WRITING A MYSTERY STORY

Most of you already know what a MYSTERY is; It is something secret or unknown that needs to be solved. When cooking up a mystery, authors use this tasty recipe:

BEGINNING: SETTING, CHARACTERS (SUSPECTS, WITNESSES, DETECTIVE)

MIDDLE: PLOT (A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED OR A PROBLEMS NEEDS TO BE SOLVED) CLUES, RED HERRINGS

END: THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED

Task 1 Match each word with its correct definition. 

1 ALIBI

2 CLUE /EVIDENCE

3 CRIME

4 PLOT

5 SETTING

6 DETECTIVE

7 RED HERRING

8 SLEUTH

9 SUSPECT

10 VICTIM

11 WITNESS

12 HUNCH

a. AN ACT THAT VIOLATES THE LAW

b. A GUESS ABOUT SOMETHING

c. AN EXCUSE THAT SUSPECTS USE TO SHOW THAT HE OR SHE WAS SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

d. A FALSE LEAD THAT THROWS THE INVESTIGATOR OFF TRACK

e. A PERSON WHO GATHERS INFORMATION AND INVESTIGATES CRIMES

f. A STATEMENT OR OBJECT THAT PROVES A SOLUTION TO A MYSTERY

g. A PERSON WHO IS HARMED BY A CRIME

h. THE ARRANGEMENT OF EVENTS IN A STORY

i. THE TIME AND PLACE OF A STORY

j. ANOTHER NAME FOR A DETECTIVE

k. A PERSON WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE POSSIBLY COMMITTED THE CRIME

l. SOMEONE WHO SAW THE CRIME BEING COMMITTED AND CAN PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION

Task 2 

Watch this video and make sure that the story contains all of the ingredients needed in a Mystery. Who was the murderer? 

Now the ball's in your court, write a short paragraph about one of these two topics "My worst day at school" or "Our day at the park" and then record it.It's going to be good fun!

TELLING STORIES
 Listen to three different stories in the Past and answer the questions related to the two first stories. Think of 4 questions for story number 3.

 Story 1 My Bad Day at Work 

1. Did I have a good day at work?
2. Why was I late for work?
3. What did I miss at work?
4. What did I forget to bring?
5. What did I do with my coffee?

 Story 2 Our Day at the Park 

1. Who went to the park with me?
2. What did the dog and I do in the pond?
3. Where did we eat our lunch?
4. What did we eat?
5. What did the dog do while we ate?