KET - Key English Writing: Short Story Writing Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the KET Writing test, Part 2 shows you three pictures. What is the main task you need to complete?
- Describe what is happening in each picture separately.
- Write a story that connects all three pictures. (Correct answer)
- Choose one picture and write a detailed description of it.
- Write an email to a friend about the pictures.
Correct answer: Write a story that connects all three pictures.
The goal of this task is to create a single, coherent story that uses the three pictures as a guide for the beginning, middle, and end. Describing them separately does not create a narrative.
Question 2: Your story starts: 'Last Sunday, Maria went to the park. The sun was shining and she felt happy.' Which sentence is the BEST one to continue the story?
- She likes the park very much.
- Suddenly, she heard a strange noise coming from the trees. (Correct answer)
- She will meet her friend later.
- The park is near her house.
Correct answer: Suddenly, she heard a strange noise coming from the trees.
This sentence introduces a new event using the past simple tense ('heard') which moves the story forward and makes it more interesting. The other options are either simple descriptions, general facts, or use the wrong tense (future).
Question 3: When writing a story about something that happened in the past, which verb tense should you use the MOST?
- Present Simple (e.g., 'he walks')
- Future with 'will' (e.g., 'he will walk')
- Past Simple (e.g., 'he walked') (Correct answer)
- Present Continuous (e.g., 'he is walking')
Correct answer: Past Simple (e.g., 'he walked')
Stories about past events are primarily told using the Past Simple tense to describe completed actions in a sequence. Other tenses like Present Simple or Future are incorrect for narrating past events.
Question 4: Look at these three ideas for a story: 1. A boy finds a map. 2. He follows the map into a forest. 3. He discovers an old box. Which is the BEST opening sentence for this story?
- He opened the box and was very surprised.
- One afternoon, Leo was cleaning his room when he found an old map. (Correct answer)
- He is walking in the forest now.
- The map was very interesting.
Correct answer: One afternoon, Leo was cleaning his room when he found an old map.
This sentence is a strong opening because it sets the scene (when and where) and introduces the first key event from the pictures using appropriate past tenses ('was cleaning', 'found'). The other options describe the end of the story, use the wrong tense, or are a simple description rather than a narrative opening.
Question 5: Which of the following sentences is the BEST example of a concluding sentence for a short story?
- First, they bought tickets for the boat.
- The boat was big and blue.
- Then, it started to rain heavily.
- Finally, they arrived home, feeling very tired but happy. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Finally, they arrived home, feeling very tired but happy.
This sentence uses a concluding word ('Finally') and summarizes the end of the journey and the characters' feelings, which is a typical way to end a story. The other options describe the beginning, a detail, or the middle of a story.
Question 6: A student is writing a story and wants to connect two actions: 1. She finished her homework. 2. She went to the cinema. Which sentence connects these ideas best?
- After she finished her homework, she went to the cinema. (Correct answer)
- She finished her homework, but she went to the cinema.
- Because she finished her homework, she went to the cinema.
- She went to the cinema during she finished her homework.
Correct answer: After she finished her homework, she went to the cinema.
The word 'After' correctly shows the sequence of events – the homework was completed first, followed by the trip to the cinema. 'But' shows contrast, 'because' shows a reason which is slightly different from sequencing, and 'during' is grammatically incorrect here.
KET - Key English Writing: Short Story Writing Questions and Answers
In the KET Writing test, Part 2 shows you three pictures.
What is the main task you need to complete?