Telling Life Stories with Past and Present Perfect.

Here you use grammar to tell richer stories about your life. You read a short blog post and listen to someone describing their education, jobs and travel experiences. You notice how past simple, past continuous and present perfect work together to show main events, background and life experience. We highlight useful story openings, linking words and typical mistakes with tense consistency. You then plan and tell a short life story, for example for an interview, a new colleague or a new flatmate. You practise moving smoothly between different time periods and choosing whether to focus on when something happened or on the result now. In a guided writing task, you write a short personal story or LinkedIn-style summary and then edit it for tense accuracy. By the end, you can share key experiences and changes in your life with a clear timeline and more natural narrative flow.

1. Reading a model life-story blog.

In this first part of the lesson, I would like you to step into a very familiar situation. Imagine you are getting ready for a future job interview, or perhaps you are updating your profile on a networking site like LinkedIn. People will not only look at your skills, they will also want to understand your story. Where do you come from? What have you done? How did you become the person you are now? To help you with this, we are going to start by reading a short blog post from a young professional called Sara. While you read, pay attention to three things. First, how she organises her story into a beginning, a middle and an end. Second, how she moves through time using different past and present perfect forms. And third, some useful opening phrases such as “I was born in” or “One important experience for me was”. After you read, you will write a short summary of her life story, so really try to picture Sara’s life in your mind and follow the main steps in her journey.

The situation.

You often need to tell your life story in English: in an interview, on a study programme application, when you meet a new flatmate, or on a professional profile. A clear, simple story with good grammar makes you sound confident and interesting.

To begin, let us look at a model.

Model blog post: *“My journey so far”*.

> Hi, I am Sara. I was born in a small town in the north of Italy in 1994. When I was a child, I used to spend hours drawing and reading travel magazines. At that time I was living with my parents and my grandmother, and our house was always full of noise and good food.

> When I finished school, I moved to Milan to study graphic design at university. It was an exciting but difficult time. I worked in a café in the evenings while I was studying during the day, so I was always tired but very motivated. In my final year I did an internship with a small advertising agency. After that, I decided to stay in Milan and work there full-time.

> Over the last six years, I have worked on campaigns for charities, tech start-ups and local shops. One important experience for me was a project for a refugee organisation. Since then, I have tried to choose work that has a positive impact. Recently I have started teaching design workshops for teenagers, and I have realised that I really enjoy helping young people be creative. In the end, I think my journey shows that you can mix art, work and social change.

Noticing structure and tenses.

Look back at Sara’s story and notice:

• Beginning: childhood and early life. She uses phrases like “I was born in…”, “When I was a child, I used to…”, “At that time I was living…” with past simple and past continuous.
• Middle: studies and first jobs. She uses past simple to describe main actions in sequence: “I moved… I worked… I did an internship… I decided to stay.”
• End / now: recent experiences and results in her life. She uses present perfect to connect her past to the present: “I have worked… I have tried… I have started… I have realised…”

A good life story usually moves from background, to key decisions, to who you are now.

In the activity below, you will read a slightly shorter version of Sara’s story again and then write a short summary that captures the main steps in her journey.

Practice & Feedback

Read the short version of Sara’s blog carefully. Then write 3–5 sentences summarising her life story in your own words. Imagine you are explaining her background quickly to a friend or colleague who has not read the blog.

Make sure you:

• Mention where she was born and what she was like as a child.
• Explain what she studied and where she moved for university.
• Include at least one key decision or change in her life.
• Use a mix of past and present perfect if you can (for example, “She has worked…”, “She decided…”).

Do not just copy sentences from the text. Try to write a clear, simple mini-story about Sara using your own words.

2. Past simple and past continuous in a key moment.

You have just seen how Sara organised her whole life story. Now let us zoom in on one key moment, because this is where many learners have problems with verb forms. When you tell a story, you usually have main actions and background actions. In English, we normally use the past simple for the main actions, and the past continuous for background situations or longer actions that were in progress. In this block, you will listen to Sara describing the evening when she decided to change the direction of her career. While you listen, try to notice which verbs describe short, completed actions and which verbs describe longer actions in the background. On the screen, you will see some example sentences that show the difference clearly. After that, I will ask you to write a few sentences about Sara’s important evening, using both past simple and past continuous. If you are comfortable, you can also add one sentence about a similar evening or moment in your own life. Focus on the story, but also pay attention to the grammar pattern: past simple for the story line, past continuous for what was happening around it.

Listening to a key decision evening.

In a life story, certain evenings or days are very important. These key moments often include a decision, a surprise or a problem. To tell them clearly, English usually combines:

• Past simple for the main actions in order.
• Past continuous for longer actions or background situations.

