you always challenge yourself, even if you’re only learning a few new words.
Here’s an easy way to determine if the reading level is right for you.
Choose a paragraph in the story that you want to read. How many words can you identify?
Try the “five-finger test.” Hold up your fist while you read over the paragraph. Put up one finger for each word you don’t know. If you have all five fingers up before the end of the paragraph, try to find an easier text.
What if you really want to read a story, but the level is too hard? Try to read the story anyway. If the subject interests you, you’ll be motivated to learn the vocabulary you need to understand the story.
Bring the story to your English teacher. He or she will be happy to help you understand the words you don’t know so you’ll be able to enjoy the story on your own.
Practice “Active Reading”
Your reading will only help you learn if you read actively. You are reading actively when you’re paying very close attention to the story, its words and its meanings. Think about the vocabulary and grammar.
Start by looking over the text to get an idea of what the story is about. Read the text. Try to remember some of the things you read about. Finally, review the text again to get the best understanding.
Afterwards, discuss the story with your teacher and your classmates. If there’s something you don’t understand, write down your questions to ask during the discussion.
Talk about the stories and share your own opinions about the language, culture and messages within the story.
Choose Only a Few Words to Look Up
You don’t need to look up every single word you don’t know.
Choose to look up only those words that will help you understand what the paragraph is about.
If there’s a word you don’t know but you know everything else in the sentence, try to guess what the word is about by looking at the whole sentence. You can look this word up later to see if you guessed correctly.
For stories longer than 500 words, take breaks while you’re reading, especially if the vocabulary gets overwhelming. Don’t make yourself too tired, or you’ll become frustrated and give up.
If you find things are getting to be too difficult, walk away for about 15 minutes and come back and try again.
Make Your Own Summary
When you’ve finished reading the story, review it again. Do this later in the same day or the next day to let your reading really sink in. Take notes while you’re reading.
Retell the story or make a summary of the story to get even more practice.
You can make this more challenging by actually using the story as a model for writing your own English story.
By writing your own stories, you get more practice in the use of vocabulary and creating your own sentences.
Why Short Stories Are Best for English Learning
Short stories are amazing resources for any English learner. That’s because:
- You can read a whole story in one sitting. Attention spans are very important for learning, and short stories are designed to give you maximum information with minimal effort.
- You get more time to focus on individual words. When a text is short, you can spend more time learning how every single word is used and what importance it has in the piece.
- It is best for consistency. It is far easier to read one story every day than trying to read a big novel that never seems to end.
- You can share them easily in a group. Since short stories can be read in a single sitting, they are ideal for book clubs and learning circles.
Most of the time these groups do not work because members have no time to read.
Short stories are the perfect solution. - You can focus more on ideas and concepts. Language is less about words and more about the meaning behind them.
If you spend all your time learning vocabulary and grammar, you will never be able to fluently speak a language because you will have little to talk about.
These short stories give you the opportunity to understand big ideas in context.
You can choose almost any short story and get something useful out of it. Each story has its own special features that you can appreciate.
The best kind of story will be one that is interesting, has a strong message and, of course, helps you to both practice and learn English.
It will be one that leaves an impact, both in your English education and in your imagination.
I hope you have fun with these stories while improving your English.
Happy reading!
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Strange Friends (Intermediate) | Easy Stories in English
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OK, let’s start the episode.
[introduction music]
Welcome to Easy Stories in English, the podcast that will take your English from OK to Good, and from Good to Great.
I am Ariel Goodbody, your host for this show. Today’s story is for intermediate learners. The name of the story is Strange Friends. You can find a transcript of the episode at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/FriendsInt. That’s EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/FriendsInt. This is a levelled-up version of a beginner story. You can listen to the beginner-level version of Strange Friends at EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Friends.
So today’s story is another relevel. You might remember, a few months ago I did The Little Frog with the Big Mouth, and I took that story and levelled it up.
There is actually a lot of research that shows that rereading the same story but at a different language level with new information added is a really fantastic way of learning. The fancy formal name for it is an ‘embedded reading’.
So hopefully you’ll enjoy today’s embedded reading!
Recently, I’ve been following a new writing routine. Obviously, my writing routine is really important because I am a writer.
Journaling (Photo by lilartsy on Unsplash)
For a month or so already now, I have been doing journalling every day. So journalling is when you write in a diary. I write about my feelings, my anxieties, just what I’m thinking about first thing in the morning, so that when I do come to writing, I don’t have all of these thoughts moving about my head. It’s kind of like a form of therapy.
