A selection of English ESL short stories printables

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

For personal or classroom use only. Uploading on other internet sharing platforms or any commercial use NOT PERMITTED. Share Alike.

Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License

Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives License

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike License

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License

how to accuse somebody of something in English

how to apologize, say sorry, forgive and express regret in English

how to ask for information and make inquiries in English

how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

how to defend yourself from criticism in English

how to deny or admit something in English

how to describe things or people in English

how to emphasize important things in English

how to encourage or discourage people in English

how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

how to express cause and effect in English

how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

how to express sequence and chronology in English

how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

how to keep a conversation going in English

how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

how to say thank you, express gratitude in English

Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

This short story finds mehdi and claire discussing new year's resolutions on new year's day. It includes american slang and verb phrases. Comprehension questions may be answered in writing or orally with a partner or group.

New year’s resolutions: a mehdi and claire short story

"Think-Tales 2" is a follow-up collection to Think Tales 1. It is a teaching and learning tool which consists of a collection of original short stories and poems: Frosty, Cupid, Mother Earth, Father Time, Jack-O-Lantern, Catrina, Kostroma, 3 Wise Men, Santa, Reindeer, Turkey, Lady Liberty, Mother, Pilgrims and Harvesters as well as. It contains some questions and activities.This is also available in ESL printables. Download volume 1 too. Developed by Sirhajwan Idek





Think Tales Volume 2 ( A collection of short stories & poems)

Once upon a time in the enchanting land of Morocco, there lived two brave and clever children who found themselves facing a formidable challenge. Their path crossed with a group of fearsome ogres, known for their wickedness and insatiable hunger. Through their courage, wit, and a touch of magic, the children embarked on an extraordinary adventure, where they discovered the true power of friendship and the importance of standing up against all odds. This timeless Moroccan folktale weaves together suspense, excitement, and valuable life lessons, captivating readers young and old. Get ready to be transported to a world where bravery triumphs over darkness in this captivating tale of two children and their encounter with the enigmatic ogres.

Short story 'Two kids and the ogress' a Moroccan folktale

past simple 
 past continuous 
 gap fill
 past tenses 
 intermediate 
 short story 
gap-fill exercise based on a short story 
 story about a trip 
 

Gap fill exercise based on a short story about a trip

Students must watch three different videos on youtube. 
They'll find the videos by typing the title.
The channel on youtube is called: The Fable Cottage
Then they must answer the questions! 
leave a comment if you liked it so that i'll make more of them!!

LEVELS: A/B/C Senior classes
English


Three short Stories to Watch On Youtube and their questions!!! NEW!!

Two in One is a short story by Flann O'Brian who is one of my favourites. The worksheet includes reading, writing & speaking skills. It also has Teacher's and Student's Notes. More like a ready made lesson. Yet It is fully editable. I hope You'll enjoy the worksheet. It is especially for pre- intermediate and intermediate students. High Schools - Young Adults and Adults. 

Two in One by Flann O'Brian (Short Story - Reading, Writing & Speaking Activities)

Short story involves the first day of the Fall semester at a university. The story is told primarily in the past simple tense. Vocabulary and comprehension questions are included.

When Mehdi met Claire: a short story in the past simple tense

Write about a special event in your family. Go step by step. This template will help the EFL student to build their own short story about a family event. It also provides helpful vocabulary.

Writing a short story about a special event in your family. - template

Students  ( grade 3 or 4) read the story , then answer questions. There is a Korean translation of al the material. Students can use their imagination, and if your students are Korean, this can be very helpful.

Short story about a Rabbit searching for Friends, with 18 questions. ( Korean Translations)

Simple reading comprehension activity for kids about The Legend of the Leprechauns. This story is perfect for St. Patrick's day This worksheet can be paired with this video: https://youtu.be/w8Sb4Y1vQH4


Students will learn the legend of leprechauns and new vocabulary like gold, fairy, shoemaker, rainbow, leprechaun, and more!


Students must answer short answers about the text. Answers are provided on the second sheet. 

The Legend of the Leprechauns - Short Story for St Patrick's Day - Reading Comprehension with Video

Divide students in groups of 3. Dividethe questions so that each stdent in each group has different questions. Students ask and answer the questions. Later in the class, the instructor calls on individual questions to answer the questions.

Comprehension/discussion questions are based on Shuang Xuetao's short story HEART. Read HEART at this link: https://newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/09/heart-fiction-shuang-xuetao

Short ´cloze´ story designed for students to practise the use of the present simple and present continuous. Make sure to review or pre-teach usage. No-frills and low on images and colour so it can be used with all ages and save ink. Answer key included.

534 Short stories English ESL worksheets pdf & doc