
Learn how to tell stories in a dynamic way in English
Loading summary
Aubrey Carter
This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2404, how mixing up your grammar makes you a better storyteller.
Lindsey McMahon
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com forward/, subscribe. How many different grammar tenses do you think a skilled storyteller uses in one story today? Get an example from my trip to Nicaragua and find out how to mix up your grammar to the max.
State Farm Ad
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You might say all kinds of stuff when things go wrong, but these are the words you really need to remember. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. They've got options to fit your unique insurance needs, meaning you can talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you value most, file a claim right on the State Farm mobile app, and can even reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
Lindsey McMahon
Hey, Lindsay.
Aubrey Carter
How are you?
Lindsey McMahon
Hey, Aubrey. Doing great. How's it going?
Aubrey Carter
Excellent. I'm curious, what verb tense do you use when telling a story?
Lindsey McMahon
I feel like I use the present tense a lot.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah, a lot. Just the present tense.
Lindsey McMahon
But not just the present tense, though. Not just that. I mean, that would be kind of weird. I think I move between the present tense, the past tense, the present perfect tense.
Aubrey Carter
We use them. All right. It depends on what we're saying. I agree. Present tense comes up a lot because you're trying to pull someone into the story, make them feel like they were there with you. So we move into the present tense, but we use subjunctive conditional. We use all of the tenses when telling a story. So you can't just think, this happened in the past. I'm using past simple tense. It doesn't work that way.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah, we just move seamlessly in and out of them. Right? That's the key. We did do an episode recently on reporting our speech and our thoughts, and I shared how I ran into Billy Eilish in la, which is very cool, you know? So I told my daughter.
Aubrey Carter
She was. She's like, oh, I wish she would have gotten a photo with her. Like she would. She loves Billie Eilish.
Lindsey McMahon
Does she really? Yeah.
Aubrey Carter
I'M not.
Lindsey McMahon
I'm not. Like, I don't know her music, but I was not going to be the one. One of the ones chasing after her. No, thank you.
Aubrey Carter
Right. We want to let her have some privacy. And my daughter probably wouldn't either. She's so shy. But she thought that was so cool that you saw. That's cool. That's cool.
Lindsey McMahon
Love that. All right, guys, before we get deeper into the episode, make sure you share this show with one friend. Right? There is a share a weird way to share your episode in Spotify or Apple. Think of one friend. Well, who should we think of, Aubrey, who would be an ideal listener of all ears English.
Aubrey Carter
Ideally, someone else, you know, who's learning English, right. Who speaks at a pretty high level like you, who would enjoy these podcasts. I love that idea to. I share it with people all the time. When I was in Mexico, I told my masseuse about the podcast. I told the guy we rented jet skis from about the podcast because they're all there learning English and they speak English pretty well. And I'm like, I look for a podcast. You should check it out.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah, that's perfect. No, I love it. And. And imagine someone who believes in human connection. Right? That's the kind of show that we put on here. And our listeners also believe in that value of we just want to connect. Right. We know that we don't have to be perfect, but we just want to connect, and we'll get you there. So go ahead and click on that share button and share allers English with one person. All right?
Aubrey Carter
Yes. And we are today diving into all of these tenses we use when telling a story. We want you to be able to tell interesting, engaging stories. We did, like Lindsay said, talked about, reported speech. Stay to the end. We'll share what episode that was in case you missed it. But when telling stories, you need to know what these different verb tenses are for so you know which to use. And we've done a lot of episodes where we dive into these specific verb tenses more deeply. We're going to give you a very brief overview of several of them that we use the most often when telling a story.
Lindsey McMahon
All right, good stuff. So we're going to go through the grammar pieces, and then at the end of the episode, you're going to hear my story about something I did in Nicaragua, and we'll pull out the pieces of grammar that I used. A very natural story. Okay.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. Exciting. Stay to the end so you don't miss that story.
Lindsey McMahon
Nice. All Right. So first one we need for. For telling a story. What is it? Aubrey?
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. Present perfect. And this is often how we introduce a story. So, for example, I've always loved finding new restaurants. And last night. Right. So I'm setting the stage. I'm sharing how things have always been. I have always loved finding new restaurants. Present. Perfect. Yeah.
Lindsey McMahon
I think this is a very articulate way of telling a story, opening a story, I think I don't usually do this, but I sort of wish I did. You know, I've always been a traveler, for example. Right. I've always been adventurous when I travel. These are. This would be a smart way to open a story. I usually just go, right thing, though. But it does set the stage.
