Alba English

Materials for Class

Style - Write a Time Order Sentence

Types

Differences Narrative Time Order Descriptive Time Order Instructional Time Order
example question “What is the history of coffee” “How do people make coffee?” “How do I make coffee?”
The content “I did X, then Y, and finally Z” “Someone does X, then Y, and finally Z” “First you do X, then Y, and finally X”
Language example 1 Next, I made the coffee Next, the farmer makes the coffee Next, you make the coffee
Example Topic Sentence This paragraph describes the history of coffee This paragraph describes how coffee is made This paragraph describes how to make coffee

Common mistakes

Option 1 - topic first

Cohesion phrase Narrative Descriptive Instructional
First, X happened X does something do X
Firstly, what happened was x X begins happening you do X
Initially, X were starting to Y X is done you should do X
To begin with, X was done   You need to do X
At the outset      

Continue:

Option 2 - category first

Cohesion phrase   Narrative Descriptive Instructional
The first thing that happened was X is X is doing X
The second event was that X did Y is that X does Y is to do X
The third stage was X is X doing Y is X doing Y  
The next step event was that X did Y is when X does Y  
The following   was X doing Y    
The final   was when X did Y    
    was that X happened    

Option 3 - “ING-ED”

Cohesion phrase Narrative Descriptive Instructional
After Xing, Y happened X happens do X
While Xing, etc etc etc
Before Xing, etc etc etc

Option 4 - happens at the same time

Cohesion phrase Narrative Descriptive Instructional
While X is happening Y happened Y happens do Y
At the same time X was happening Y happened Y happens do Y
Meanwhile,      
In the meantime,      
At the same time,      
Simultaneously,      

Other useful language