Block 5 of 6 · Real English
Travel & Experiences
Real trips, problems, stories and the language to describe them — because travel is where English really comes alive.
30:00
AVocabulary — Travel & storytelling expressions30 min
10 expressions for travel stories and experiences
These are the expressions English speakers use when telling travel stories — both for describing what happened and for making stories engaging. Click each card to reveal the meaning and example.
Storytelling in English relies heavily on fixed expressions and idioms. Phrases like «it turned out that» or «out of nowhere» are impossible to deduce from Spanish — but native speakers use them constantly.
Fill in the blanks — travel stories
Context: Three travellers are telling stories about things that went wrong on their trips. Complete each line with the correct expression.
Click a word from the bank, then click the blank where you want to place it.
turned out
out of nowhere
in the middle of nowhere
make the most of
ended up
the last thing I expected
1. We missed our connecting flight and spending the night at the airport.
2. It that the hotel had given our room to someone else — they were fully booked.
3. was to bump into my old teacher on a beach in Thailand.
4. A storm came and we had to take shelter in a cafe for three hours.
5. Our car broke down — there wasn’t a single house or shop in sight.
6. The weather was terrible, but we decided to it and explore the museums instead.
BGrammar — Narrative tenses & relative clauses30 min
Grammar focus — Narrative tenses + defining relative clauses
Narrative tenses — three tenses working together in a story:Past simple — the main events: «We arrived / the train left / I realised…»
Past continuous — background / interrupted action: «We were waiting when suddenly…»
Past perfect — what happened before the story: «We had already checked in when…»
Defining relative clauses — identifying which person or thing:
who (people): «The man who helped us spoke perfect English.»
which / that (things): «The hotel which we booked had been closed.»
where (places): «The town where we stayed was beautiful.»
Choose the correct tense or relative pronoun
Select the most natural and grammatically correct option for each travel story extract.
Reorder the story sentences
Context: These sentences are from travel stories, but the words are in the wrong order. Drag to put them right.
Drag and drop each word to build the correct sentence.
CListening — A travel disaster story30 min
Context: You are going to hear Tom, 25, from Cardiff, telling the story of a trip to Portugal that went dramatically wrong. Listen carefully — he tells the story in chronological order, using narrative tenses throughout.
Press Play to listen. Notice how Tom uses past simple, past continuous and past perfect together. Transcript available after your first listen.
Tom — The Portugal Disaster
Ready to play
Comprehension questions
DStory builder — Tell it with impact30 min
Matching — storytelling phrases to their function
Context: Good storytellers use specific phrases to control timing, build tension and keep their audience engaged. Match each phrase with what it does in a story.
Click a phrase on the left, then click its matching function on the right.
Story builder — choose the best continuation
Context: You are telling a story about a travel disaster to a group of friends. At each point, choose the continuation that is most natural, grammatically correct and engaging.
Choose the best option at each stage of the story. Think about grammar, vocabulary and storytelling impact.
ETravel simulation — handle real situations30 min
Context: You are travelling alone in the UK. Several real situations arise. In each case, choose the most natural and appropriate way to handle it in English.
Read each situation. Choose the most appropriate and natural English response. Think about politeness, directness and register.
FRegister — Travel writing vs casual storytelling30 min
Sort the expressions — travel blog or text to a friend?
Context: You want to share a travel experience. Some expressions are appropriate for a travel blog or written review. Others are fine in a text message or casual conversation but too informal for writing.
Click an expression to select it, then click the correct zone.
Travel blog / written review
Text / casual conversation
Write a short travel review
Task: Write a short review (60–80 words) of a place you have visited or would like to visit. Use the scaffold below. This is for a travel website — use appropriately descriptive, semi-formal language.
Write in each section. Aim for 60–80 words in total. Use descriptive language — not just «good» or «nice».
Overview — where and what
… is a … located in … / I recently visited … which is known for…
Highlight — the best thing about it
What struck me most was… / The highlight was undoubtedly…
Recommendation
I would highly recommend… / It is well worth a visit for anyone who…
Total words: 0 / 80 (aim for 60–80)
breathtaking
well worth a visit
what struck me most
a truly memorable experience
I would not hesitate to recommend
★★★
Block 5 complete!
Travel & Experiences
0
points out of 200
Score0%