Aubrey Carter
Nice. I challenge you, Lindsay, to start doing this. I think you're gonna find, like, oh, okay. It was a better story. It set the stage. It gave a little background. It let someone know a little more about you as a person and your life experience. Right. That's why we're using present perfect. Perfect. Talk about sort of things we've always done.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. Because if you think of movies that are narrated, they bring you right into the psyche of the main character. By sometimes doing that, you know, it'll. The scene will open and the. The. The darkness will come over the lens cover. I've always been this. I've always been that. Right.
Aubrey Carter
Character development.
Lindsey McMahon
That's what it is.
Aubrey Carter
I've read hundreds of books, but this one. Right. So I have read. We've got that present perfect. To set the stage a little bit. Good.
Lindsey McMahon
All right, now we also need another tense. We need aubry is what?
Aubrey Carter
Past simple. So this is finished. Actions in the past. So these examples are going to be threads that are continuing a story. Right. So the first one, I've always loved finding new restaurants. And last night, then we moved to past simple. I ate at the best Thai restaurant. So we're moving into the past simple to. To say something specific that happened in the past at a specific point in time.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. Or just saying something like, I absolutely loved it. Right. I absolutely loved the food in Cambodia, for example.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. Or that story we're continuing here. I've read hundreds of books, but this one I absolutely loved. Right. Then we just need that past simple to share. I loved this book.
Lindsey McMahon
But then the next thing we do, aubry, which I think is really dynamic, It's. We pull people in to the story by using the present tense. We pull the listener in by state by making it feel like we're doing the thing in that moment, but we're not. We're bringing them back to that moment.
Aubrey Carter
Right, Exactly. Or stating facts that are always true. So, for example, this restaurant, it's right around the corner from my house, and it is seriously the best. Right. So I'm sharing. I don't have to stay in the past saying what I ate and what we did. Right. Now I've moved into the present. Or the books I read. I read books a lot, but this one seriously blew me away. Right. I'm present tense. I read books a lot. But I love what you said as well.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes.
Aubrey Carter
We pull them in and then picture it. We are in a parking lot and this woman arrives out of nowhere. And we start using present tense to make it feel like it's happening right now.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes, exactly. Or, you know, it's 5:55am My alarm goes off and I know today's the day. Right. So this is also present tense. And the purpose of this is a little different from that. Right. It's pulling in the listener to that moment.
Aubrey Carter
Right. We have set the stage, and now we're bringing them and us to the present to make it feel like it's real. It's happening right now.
Lindsey McMahon
But we also use the subjunctive for hypothetical situations. What would this look like? Aubry?
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. So maybe with this restaurant example, if I weren't wandering that area, I'd never have found this restaurant. So I use this hypothetical like, oh, if I hadn't been there, this would never have happened.
Lindsey McMahon
I love it. I love it. Or if you were to read just one book this year, it should be this one. Right.
Aubrey Carter
So that example. Oh, I read books a lot, but this one blew me away. If you were to choose just one book to read this year. Right. You need the subjunctive mood for this.
Lindsey McMahon
I love it. So good. So that's one. And then there's still another. I can't even believe how many 10 use when we tell stories. It's incredible. Aubrey, we use conditionals too.
Aubrey Carter
Exactly. Right. If we want to express that one thing is contingent on another, or what might happen or what might have happened. Often this makes the story the most interesting. You can add interest. Right. I, I, you know, for example, if that restaurant would do some marketing, they'd be busier. This is a conditional about. Right. I'm saying it was dead. I'm worried it's going to close down. If they would do marketing, they would be busier.
Lindsey McMahon
Or if, if they, if they did marketing, they would be busier. If they marketed themselves, they would be busier. Right. A lot of ways we could say that with the conditional or. I would have liked this book better if it were shorter. Okay. Yes.
Aubrey Carter
Long story that starts with conditional and ends with subjunctive. There are so many verb tenses here. When we're telling stories, the most important thing is to pay attention when you are observing language. When you hear someone else tell a story, notice all of the different ver tenses so that you can make your stories more interesting.
Lindsey McMahon
I love it. We're pulling in lots of tenses to keep it dynamic. Make it interesting. That is the key. I think that's been a bit of a theme in the last few weeks. Aubry on this show is telling interesting stories, right?
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. Which is great. We want you to be able to tell interesting stories. Right. It's such a fun connection skill.