But I did find that sometimes I would do the journalling and then after, you know, exercising and showering and so on, I had lost the motivation and the kind of energy to write. So I decided, you know what? Writing is really important to me, so I should do it first thing in the morning, or in this case, second thing.
So what I do now is, the night before, I set up my laptop, I turn off the internet, I open a page with my latest project on it.
Sometimes I open it full-screen so I just see that when I open it. And I put my laptop next to my diary, so in the morning I can pick up my diary, do my journalling, and then immediately start writing.
And so far, that’s worked really well. I’m usually able to focus and write for an hour or two, and over the last week I’ve written an average of over 3000 words every day, which is really great. If you talk to many writers, you will know that getting more than a thousand words out in one session is really good.
Of course, the amount of words that any one writer is able to write varies, right? We’re all different. But for me, this is a really comfortable pace, and I felt so satisfied with my writing and my work over this past week. It really does boost my confidence and my creativity.
OK, I’ll just explain some words that are in today’s story.
Priests at an altar (John Casamento CC BY-SA 3.0)
An altar is a special table that you find in churches. The altar sits at the front of the church, and the priest uses it to perform parts of the mass, the ceremony.
Altars often have coloured cloths and crucifixes on them.
When you fantasise about doing something, you imagine and dream about doing it. Usually, it is something that is unlikely to happen. For example, many of us fantasise about being rich and famous. Those of us who are more realistic might fantasise about eating a really delicious chocolate cake…
A christening (Kotoviski CC BY-SA 3.0)
In Christianity, when a child is born, there is an event called a christening. During a christening, the priest pours water on the baby’s head, and the parents officially name the child. Two friends of the parents come forward to become the godmother and godfather of the child. They accept the child as their godchild. Basically, they agree to help look after the child, and if anything happens to the parents, the godparents often look after them instead.
Anticipation is the feeling when you are looking forward to something. Many people feel a sense of anticipation about big events, like going to university or getting married.
Anticipation can quickly lead to anxiety, though, if you think about it too much.
Spare can mean to give something that you have extra of. For example, if you are in class and your friend forgot their pen, but you have lots of pens, they might say, ‘Could you spare me a pen?’
‘Good things come in threes’ is a phrase we use to say that having three of something is good. For example, if you go to the bakery, but you can’t choose which cake to get because they all look so good, you might buy three. Then, if someone asks you why you bought three cakes, you can just say that good things come in threes!
From top to bottom means ‘completely’ or ‘thoroughly’. For example, if you clean the house from top to bottom, you clean the whole thing and you don’t leave anything dirty. To be honest, cleaning is usually the only thing we do from top to bottom, although personally I’m not very good at it…
Deter means to stop someone from doing something, usually by telling them about the risks.
For example, many parents deter their children from playing with fire by telling them it hurts. But some children will not be deterred, and go and play with the fire, and, well, they’ll learn their lesson a different way.
Gravely means ‘seriously’. If someone says something gravely, they talk in a serious way.
If something evokes memories, it brings back memories of something. Smells, sights and sounds can all evoke memories. For me, the smell of Lapsang Souchong tea always evokes memories of my grandfather, because that’s the kind of tea he drank.
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A big thank-you to my new patron, Leska Zavada.
Thank you so much, Leska. Your support really means a lot to me.
Just so you know, I’m recording this episode early, so if anyone joined the Patreon recently, I might not announce you until next week. But thank you for supporting!
OK, so listen and enjoy!
Once upon a time, there was a cat and a mouse who lived together in a little house. Unlike others of her kind, the cat did not chase and eat the mouse, which meant that they could be friends, and friends they were. Everyone called them the ‘strange friends’, and they lived a peaceful life in the city.
One day, the cat came and spoke to the mouse.
‘We must think of winter. It is bright and sunny now, but in a few months’ time it will be dark and cold, and there will hardly be any food to eat. We should save something for winter. After all, if you go out looking for food in the winter, a cat might eat you!’
‘You’re quite right,’ said the mouse. ‘I know just the right food to keep. Let’s buy a pot of fat.
’
So they bought a pot, and were about to store it in the kitchen, when the mouse said, ‘Wait! We cannot keep it here. If we see it, we will want to eat it. Let us put it somewhere where we will forget about it until we need it: in the church, under the altar.’
So they went into the church, hid the pot of fat under the altar, and then went home and promptly forgot about it.
Or at least, the mouse forgot about it, but the cat thought about the pot of fat very often.