You are going to listen to Sara describing one important evening when she changed her career direction.

Past simple vs past continuous: quick reminder.

Look at these pairs of sentences. They are all connected to Sara’s life:

• I was working in a café when I saw the advert for the internship.

→ was working = background activity; saw = main action.

• It was raining heavily when I left the agency that night.

→ was raining = background; left = main action.

• I sat down at my desk and opened my notebook while my flatmate was cooking dinner.

→ sat down and opened = main actions in sequence; was cooking = background action.

We use past continuous to show something that was in progress, often with when or while. We use past simple to move the story forward from one event to the next.

Mini-task before you write.

After you listen to Sara’s description in the activity box, you will:

1. Write two sentences about what was happening in the background that evening (use past continuous: was/were + verb-ing).
2. Write two sentences about the main actions or decisions that she took (use past simple).
3. Optionally, add one extra sentence about a key decision evening in your own life, using both forms.

Use the examples above to help you build correct sentences. Do not worry about being perfect; focus on making the difference between background and main events clear.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to Sara’s short story about the evening when she changed her career direction. You will not see the text, so try to focus on the main actions and on what was happening around her.

After listening, write 4–5 sentences:

1. Two sentences describing background actions that were in progress that evening (use past continuous, for example: "I was travelling home when…" or "People were talking loudly while…").
2. Two sentences describing the key actions and decisions Sara made (use past simple, for example: "She saw…", "She decided…", "She sent…").
3. (Optional) One sentence about a similar key moment in your own life, also combining past simple and past continuous.

Try to use when or while in at least two of your sentences. Check quickly for basic spelling and punctuation before you send your answer.

3. Present perfect for experiences and changes.

So far, you have worked on telling past events with a clear background and storyline. Now we are going to move closer to the present and talk about how to show **life experience** and **changes over time**. For this, English often prefers the present perfect. This tense connects your past to now and answers questions like, "What have you done in your life?" and "How has your life changed?". Think again about Sara. In the blog post, she said things like, "I have worked on campaigns for charities" and "Recently I have started teaching design workshops". These sentences do not focus on exactly when something happened. Instead, they highlight her experience and how it affects who she is today. In this block, you will read a short update from Sara about her life since that important evening in the bar. On the screen, you will see some typical patterns, such as "I have always wanted to", "Since then, I have", and "Recently I have started". After that, you will write your own sentences about your experience and the changes in your life using present perfect. This will help you prepare for questions in interviews like, "What have you done so far?" or "How have you developed in the last few years?".

From past events to life experience.

In a life story, you do not only want to say what happened. You also want to show what you have experienced and how you have changed up to now. For this, English usually uses the present perfect.

Compare:

• I worked in a café in 2015. → a finished job in the past, we know the time.
• I have worked in cafés and advertising agencies. → general life experience, time is not important.

Common patterns with present perfect.

Here are some useful patterns from the chunk bank and from Sara’s story:

• I have worked in this field for three years.
• I have always wanted to live abroad.
• Recently I have started learning Portuguese.
• Since then, I have focused on projects with a social impact.
• In the end, I have realised that teaching is my real passion.

We often use for and since with present perfect:

• I have lived in Milan for six years.
• I have lived in Milan since 2016.

Sara’s update: life since that evening.

Read this short update from Sara. It continues her story after the evening when she sent the internship application.

> The internship changed my life. Since then, I have worked with more than thirty different clients, from tiny cafés to international organisations. I have learnt how to manage projects, how to speak confidently to clients and how to work under pressure.

> Over the last two years, I have started teaching more and more. I have taught weekend workshops in community centres, and I have run online classes for teenagers. Recently I have started to design my own course for young people who want to use art for social change.

> Looking back, I think that evening on the tram was a turning point. I have made mistakes, but I have also met amazing people and I have grown a lot, both as a designer and as a person.

Notice how she focuses on experience and change, not exact dates.

In the activity below, you will practise writing similar sentences about your own life using present perfect.

Practice & Feedback

Now it is your turn to use the present perfect to talk about your experiences and changes.

Write 5–7 sentences about your life using present perfect. Try to include a mix of:

• Life experience (for example: "I have travelled to…", "I have worked…", "I have studied…").
• Changes or new habits (for example: "Recently I have started…", "Over the last year I have…").
• Long-term situations with for or since (for example: "I have lived here for…", "I have known her since…").

You can use and adapt these starters if you like:

• I have always wanted to…
• One important experience for me was when I… (add a present perfect sentence after it)
• Since then, I have…
• Recently I have started…
• Looking back, I have realised that…

Do not worry about writing a full paragraph yet. Just focus on clear, separate sentences using present perfect correctly.