Lindsey McMahon
So good. I have learned after so many years as an entrepreneur that speed matters when it comes to hiring, but so does quality. You need the most qualified person on your team fast. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. Indeed's Sponsored Jobs helps you stand out and hire fast. With Sponsored Jobs, your job post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster, and it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, sponsor jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Hiring for me in the past has felt overwhelming. Managing all of the incoming applications, making sure you write the job ad in a way that attracts top talent. That's what I love about Indeed. It speeds up the process and makes it easier. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@indoubtedly.com AEE just go to indeed.com a e e right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com a e e that's I n d E-E-D.com a e-e terms and conditions do apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. All right, Aubry, we are back. What are we doing now?
Aubrey Carter
All right, Lindsay, you are going to share with us a fun story and I'm going to be jotting down taking note of the verb tenses you use so that after your story we can pull them out highlight so we see all of the verb tenses you used.
Lindsey McMahon
Okay. And how long should I. How long should my story be? Just so I'm clear.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah, maybe I don't know, a couple minutes. One to two minutes.
Lindsey McMahon
Okay. All right, let's do it. I've got us. I've got something in mind.
Aubrey Carter
Awesome. Okay. I'm excited.
Lindsey McMahon
Okay, let's do it. All right, here we go. So, Aubry, I've always been an adventurous person, but I never imagined that I would do what I did on this day. So I was in Nicaragua. I think I was in Managua or somewhere close to there. And after backpacking around for a couple of days, I realized, or we realized, that the thing to do in Nicaragua is volcano boarding. And not just volcano boarding, but active volcano boarding. So Nicaragua is a country with a lot of volcanoes, right? A lot of seismic activity. And so we booked a tour to go volcano boarding. Have you ever heard of this before?
Aubrey Carter
I have never heard of volcano boarding. I can't believe.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah, so I saw it. I saw videos of this, of what you actually do and get. And just listen to this. This is actually what you do. You. What they do is they take the backs of refrigerators. They take. Because the refrigerators are slick, right? They're slippery. They take the back, that coating off the refrigerator, and they make it into a board. And so what you do is you book a tour. You get up in the morning super early. It's still dark out. You hop on a bus, you drive for three hours. So we're driving. We're driving, and the terrain is getting more bumpy and bumpy. We get there, we put these refrigerators. Not a full refrigerator, but it's the, you know, our boards. We put them on our back. So we start hiking up this active volcano. And I'm always a little nervous about active volcanoes, right? Like, okay, let's just hope that today's not the day, you know, that this volcano explodes, right? Because that just wouldn't be so convenient. So we hike up this volcano. We get to the top, and I watch the guide. He does the example. He goes down, and I'm terrified. Aubry, I don't think I've been that scared before. I'm like, I'm visibly shaking. I'm feeling my adrenaline is popping up, coming, like, going throughout my body. And I'm thinking, how the heck am I going to control my board? Because this is a steep volcano, right? This is not, like, just an easy slope. And it doesn't look like you have much control. All you. All you do is you just slap it down, put your butt on it, and you go. So I watch people go, and they seem like they're flying off and someone is Is getting speed with a speed gun. And then it's my turn. I'm one of the last ones to step up. And I'm thinking, I don't want to die on a volcano board. Right? I just. This isn't where how I want to go. And so I put it down and I sit down, and I. My. I'm supposed to use my feet as brakes. Right? That was how it worked. And I realized quickly, I realized I had. I had more control than I thought I did. And so I did go, but I ended up going really slow. I did, like, 15 miles an hour down the volcano. And then at the end, they had a list of. Of speeds. And I think the fastest guy was 45 or 47 miles an hour. I was like, 12, 45 miles an hour.
Aubrey Carter
That is insane.
Lindsey McMahon
Wild. Wild. So I was a little embarrassed about how slow I went, But I was so happy to see that I could indeed control my speed and I wasn't gonna die that day on that volcano.
Aubrey Carter
So this is crazy. I've never heard of anyone doing that before. I think I would be a hard pass on that. And I feel like I'm an adventurous person.
Lindsey McMahon
But, Aubrey, you've cliff jumped before. You've done way crazier things.
Aubrey Carter
Sc scary. Maybe if I were in that situation, I probably would be like, I gotta try it, but, man, that sounds scary. Okay, this looked really scary.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. Like, for all of the verb tenses that came out, and you used quite a bit of present continuous, present progressive, which we actually didn't highlight. So I'm glad it came up in your story because it really showed how much we do that as well, that we use continuous also to pull people in. And was like, this is a continued action, so they're part of the story. Right. Let's go through this. So you started with present perfect to say, I've always been adventurous, but this was crazy. Love that to introduce. Then immediately jumped into past simple. I never imagined. But this is conditional, right? It starts with past simple, and then conditional. I never imagined I would do this.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes.