At first she thought, ‘Ah, what a wonderful idea it was to get that pot of fat! We will be very grateful for it in winter.’
But as the weeks passed, she thought more and more about the fat, and her thoughts began to turn selfish. She fantasised about going and eating the fat. It would taste so good!
So the cat came up with a plan. She came to the mouse and said, ‘Dear mouse, I have to ask you a favour. You see, my cousin has given birth to a beautiful little kitten with white and brown fur.
He really is very special, and my cousin has asked me to come to the christening and be his godmother. As I’m sure you can understand, this is an honour. Would it be alright if I left you to look after the house alone, just this one day?’
‘Of course, of course!’ said the mouse. ‘Family comes above all. Go and enjoy the christening, and if there is some nice food or drink, bring a bit back to me. In fact, I would love just a few drops of the wine—christening wine is always sweet and delicious.’
The cat smiled and said, ‘I’ll do my best.’
Naturally, the cat was lying. She had no cousin and nobody had asked her to be godmother. She happily walked out of the house and went straight to the church, pulled out the pot of fat, and opened it up.
Oh, it looked so good! The cat licked at it, enjoying the delicious taste, and she ate the top layer of the fat, until she was quite full up.
Then she went for a walk on the roofs of the city. She hoped to spot some dessert there, but finding none, she lay down in the sun and fell asleep.
She fantasised about the pot of fat again, licking her lips in anticipation of the next time she could eat from it.
When she returned home that evening, the mouse said, ‘Well, you look like you’ve had a wonderful time! I suppose it was a good christening, then?’
‘Oh yes, the best I’ve ever been to.’
‘And what did they name the child?’
The cat thought for a moment and then said, ‘Top-Off.’
‘Top-Off!’ said the mouse. ‘I must say, I have never heard such a peculiar name in my life. Are there others in your family with that name?’
‘It is a perfectly normal name, thank you very much. You have a godchild, don’t you? He’s called Big Nose, if I recall. That’s just as strange a name as Top-Off.’
And with that, the conversation was over.
But the cat did not stop thinking about the pot of fat, and a week later, she was filled with the desire to eat more of it.
So once more, she went to the mouse and said, ‘My dear mouse, I’m afraid I must ask for your assistance again.
My cousin has quite an active personality, and has already given birth to another child. This one has a white ring around her neck, which is quite a rare thing. They want me to be godmother again, and I am afraid I cannot say no. Would you look after the house one more time?’
‘No problem, friend! Go and enjoy yourself, and if you could possibly spare a few drops of that christening wine…’
‘Oh, we drank it up so quickly last time! But I will try.’
Of course, the cat did not go to any christening, but to the altar in the church. This time, she ate half the pot of fat, filling her stomach up completely.
‘Food tastes much better when you don’t have to share it with anyone else,’ she thought to herself.
Upon arriving home, the mouse of course asked her, ‘What did they name the child this time?’
‘Half-Done,’ said the cat.
‘Half-Done! Are you telling the truth? I have never heard of that name. I don’t think you would find it in a single name dictionary in the country!’
‘Then perhaps the dictionaries should be rewritten,’ grumbled the cat.
A few days later, the greedy cat got hungry again, and once more fantasised about the fat. Well, if she had already gone this far, why not go further?
‘Good things come in threes,’ announced the cat to the mouse. ‘I have been asked to be godmother again. This child is black with white hands, which makes it really quite a special kitten. I must attend the christening. Will you take care of the house while I’m gone?’
‘Top-Off! Half-Done! Those names really do make me think. I wonder what name it will be today?’
‘Well you just sit at home and wonder while I go and take part in the christening.’
So the cat headed off to the church. In the meantime, the mouse cleaned the house from top to bottom, while the cat ate the rest of the pot of fat.
‘It is so good to finish a meal,’ said the cat. She was so full that she had a long sleep on the roof and did not return home until the late hours of the night. The mouse eagerly asked what they had named the third child.
‘You’re not going to like this,’ said the cat. ‘He is called All-Gone.’
‘All-Gone!’ cried the mouse. ‘Why, that is the strangest name of all! I have never heard such a name in my entire life. What could it mean?’
Considering these questions, the mouse went off to bed.
After that day, the cat’s ‘cousin’ did not have any more children, and she was called to no more christenings. Winter finally came, and they ran out of food, but the mouse was not deterred by this.
‘It is a good thing we have that pot of fat!’ she said. ‘Let’s go to the church and enjoy our food.’