4. Chat-style interview about your background.

You have now seen how to describe past events and present experiences. In real life, you often need to mix these tenses when someone asks, "Can you tell me a bit about your background?". This might happen in an online job interview, a university introduction, or even an informal chat with a new flatmate. In this block, we will move closer to that situation. On the screen, you will see a short example of a text-chat interview between a recruiter and Sara. Notice how the recruiter asks simple, clear questions and how Sara answers with a mix of past simple, past continuous and present perfect. Also notice her linking expressions, such as "After that", "Since then" and "In the end". After you read the example, you will imagine that **you** are in a similar chat with a recruiter. In the activity, you will write several short messages, like you are really typing in a chat window. This is good practice for keeping your answers clear and not too long, while still telling a small, interesting life story. Focus on combining the grammar you have practised: beginnings with "I was born in", key past decisions, and present perfect for your experience so far.

Example: recruiter chat with Sara.

Below is a short text chat between a recruiter and Sara. Read it and notice how she tells her story in small, clear messages.

Recruiter: Hi Sara, thanks for joining the chat. Can you tell me a bit about your background?

Sara: Sure. I was born in a small town in the north of Italy, but I moved to Milan when I finished school.

Recruiter: Nice. What did you study there?

Sara: I studied graphic design at university. At that time I was working in a café in the evenings while I was studying during the day.

Recruiter: And what have you been doing since you graduated?

Sara: After that, I did an internship in a small agency and then I stayed there as a junior designer. Since then, I have worked on campaigns for different clients, including a refugee organisation.

Recruiter: Interesting. What have you learnt from those projects?

Sara: I have learnt how to manage projects and how to communicate with clients. Recently I have started teaching design workshops too, and I have realised that I really enjoy helping young people.

Recruiter: Great, thanks for sharing. That gives me a clear picture of your journey.

What to copy from Sara.

When you answer similar questions:

• Start with a simple origin sentence: "I was born in…" or "I grew up in…"
• Use past simple (and sometimes past continuous) for education and first jobs: "I studied…", "I was working…"
• Use present perfect for recent experience and changes: "Since then, I have…", "Recently I have started…", "I have worked in this field for…"
• Keep each message short, like a real chat, but connect them with linking phrases: "After that…", "Since then…", "In the end…"

In the activity below, you will simulate this kind of chat and tell your own story in 4–6 short messages.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are in a text chat with a recruiter for a job or study programme. They write:

> Recruiter: Hi, thanks for joining. Can you tell me a bit about your background and experience?

Now it is your turn to answer.

Write 4–6 short chat messages as if you are really typing to the recruiter. Put each message on a new line, for example:

> Me: I was born in…

> Me: After that, I…

Try to:

• Start with where you were born or where you grew up.
• Mention what you studied or what you did after school.
• Explain briefly what you have been doing recently (use present perfect where natural, for example "I have worked…", "Recently I have started…").
• Finish with one sentence that shows what you are interested in now (for example: "In the end, I realised that…").

Keep your tone polite but natural, as you would in a real chat.

5. Writing a LinkedIn-style life story summary.

You have now practised individual sentences and short chat answers. The next step is to put everything together into a slightly longer, more formal text. A very realistic task is writing the “About” section on a professional profile, for example on LinkedIn, or a short bio for an application. In this block, you will look at a model summary based on Sara’s story. As you read, focus on three things. First, how she organises the text into a clear beginning, middle and end. Second, how she combines different tenses: past simple and past continuous for her background and studies, and present perfect for her experience and changes. Third, how she uses linking expressions such as "When I was a child", "After that", "Over the last six years" and "Looking back" to guide the reader. After you study the model, you will write your own summary, around 120 to 150 words. This is a chance to practise the grammar in a more realistic format, so take a moment to plan your three parts: where you come from, what you have done, and who you are now.

Model LinkedIn-style summary (Sara).

Read this example "About" section based on Sara’s life story.

> I was born in a small town in northern Italy, but I moved to Milan to study graphic design when I finished school. When I was a child, I used to spend hours drawing and reading travel magazines, and at that time I was living in a busy, noisy house with my parents and grandmother. That creative and lively environment helped me decide to follow a creative career.

>

> During my degree in Milan, I worked in a café in the evenings while I was studying during the day. In my final year, I did an internship in a small advertising agency, and after that I decided to stay there as a junior designer. Over the last six years, I have worked on campaigns for charities, tech start-ups and local shops. One important experience for me was a project for a refugee organisation, and since then I have tried to focus on work with a positive social impact.

