Tóm tắt

Khi kể về trải nghiệm quá khứ, bạn cần phối hợp nhiều thì:

Thì Dùng khi nào trong kể chuyện Ví dụ
Past Simple Chuỗi sự kiện chính (xảy ra và kết thúc) I visited / I met / I decided
Past Continuous Bối cảnh đang diễn ra khi có sự kiện khác I was studying when...
Past Perfect Sự kiện xảy ra trước một sự kiện quá khứ khác I had never seen... before
Present Perfect Kết nối trải nghiệm quá khứ với hiện tại It has been the best experience...

Tại sao quan trọng

IELTS Speaking Part 2 thường có dạng: - "Describe a place you have visited." - "Talk about a person who has influenced you." - "Describe an interesting experience you have had." - "Describe a time when you had to work hard."

Câu trả lời Band 6 thường chỉ dùng Past Simple một cách đơn điệu. Câu trả lời Band 7+ kết hợp nhiều thì khác nhau, dùng ngôn ngữ mô tả phong phú, và kể chuyện có cấu trúc rõ ràng.

PHẦN 1: PAST SIMPLE — Xương sống của câu chuyện

Past Simple mô tả các sự kiện chính trong câu chuyện — những gì đã xảy ra và đã kết thúc.

Subject + V2 (regular: -ed, irregular: sang/went/saw...)

Dùng Past Simple để: - Kể các sự kiện theo trình tự: "I arrived, checked in, and went to my room." - Mô tả hành động hoàn chỉnh: "She told me something I'll never forget." - Nói về cảm xúc tại thời điểm đó: "I was so nervous. I felt completely overwhelmed."

Ví dụ kể chuyện: - "Last summer, I went on a trip to Da Lat with my family. We drove up the mountain road early in the morning, arrived around noon, and spent the whole afternoon exploring the flower gardens." - "I met her at a conference two years ago. She introduced herself and we started talking about our research interests. I realised immediately that she was someone exceptional."

PHẦN 2: PAST CONTINUOUS — Bối cảnh và hành động đang xảy ra

Past Continuous mô tả hoạt động đang tiến hành tại một thời điểm trong quá khứ — thường là bối cảnh khi một sự kiện khác xảy ra.

Subject + was/were + V-ing

Hai cách dùng phổ biến nhất khi kể chuyện:

1. Bối cảnh (setting the scene)

  • "It was raining heavily when we arrived."
  • "Everyone was laughing and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement."
  • "The sun was setting and the sky was turning a deep orange."
  • "I was sitting at my desk, trying to focus, when suddenly..."

2. Hành động bị gián đoạn (interrupted action)

was/were + V-ing + when + Past Simple
  • "I was walking home when I suddenly met an old friend."
  • "We were just about to leave when the guide called us back."
  • "She was explaining the project when the power went out."

Mẫu câu tả bối cảnh opening: - "It was a warm evening in July. The streets were filled with people, music was playing in the background, and I was standing there wondering what to expect..."

PHẦN 3: PAST PERFECT — Sự kiện xảy ra trước

Past Perfect mô tả sự kiện xảy ra trước một sự kiện quá khứ khác — để chỉ rõ trình tự thời gian.

Subject + had + past participle

Dùng khi: - Cần làm rõ điều gì đó xảy ra trước: "By the time we arrived, the show had already started." - Kể về trải nghiệm lần đầu: "I had never seen anything like it before." - Giải thích nguyên nhân dẫn đến sự kiện quá khứ: "I accepted the job because I had always dreamed of working in that field."

Ví dụ: - "I had never visited a foreign country before that trip, so everything felt incredibly new and exciting." - "By the time I graduated, I had spent four years studying something I truly loved." - "I had been thinking about changing careers for a long time before I finally made the decision." - "When I walked into the room, I realised I had met her somewhere before."

PHẦN 4: PRESENT PERFECT — Kết nối quá khứ với hiện tại

Present Perfect dùng khi bạn muốn kết nối trải nghiệm quá khứ với ý nghĩa hoặc cảm xúc ở hiện tại.

Subject + has/have + past participle

Dùng khi: - Nói về ảnh hưởng kéo dài: "That experience has shaped who I am today." - Kết luận câu chuyện: "It has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life." - Nói về điều chưa từng xảy ra: "I have never felt so proud of myself."

Ví dụ kết chuyện: - "That trip has stayed with me ever since — it completely changed the way I see the world." - "Working with her has been one of the most valuable experiences of my career." - "I have never regretted making that decision." - "It has made me much more confident and willing to take risks."