‘Yes,’ said the cat to herself, ‘although you could just stick your tongue out of the window and lick the air. It will have the same result.’
‘Hmm, what was that?’
‘Oh, nothing! I am simply anxious with anticipation.’
But when they arrived at the church, they found the pot empty.
‘Oh no!’ said the mouse. ‘I see what has happened. I thought we were friends, but in fact you have betrayed me! While you were “going to christenings”, you were really off eating the fat.
First Top-Off, then Half-Done, then—’
‘Do not finish,’ said the cat gravely. Just the sound of the names evoked memories of the delicious fat, and she was getting very hungry. ‘If you say another word, I’ll—’
‘All-Gone!’ cried the mouse.
And with that, the cat jumped on her and ate her up.
Because that is the way of the world. Cats eat mice, and cats get fat.
THE END
If you enjoyed the story and want to say thank you, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Just go to EasyStoriesInEnglish.com and click the orange button that says Buy me a coffee! Then you’ll be able to send me $3 so that I can buy a coffee, but really, I’ll probably get a bubble tea. And I’ll think of you while I drink it! Thank you for listening, and until next week.
Topics in English on various topics
This section presents teaching topics in English, which will help in studying both the school curriculum and self-study in English.
Topic in English "My favorite writer"
Topic on "My favorite writer" about one of the most popular modern American writers - Stephenie Meyer.
Dec 29 2020
Topic in English "Oxford University / Oxford University"
For a better immersion in the topic, read an essay in English on the topic "Oxford University" for grades 10-11.
21 Dec. 2020
Topic in English "Healthy Life / Healthy lifestyle"
Here is a finished essay about health. It is designed for the school stage of 8-9 grades.
Dec 9 2020
nine0002 Topic in English "My Birthday"One of the most popular topics for writing an essay in a foreign language is birthday.
Nov 20 2020
English Topic "Party"
English Topic "Party" is suitable for learners of different levels.
Nov 09 2020
English Topic "My studies"
Think about what you like most about studying: subjects, assignments, friends, teachers - and just tell about it in order.
nine0003
Oct 27 2020
Topic in English "My pet"
Compiling a topic for my pet in English is not only not difficult, but also a very pleasant task.
Oct 20 2020
Topic in English "My favorite singer"
Topic "my favorite singer" is one of the most popular topics. As a rule, it is held in 6-7 classes.
Oct 14 2020
nine0002 English topic "My dream"The topic "my dream" is one of the most extensive. Here the student is given complete freedom of choice.
Oct 52020
Topic in English "My style of clothes"
Get acquainted with the finished essay in English on the topic "My style of clothes". It is compiled taking into account the basic vocabulary of the intermediate level (Pre-Intermediate).
30 Sept. 2020
English topic "Learning foreign languages"
The topic “learning foreign languages” is suitable for high school students.
To write this essay, the student must have a fairly extensive vocabulary.
25 Sept. 2020
Topic in English "Halloween (Halloween)"
Recently, new holidays appear in the calendar, which came to us from the West. Halloween is one of them.
17 Sept. 2020
Topic in English "My favorite book"
Today we propose to consider the finished topic “My favorite book” as a sample for writing an essay.
07 Sep. 2020
Topic in English "The House of My Dream"
Depending on the educational and methodological complex, the topic in English "The House of My Dream" is introduced into the curriculum of grades 4-6 of a comprehensive school.
Sep 01 2020
English topic "My future profession"
This topic is studied in high school. This is due to the fact that students need to understand what they are interested in and what they would like to do in the future.
27 Aug. 2020
Topic in English "Summer holidays"
Topic "How I spent my summer holidays" is averaged over a thematic selection of activities typical for any student, so it will suit almost all students.
25 Aug. 2020
English movie books | Books for English Movies
Maybe, for being a human being, for starters, or continue to speak English language, two words, like to instill fear, and to mull, to wander in a cold sweat - tse "spelling" and "grammar". That, the shards of us from childhood start marveling at our fears in disguise, then today we will try to get rid of one of them at once.
Lady and gentleman, your respect is the top 10 grammatical help! Please check back for help for posting:
Statistical change:
- The Good Grammar Book
- Essential Grammar in Use
- English Grammar in Use
- A Practical English Grammar
- Oxford Practice Grammar
- Longman English Grammar Practice
- Cambridge Grammar for IELTS
- Advanced Grammar in Use
- Round-Up
- Enterprise Grammar Books
- Imprisonment
The Good Grammar Book
Rivne: Elementary–Lower Intermediate
Author: Michael Swan & Catherine Walter
For whom: for grown-ups
Type: Oxford
The Good Grammar Book is recognized for those who speak English and can be victorious at the same time as Elementary.
