Narrating and sequencing past events

Introduction to Narrating and Sequencing

Welcome! In this chapter, we are focusing on one of the most essential skills for the AP Chinese exam: narrating and sequencing past events. Whether you are writing a story based on a series of pictures for Question 3 or describing your research process in your Project Presentation, you need to know how to tell a story in the right order. Think of this as the "glue" that holds your sentences together so your audience can follow what happened from beginning to end.

Narrating isn't just about what happened; it's about the logical flow. By the end of these notes, you’ll be able to move beyond simple sentences and start creating professional, cohesive "paragraph-level discourse" that AP graders love to see!

1. Setting the Stage: Time Markers

Before you can sequence events, you need to tell your reader when things took place. In Chinese, time words usually come after the subject or at the very beginning of the sentence.

• 过去 (guòqù) — In the past
• 以前 (yǐqián) — Before / Previously
• 最近 (zuìjìn) — Recently
• 刚 (gāng) / 刚才 (gāngcái) — Just now

Quick Tip: If you are tackling the Story Narration (Question 3), start your first paragraph with a time marker like "有一天..." (One day...) or "上个周末..." (Last weekend...) to immediately establish the setting.

2. The "Building Blocks" of Sequencing

To get a high score in Organization (Skill 2.D), you need to use "cohesive devices." These are words that signal the order of events. Avoid just saying "and then... and then..." (然后... 然后...). Instead, try this classic sequence:

The Basic Sequence:

1. 首先 (shǒuxiān) — First of all
2. 然后 (ránhòu) — Then / After that
3. 最后 (zuìhòu) — Finally

Adding Variety (Intermediate Level):

If your story has many steps, use these to keep it interesting:
- 接着 (jiēzhe) — Next / Following that
- 再 (zài) — Again / And then (usually for future or repeated actions, but often used in narration)
- 后来 (hòulái) — Later on (specifically for past events)

Did you know? 后来 (hòulái) is only used for things that already happened. If you are talking about the future, you should use 以后 (yǐqián) instead!

3. Showing Completion: Language Control

Since we are narrating past events, we need to show that actions were completed. While Chinese doesn't have "conjugations" like Spanish or French, we use specific particles to show aspect.

The Power of 了 (le):
In a story, 了 is your best friend. It signals that an action has been completed.
Example: 我吃了午饭以后就去图书馆了。(After I ate lunch, I went to the library.)

The Experience Marker 过 (guò):
Use 过 to talk about something you have experienced at some point in the past.
Example: 我去过北京。(I have been to Beijing before.)

Key Takeaway:

Use 了 for specific actions in a sequence (First A happened, then B happened) and 过 for general past experiences.

4. Connecting Actions: "As soon as..." and "After..."

To make your narration sound more natural and less like a list, use these structures to connect two actions together:

The "As soon as" Pattern:
一 (yī) ... 就 (jiù) ...
Example: 他一回家就开始做作业。(As soon as he got home, he started doing homework.)

The "After" Pattern:
... 以后 (yǐhòu)
Example: 搬家以后，我认识了很多新朋友。(After moving, I met many new friends.)

Don't worry if this seems tricky! Just remember that 以后 goes after the action it describes, which is the opposite of how we use "After" in English.

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even advanced students sometimes make these slips. Keep an eye out for them:

• Overusing "和" (hé): In Chinese, 和 is used to connect nouns (apples and oranges), not sentences. Use the sequencing words like 然后 or 接着 to connect actions instead.
• Forgetting the Subject: While Chinese allows you to drop the subject if it's obvious, in the Story Narration task, make sure it’s clear who is doing what in each of the four pictures.
• Mixing Timeframes: If you start a story in the past, stay in the past! Use those completion markers (了) consistently.

6. Summary Checklist for the Exam

When you are practicing for the Story Narration (Question 3) or the Project Presentation (Question 1), ask yourself:

1. Did I establish when the event happened?
2. Did I use at least three different transition words (首先, 然后, 最后)?
3. Did I use 了 to show actions are finished?
4. Is the logical order clear enough that someone who hasn't seen the pictures can understand the story?

Note: For more tips on describing the people in your story, check out the chapter on "Describing people, places and events".