Aubrey Carter
So really interesting. And then I love, you know, some more past tense. After backpacking, I realized, so we have the past simple there, and then we're moving into present. Nicaragua is a country that.
Lindsey McMahon
Right.
Aubrey Carter
You did a little bit of press present simple to share these. These, you know, facts that are always true. Always true. And so we use present simple for that. And then I love something you did where you say, just listen to. This is such a great storytelling phrase to really build up excitement. Like, you're never gonna believe this. No. Just. Yeah. So good. And then you have present simple where you are help, you know, bringing me into the story. Bringing us into the story. They take the backs of fridges. You book a tour, you get up early. Right. This is all present simple to like. Like so that we're imagining. We're right there. What you do.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah.
Aubrey Carter
And then you moved into present progressive or present continuous. You'll hear this tense called both. We talked about it a lot here on the podcast, but we use it in stories. You said we're driving and then we start hiking. And you used a lot of. Instead of saying we hike, we drive. Right. It's a continued action. So you're going to use present progressive. And then I really loved when you were talking about how, like, I mean, this volcano could erupt. So you say, let's hope this is not the day. Right? Yeah. This is what really makes the story great. Taking the time to add those interesting phrases and share your feelings. You were sharing that it was scary. Like, this could erupt at any moment. Don't hesitate to add that when you tell a story, guys. Right. Add what you. Yeah.
Lindsey McMahon
Add a little drama. Right. I mean, I didn't really think it was going to erupt, but I knew it was an active volcano, which it could. Right.
Aubrey Carter
And it makes the story more interesting. Right. It feels more death defying that you're thinking it could. Right?
Lindsey McMahon
Yes.
Aubrey Carter
And then lastly, I want to point out, when you used reported speech, reported thoughts and the past, you said, I'm thinking, how the heck am I going to control my board? And this is the episode we did recently. We want to make sure you don't miss it because we do this a lot. When telling a story that will narrate our thoughts in the past, narrate what we were thinking or what we said. And that really pulls someone in and makes it so much more interesting. Wow, that was a great story. And it's amazing how many different verb tenses you use.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah, it's mindboggling. Right. But this shows our listeners is really how natives speak. Right. This is how we do it. We don't just stay in one tense. We move in and out of them, depending on what we're trying to convey. Are we trying to pull people in? Are we trying to recount a series of events? You wait, I, you know, I wake up, I get on the bus. How are we doing it? So good. So good.
Aubrey Carter
Exactly. Right? Yes. So we want to make sure that when you guys tell stories, you're thinking about all of these things, right? That you, you tell an interesting, engaging story. This is such a great connection skill, right? Huge.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes.
Aubrey Carter
Way more important than if you're making grammar mistakes is that you are engaging the people you're listening and telling these interesting stories.
Lindsey McMahon
Oh, my gosh. You can still tell an incredible story while making some grammar mistakes. Obviously not tons of grammar mistakes, but some because there's a lot more resources that we have, like tone of voice, vocabulary, a lot of things we can do to set the stage. So, Aubrey, I think we'll be coming back to storytelling as a theme, you know, in the future on the podcast. It's a great topic.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. It's vital that we want you guys to be able to tell stories, but we want them to be interesting. We've all had that person telling us a story and we're. Our eyes are glazing over. Right. So come back if you missed it. Don't miss. All yours. English 2401 how to be a more interesting storyteller. That's where we talked about narrating speech and thoughts in the past. This is vital. And Then today's episode 2. Use these strategies energies. Don't limit yourself to past tense. Right?
Lindsey McMahon
Oh, gosh, no. Don't worry. Yeah. Think about how boring that story would have been if the whole thing had been in the past tense.
Aubrey Carter
I went to Nicaragua. We rented.
Lindsey McMahon
There's so much couldn't say.
State Farm Ad
Right.
Lindsey McMahon
I miss all those details because they just don't make sense in the simple past. I love it. Guys, if you love our style, go ahead and share the show with one friend. All right. Good stuff.
Aubrey Carter
Awesome. Okay. For sharing your story with us, Lindsay, that was awesome.
Lindsey McMahon
Thanks. Thank you for breaking down the grammar. Great stuff. Well, see you next time.
Aubrey Carter
Nice. See you next time.
Lindsey McMahon
All right, bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.