The authors themselves created a book for independent work. The book is made up of 21 sections, each section is based on an introduction and a test (application test for identifying gaps in your knowledge). In the kintsi, you will also know a test that will help you to understand the skills of goodness and master that other topic. nine0003
Grammar in books is given in small portions, in dekilka rows, after which they should be given the right to fix this material. Enough with the disgraceful assistant with simple explanations, which will help you better understand the grammar of the English language. Essential Grammar in Use 'appeared later, after such a distant debut of "Blue Murphy" (we will talk about him below), after which the offending books began to be divided by color. "Chervoniy Murphy" assignments to topics that sound like to be held on the level of "Elementary-Pre-Intermediate". nine0003
I have two sightings of "Red Murphy", with and without confirmation. As a matter of fact, this assistant can win both for work in the class, and for an independent wedding of the English language.
The book is composed of 114 independent lessons, which can be repeated in sufficient order. The skin lesson is formed from the theory, how to know evil and right, how to know right. Traditionally, it is a test for identifying problem areas.
If your rіven is greater, then varto pay respect to the grammatical aids given in the article below. nine0003
- The Good Grammar Book
- Essential Grammar in Use
- English Grammar in Use
- A Practical English Grammar
- Oxford Practice Grammar
- Longman English Grammar Practice
- Cambridge Grammar for IELTS
- Advanced Grammar in Use
English Grammar in Use
Date: Intermediate
Author: Raymond Murphy
Quantity: 1 book, 136 lessons
For whom: adults
Type: Cambridge
Who doesn't know the old Murphy? This book also goes under the code name "Blue Murphy", and in Ukrainian yak "Blue Murphy". Grammar in "Blue Murphy" was made more simple, "human" mine, so it can be mastered, starting from the equal "Pre-Intermediate".
Tse dovіdnik grammatica, kozhna z so suprovodzhuєtsya rights to fix. It consists of 136 lessons, skin of some of the assignments to a grammatical topic. One grammatical theme occupies the whole turn of the assistant, angry at whom you know the explanation, and on the right - right to the new. nine0003
You can learn from the lessons of self-reliance and їх in sufficient order. As a bonus before the lessons, there is a test for your level of English, as well as passes for your knowledge. You can win on your own, or at English lessons. "Murph" - tse, maybe, a classic of English grammar. And you can know this assistant, as if in the stakes of the English meeting you want to go for your own.
A Practical English Grammar
June: Intermediate
Author: A. J. Thomson, A. V. Martinet
For whom: for adults
Visualization: Oxford
A Practical English Grammar It’s not right to avenge yourself, but before the new one, two collections are right, assigned to the topics in the afternoon.
Since "Murph", which stands out for its simplicity and conciseness, "A Practical English Grammar" can give you a real shock. This is a superbly wide and deep collection of grammar of the English language with a lot of fluctuations in living, including butts. Maybe one of the most detailed and profound examples of practical English grammar. nine0003
Prote, this guide varto vikoristovuvaty as soon as an additional help on the development of the English language for understanding the details and nuances, so as to put all those that are put in one chapter of the book into the head, it is practically possible not to stumble. Also, yoga can be twisted to find the information you need. Thompson's clerk is quite knowledgeable and allows you to soon know the information you need.
The style is dry and academic, without illustrations and jarring. The collections have the right to guess their “father” for everyone and can give you boring ones. Prote, stink to finish the korisn for the correction of English grammar.
Collections can be checked independently and can be collected independently. nine0003
Sereda passes of Varto's Books that fact that Koszhe Kozhzhedi is picked up with the same, the dopomaga, revive the same gramatic dovidnik, and the same, in the writings of it itchy, it was not like that, but not the type of time, but that time yakі zgodom will be on the "FCE". To the minus varto to add stinginess and instill a lack of theoretical material.
Longman English Grammar Practice
River: Intermediate
Author: Alexander Longman
For whom: for adults
Type of education: Longman
"Longman English Grammar Practice" is covered for students of the "Intermediate" level. You can win as for an independent work, so for a work with a teacher. There are 16 themes, the skin of which is divided into dekilko pіdtem. The skin takes a twist, for which it is written like a theory, so I have the right to fasten it.
Theory is served in portions, after the theory goes practical.