PHẦN 5: SẮP XẾP SỰ KIỆN — Sequencing Language

Để kể chuyện mạch lạc, dùng các sequence markers để dẫn dắt người nghe qua các giai đoạn:

Mở đầu câu chuyện

  • "It was back in [year/time]..."
  • "This happened about [time] ago..."
  • "I'll never forget the time when..."
  • "It all started when..."
  • "One of the most memorable experiences I've had was..."

Tiến trình sự kiện

  • Đầu tiên: "First, ... / To begin with, ... / Initially, ..."
  • Tiếp theo: "Then, ... / After that, ... / Next, ... / Soon after, ..."
  • Cùng lúc: "Meanwhile, ... / At the same time, ... / While ... was happening, ..."
  • Sau đó: "Eventually, ... / Finally, ... / By the end, ..."

Nhìn lại / Phản tư

  • "Looking back, I realise that..."
  • "In retrospect, it was..."
  • "That experience taught me that..."
  • "What made it special was..."
  • "What I remember most is..."

Mẫu câu trả lời Part 2 hoàn chỉnh

Cue card: Describe a time when you achieved something you were proud of.

"I'd like to talk about the time I passed my university entrance exam — it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

It was about five years ago. I had been studying incredibly hard for months, often staying up until midnight. My parents had sacrificed a lot to support me, and I felt the weight of that pressure every day. I remember one evening in particular — I was reviewing past papers when I suddenly realised I'd been preparing all wrong for one of the sections. I panicked, called a friend, and we spent the whole night reworking my strategy.

On the day of the exam, I was so nervous I could barely eat. But once I started writing, everything clicked. I had never felt so focused. When the results came out three weeks later, I saw my name on the list and I just froze for a moment.

That achievement has meant a great deal to me — not just because of the result, but because it taught me that I could handle pressure and find solutions when things go wrong. It has given me confidence that I carry with me to this day."

Lỗi thường gặp

Lỗi 1: Kể chuyện chỉ dùng Present tense

  • ❌ "I go to the beach and I see many fish."
  • ✅ "I went to the beach and saw many fascinating fish."

Lỗi 2: Dùng Past Perfect không cần thiết (mọi câu đều "had")

  • ❌ "I had gone to the store and I had bought some food and I had met a friend."
  • ✅ Past Perfect chỉ cần khi cần làm rõ trước/sau. Với chuỗi sự kiện bình thường → Past Simple.

Lỗi 3: Sai form Past Simple của irregular verbs

  • ❌ "I taked a deep breath." / "She singed beautifully."
  • ✅ "I took a deep breath." / "She sang beautifully."

Lỗi 4: Không có bối cảnh (no scene-setting)

  • ❌ Kể ngay vào sự kiện mà không tả bối cảnh → nghe như liệt kê sự kiện
  • ✅ Bắt đầu bằng "It was a [adj] day/evening/morning..." để tạo bối cảnh

Lỗi 5: Không có phản tư (no reflection)

  • ❌ Kể xong sự kiện rồi dừng lại
  • ✅ Luôn thêm "Looking back, ... / That experience taught me ... / It has made me ..." để kết nối với hiện tại

Bài tập luyện

Chọn thì đúng

  1. When I arrived, the concert (already start). → The concert had already started.
  2. I (walk) home when it (start) to rain. → I was walking home when it started to rain.
  3. That trip (change) my perspective on life. → That trip has changed my perspective. / changed my perspective.
  4. I (never / visit) Europe before that summer. → I had never visited Europe before that summer.

Viết thêm vào câu chuyện

Cho câu mở đầu: "Last year, I took part in a public speaking competition."

Hãy viết thêm 5-6 câu kể tiếp câu chuyện, dùng ít nhất: - 3 câu Past Simple - 1 câu Past Continuous - 1 câu kết thúc bằng Present Perfect

Tóm tắt nhanh

KỂ CHUYỆN QUÁ KHỨ — BỐN THÌ CỐT LÕI:

Past Simple      → Sự kiện chính, chuỗi hành động
                   "I arrived, checked in, explored..."

Past Continuous  → Bối cảnh đang xảy ra
                   "It was raining. People were laughing."
                   "I was studying when..."

Past Perfect     → Trước thời điểm quá khứ (khi cần làm rõ trình tự)
                   "I had never done it before."
                   "By the time we arrived, it had ended."

Present Perfect  → Kết nối với hiện tại (kết luận, ảnh hưởng)
                   "It has stayed with me ever since."
                   "That experience has shaped who I am."

TRÌNH TỰ KỂ CHUYỆN:
  1. Set the scene (bối cảnh)     → Past Continuous / Past Simple
  2. Tell the events (sự kiện)    → Past Simple + Past Continuous
  3. Background/history           → Past Perfect
  4. Reflect/conclude (kết luận)  → Present Perfect / Past Simple