All Ears English Podcast - Episode 2404: How Mixing Up Your Grammar Makes You a Better Storyteller
Release Date: May 7, 2025
In Episode 2404 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter delve into the art of storytelling in English, emphasizing how diversifying your grammatical structures can enhance the effectiveness and engagement of your narratives. This episode is tailored for intermediate to advanced English learners seeking to elevate their storytelling skills by leveraging various verb tenses and grammatical nuances.
Lindsay and Aubrey begin by exploring the significance of using multiple verb tenses to create dynamic and engaging stories. They argue that relying solely on one tense, such as the past simple, can make narratives monotonous and less captivating.
Notable Quote:
Aubrey Carter [06:06]: "Present tense comes up a lot because you're trying to pull someone into the story, make them feel like they were there with you."
The hosts outline several key verb tenses and their specific roles in crafting compelling stories:
Present Perfect: Often used to introduce a story, setting the stage by providing background information.
Example by Aubrey:
"I've always loved finding new restaurants. And last night..." (00:46)
Past Simple: Utilized for recounting specific events that occurred at definite times in the past.
Example by Lindsay:
"I never imagined that I would do what I did on this day." (12:05)
Present Tense: Employed to bring listeners into the current moment of the story, making events feel immediate and real.
Example by Aubrey:
"This restaurant is right around the corner from my house, and it is seriously the best." (07:25)
Subjunctive Conditional: Used for hypothetical scenarios, adding depth and interest by exploring "what if" situations.
Example by Lindsay:
"If I weren't wandering that area, I'd never have found this restaurant." (08:04)
Conditionals: Help express contingencies and possibilities, enhancing the narrative's complexity and intrigue.
Example by Aubrey:
"If they did marketing, they would be busier." (08:40)
Notable Quote:
Lindsay McMahon [05:02]: "I've always been a traveler, for example. Right. I've always been adventurous when I travel."
To illustrate the practical application of these grammatical concepts, Lindsay shares a personal story about her adventure volcano boarding in Nicaragua. Aubrey meticulously analyzes the verb tenses Lindsay employs, highlighting how each tense contributes to the narrative's flow and engagement.
Key Points from the Story Analysis:
Present Perfect to Introduce: Sets up Lindsay's adventurous personality.
"I've always been an adventurous person..." (12:05)
Past Simple for Specific Events: Details her experience and actions.
"I realized that the thing to do in Nicaragua is volcano boarding." (12:05)
Present Tense to Immerse the Listener: Makes the events feel immediate.
"You book a tour, you get up in the morning super early..." (16:21)
Subjunctive and Conditionals for Hypotheticals: Adds depth and explores alternative scenarios.
"If I weren't wandering that area, I'd never have found this restaurant." (08:04)
Notable Quote:
Aubrey Carter [17:00]: "This is such a great storytelling phrase to really build up excitement. Like, you're never gonna believe this."
Beyond verb tenses, Lindsay and Aubrey touch upon other grammatical tools that enrich storytelling:
Reported Speech and Thoughts: Narrating what characters say or think adds layers to the narrative.
Example by Lindsay:
"I'm thinking, how the heck am I going to control my board?" (17:53)
Present Progressive/Continuous Tense: Indicates ongoing actions, making the story more vivid.
Example by Aubrey:
"We're driving, and the terrain is getting more bumpy..." (16:21)
Notable Quote:
Lindsay McMahon [19:07]: "You can still tell an incredible story while making some grammar mistakes. Obviously not tons of grammar mistakes, but some."
A recurring theme in the episode is the importance of prioritizing connection with the listener over flawless grammar. The hosts encourage learners to focus on making their stories engaging and relatable, even if it means making occasional grammatical errors.
Notable Quote:
Aubrey Carter [18:59]: "Way more important than if you're making grammar mistakes is that you are engaging the people you're listening and telling these interesting stories."
Episode 2404 of All Ears English Podcast effectively underscores the power of varied grammatical structures in storytelling. By mastering the use of different verb tenses and incorporating additional grammatical tools, English learners can craft narratives that are not only grammatically rich but also engaging and compelling. Lindsay and Aubrey's insightful discussion serves as a valuable guide for anyone looking to enhance their English storytelling abilities, reinforcing the podcast's motto: Connection NOT Perfection.
Final Quote:
Lindsay McMahon [20:03]: "Think about how boring that story would have been if the whole thing had been in the past tense."
Previous Episode Mentioned:
Upcoming Episodes:
Listeners are encouraged to practice their storytelling skills by sharing their own stories using diverse grammatical structures. Engaging with fellow learners and practicing consistently will lead to improved fluency and confidence in English narration.
For more episodes and resources, visit AllEarsEnglish.com.