The rest is rightly recognized as the adaptation of grammar to the context, sounding like a hoot of history with illustration, as if it were all taken away from the distribution of knowledge. The book can be propratsiovuvat at a certain sequence. nine0003
Satisfied with a good assistant of English language with a sufficient amount of both theoretical and practical rights. To a few, you can see the basic grammar of the grammar, without the nuances of those details.
Cambridge Grammar for IELTS
Upper-Intermediate
Author: Diana Hopkins, Pauline Cullen
For: Seniors
Victimship: Cambridge
Cambridge Grammar for IELTS is recognized as one of the first-bed students. Rozahovana on quiet, hto vchitsya independently, but you can win and like a tutor at the lesson. It is also a diagnostic test for the appointment of equals, which allows you to see the problem areas and focus on their treatment. nine0003
The lessons in the book are not related to each other, apparently they can be practiced in a reasonable order.
Stacks up to 25 lessons. Leather lessons consist of 4 parts: “Context Listening”, how to familiarize the listener with new grammar, as well as train listening skills; "Grammar", as if to avenge the theory; "Grammar exercises", how to avenge the right to practice that "Test practice", how to avenge the examination task.
Plus you can get a detailed grammar book with butts, as well as "Grammar extra". Razdіl, kay nadaє dodatkovu tsіkavu іnformatsiyu on those, on the butt, vykoristannya modal dієslіv in official documents. nine0003
Minus - the grammar is coherent and not even logically organized, which makes it easier to understand. Kozhen z rasdіlіv vengeance 4 small grammatical right to opratsyuvannya new grammar, which is clearly not enough for volodinnya theme. Advanced Grammar in Use English Grammar in Use”, also under the names “Chervony Murph” and “Blue Murph”. However, breaking tradition, the author of this book is Martin Hewings. nine0003
This book is recognized for those who speak advanced English.
Basically, it is done independently for the improvement of English grammar. According to the structure, guess your opponents, add up to 120 divisions, leather for any loans turn sideways, evil - rich theory, right - right.
A lesson in theory to make it simple and far away, to avenge a lot of basic information, including the nuances of living, which effectively allow you to improve your English language. Separate independent and їх you can pass in sufficient order. It is highly recommended to pass a test for identifying problem areas (the test is also available at the book), then proceed to identify problem areas. nine0003
The only disadvantage of this assistant is the lack of rights with the great amount of theoretical information. So, in order to enchant this topic, you will have to use supplementary materials. In general, a disgraceful assistant for self-perfection.
So varto pay respect for a series of grammatical aids for children and grown-ups.
Round-Up
Rivne: Starter–Upper-Intermediate
Author: Virginia Evans
Quantity: 7 books
For whom: for children and adults
Publisher: Longman
The Round-Up series of the British franchisor Longman consists of 7 books.
Appointed for children, that pіdlіtkіv that, singsongly, well known to these children, as they sang the English language at the post-tradyansky hour. The series is even more popular, as schools and courses often teach English movies, so there are a number of wins.
Seeing all the books on grammar with one-man rights, you immediately change to face it, guessing grammatically right, unimpressedly shake. nine0003
Information is given from looking at the table with butts and situations that are close to real ones. It is right to recognize both for writing and for verbal training of grammatical structures, right for group work. It is possible to cite as for an independent translation of the English language, so as a series of revenge in detail explanation to the skin division, and also the right to repeat the material covered. Grammar is served in portions, a new topic is introduced, a dialogue is introduced, often hot, which is accompanied by a funny illustration. nine0003
On the whole, a series of illustrations and rights of interest to children is given, but on the other hand, I will provide enough rights for enriching with new grammar.
So, if you want to change the stress of your child at the birth of the English language, feel free to choose the “Round-Up” melancholy.
Enterprise Grammar Books
June: Beginner–Intermediate
Author: Virginia Evans
For whom: for young adults and adults
Visualization: Express Publishing
In general, the "Enterprise" series is composed of "Student's Book", "Workbook" and "Grammar Book" for advanced grammar work, but can also be used independently.
In our opinion, one of the shortest books on grammar practice, especially for Pre-intermediate, Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate. The series is composed of 4 equals; All theory is blamed on the beginning of the lesson, after which you should be right on її poratsyuvannya. It’s right richly, the stench is quite dynamic and it allows good use of new grammatical structures. After 2-3 lessons, go to the right to repeat that opratsyuvannya dekіlkoh vvchenih topics. nine0003
An unparalleled advantage of the same series is the right to paraphrase that transformation of one grammatical structure into a foreign language.
