Writing a narrative #4

 

😆 Funny: There once was a wacky old woman who lived chaotically with her outrageously spoiled dog.

👻 Scary: There once was a pale, hollow-eyed woman who lived eerily with her unnervingly silent dog.

😢 Sad: There once was a lonely, broken-hearted woman who lived quietly with her only companion, a frail old dog.

😆 Funny: One day, she clumsily waddled to the bustling village and bought ridiculously oversized fruit and hilariously misshapen vegetables.

👻 Scary: One dark, misty day, she crept cautiously to the desolate village and bought strangely bruised fruit and eerily rotting vegetables.

😢 Sad: One cold, dreary day, she slowly walked to the quiet village and bought a few wilted vegetables and overripe fruit with her last few coins.

😆 Funny: When she finally stumbled back to her messy home, she found that her mischievous dog had vanished—probably off on another snack-stealing adventure.

👻 Scary: When she cautiously stepped back into her dark, creaking home, she found that her dog was gone, leaving behind only deep claw marks and an eerie silence.

😢 Sad: When she wearily returned to her small, empty home, she found that her beloved dog was gone, and a crushing loneliness filled the space where he once lay.

😆 Funny: But inside the house, she saw a tiny, clumsy puppy wagging its tail so hard it nearly knocked itself over.

👻 Scary: But inside the house, she saw a shadowy, wide-eyed puppy staring at her—its glowing eyes unblinking in the dim light.

😢 Sad: But inside the house, she saw a shivering, abandoned puppy, looking up at her with the same lonely eyes as her lost dog.

Μια φορά κι έναν καιρό, ήταν μια τρελούτσικη γριούλα που ζούσε χαοτικά με τον εξωφρενικά κακομαθημένο σκύλο της. Μια μέρα, παραπατώντας αδέξια, πήγε στο πολυσύχναστο χωριό και αγόρασε γελοία, τεράστια φρούτα και ξεκαρδιστικά παραμορφωμένα λαχανικά. Όταν τελικά παραπάτησε πίσω στο ακατάστατο σπίτι της, διαπίστωσε ότι ο σκανταλιάρης σκύλος της είχε εξαφανιστεί—μάλλον σε μια ακόμα περιπέτεια κλοπής σνακ. Αλλά μέσα στο σπίτι, είδε ένα μικροσκοπικό, αδέξιο κουτάβι να κουνάει την ουρά του τόσο δυνατά που σχεδόν έπεφτε κάτω.

Κάποτε ήταν μια χλωμή γυναίκα με βαθουλωτά μάτια, που ζούσε ανατριχιαστικά με τον ανησυχητικά σιωπηλό σκύλο της. Μια σκοτεινή, ομιχλώδη μέρα, σύρθηκε προσεκτικά στο έρημο χωριό και αγόρασε παράξενα, μαυρισμένα φρούτα και ανατριχιαστικά, σάπια λαχανικά. Όταν επέστρεψε προσεκτικά στο σκοτεινό σπίτι της με τους παράξενους θορύβους, διαπίστωσε ότι ο σκύλος της είχε εξαφανιστεί, αφήνοντας πίσω του μόνο βαθιά σημάδια από νύχια και μια ανατριχιαστική σιωπή. Αλλά μέσα στο σπίτι, είδε ένα σκουρόχρωμο κουτάβι με γουρλωτά μάτια να την κοιτάζει—τα μάτια του, που έβγαζαν ένα παράξενο φως, ανοιγόκλειναν στο αχνό φως.

Κάποτε ήταν μια μοναχική, συντετριμμένη γυναίκα που ζούσε ήσυχα με τη μοναδική της συντροφιά, έναν αδύναμο, γέρο σκύλο. Μια κρύα, μουντή μέρα, περπάτησε αργά μέχρι το ήσυχο χωριό και αγόρασε με τα τελευταία της κέρματα λίγα μαραμένα λαχανικά και παραγινωμένα φρούτα. Όταν γύρισε στο σπίτι, είδε ένα τρεμάμενο, εγκαταλελειμμένο κουτάβι να την κοιτάζει με τα ίδια μοναχικά μάτια όπως ο χαμένος της σκύλος.

Here is a simple four-paragraph narrative based on the cue card, written at a B1 English level:

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Last October, my five friends and I decided to celebrate my birthday in an old haunted house. It was a cold, rainy, and foggy night, which made everything scarier. We were all 17 years old, and each of us had a different personality. My ex-girlfriend was with us, which was a bit awkward. There was also a geek who loved science, and a prankster who always tried to scare us.

We brought sleeping bags, lanterns, a box of matches, an axe, some canned food, a thick rope, and a deck of cards. The house was dark and creepy, with broken windows and strange noises. We set up our sleeping bags in one room and started playing cards. Suddenly, we heard a loud noise upstairs. The prankster laughed, but the rest of us felt nervous.

After some time, we realized we had some big problems. There was no phone coverage, so we couldn’t call anyone. One of my friends had a food allergy and started feeling sick after eating some canned food. Worse, we noticed we were running out of fresh water. The geek suggested we collect rainwater, but the prankster joked that the ghosts would get us first.

The night felt endless. We heard strange whispers and footsteps, but we were too scared to check. We stayed close together, waiting for morning. When the sun finally rose, we packed our things and ran out of the house as fast as we could. It was a birthday I would never forget!

Revised version with more varied sentence structures, richer vocabulary, and smoother transitions, suitable for a B2-level EFL learner:

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Last October, my five friends and I decided to celebrate my birthday in an old, isolated haunted house. The weather couldn’t have been worse—it was cold, rainy, and foggy, making the atmosphere even creepier. We were all 17 years old, and our group was quite diverse. My ex-girlfriend was there, which made things a little awkward, along with a geek who loved science and a prankster who never missed a chance to scare us.

We came well-prepared with sleeping bags, lanterns, a box of matches, an axe, some canned food, a thick rope, and a deck of cards. As we settled into one of the rooms, we started playing cards to distract ourselves from the eerie surroundings. However, the tension grew when we heard a loud thud from upstairs. The prankster laughed it off, but the rest of us exchanged nervous glances. Was it just the wind, or was someone—or something—up there?

As the night went on, we faced unexpected problems. Our phones had no signal, leaving us completely cut off. Worse, one of my friends had a food allergy and started feeling unwell after eating some canned food. To make things even more stressful, we realized we were running out of fresh water. The geek suggested collecting rainwater, but the prankster kept making jokes about ghosts watching us, which only made everyone more anxious.

The hours dragged on, and every small noise made us jump. Shadows seemed to move in the dim light, and the wind howled through the broken windows. None of us dared to check the upper floor. Instead, we huddled together, counting down the minutes until sunrise. When the first light finally appeared, we grabbed our things and rushed out of the house, relieved to be outside. It was a terrifying but unforgettable birthday—one I would never repeat!