>

> Recently I have started teaching design workshops for teenagers, both in community centres and online. I have realised that I really enjoy helping young people express themselves creatively. Looking back, I think my journey shows that it is possible to combine art, work and social change, and I am excited to keep developing in this direction.

Why this works well.

• The beginning gives basic background: place of birth, childhood interests, early environment.
• The middle explains education and key decisions using past simple and past continuous.
• The end describes current experience and direction using present perfect: "I have worked…", "I have tried…", "Recently I have started…".

Linking expressions help the reader follow the story: "When I was a child", "During my degree", "In my final year", "After that", "Over the last six years", "Recently", "Looking back".

In the activity below, you will now write a similar summary about your own life.

Practice & Feedback

Write your own LinkedIn-style “About” summary or short bio, using Sara’s text as a model.

Guidelines:

• Aim for 120–150 words.
• Divide your ideas into three clear parts (they can be separate paragraphs or one paragraph with three sections):

1. Beginning: where and when you were born, what you were like as a child, your early environment (use past simple, and past continuous if useful).
2. Middle: your studies and/or first jobs and key decisions (use past simple and some linking expressions such as "After that", "During my degree").
3. End / now: what you have done recently, your experience and how you have changed (use present perfect, for example "I have worked…", "Recently I have started…", "I have realised…").

• Try to use at least three of these chunks: "I was born in…", "When I was a child, I used to…", "After that, I decided to…", "Over the last…", "Recently I have started…", "Looking back, I think…".

Write in a slightly formal but personal style, as if you are writing for a professional profile.

6. Editing your life story for tense consistency.

You now have a draft of your life story in a more professional format. The final step is to polish it, so that your grammar supports your message instead of distracting from it. Even advanced learners often make small tense mistakes when they tell a long story, for example switching into present simple in the middle of a past story, or using past simple instead of present perfect for general life experience. In this block, we will focus on **editing** for tense consistency. On the screen, you will see a short checklist and a before–after example of a paragraph that had tense problems and was then improved. This will help you learn how to spot similar issues in your own writing. In the activity, you will imagine that you are sending a short introduction email to a new manager or colleague. You can reuse and adapt parts of your LinkedIn-style summary, but this time think carefully about who will read it and make sure your tenses are consistent. You will listen to me repeating the checklist, then you will paste or write your text and make at least three conscious changes to improve it. This habit of editing will be very useful in all your future writing in English.

Why editing matters.

Even a strong life story can become confusing if the tenses are not consistent. A reader may ask: "Is this happening now or in the past?" or "Has this finished or is it still true?". Editing is the moment when you slow down, look at your text calmly and fix these problems.

Mini checklist for life-story tenses.

When you check your writing, ask yourself:

Background and early life: Am I using past simple and past continuous to describe childhood and school days?

• "I was born in…"
• "When I was a child, I used to…"
• "At that time I was living in…"

Key events and decisions: Am I using past simple to show a clear sequence?

• "After that, I decided to…"
• "I moved to…"
• "I started my first job in…"

Experience up to now: Am I using present perfect for life experience and changes that connect to now?

• "I have worked in this field for…"
• "Recently I have started…"
• "Since then, I have…"
• "Looking back, I have realised that…"

Before and after: fixing tense consistency.

Before:

> I was born in Brazil and I live in São Paulo until I was ten. Then we move to Portugal and I studied engineering there. I have worked in a small company for three years and then I changed to a bigger one.

Problems: mixed present (live, move) with past; last sentence mixes present perfect and past simple in a confusing way.

After:

> I was born in Brazil and I lived in São Paulo until I was ten. Then we moved to Portugal and I studied engineering there. I worked in a small company for three years and then I changed to a bigger one.

If the person still works in the bigger company now, we can add a present perfect sentence:

> I have worked in the same company since 2019.

In the activity below, you will edit your own life story and clearly mark a few changes you make.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are writing a short introduction email to a new manager or colleague. You want to give them a clear picture of your background and experience.

1. Either paste the summary you wrote in the previous block or write a new version of around 150–180 words suitable for an email (you can start with something like "Hello, my name is…" and end with a polite line such as "Looking forward to working with you").
2. Read it carefully using the checklist above. Look for:

• Past simple and past continuous for background and earlier stages.
• Present perfect for your experience and changes that are still relevant now.
• Any sudden tense changes that might confuse the reader.

1. Edit your text and make at least three clear changes to improve tense consistency.
2. At the end of your answer, add a short note in English listing your changes, for example:

• "Change 1: ‘I work’ → ‘I worked’ because it was in the past."
• "Change 2: added ‘have’ in ‘I have worked’ for present perfect."

Submit the edited version only, plus your short list of changes.