Maya's Big Decision
An extended Past Simple narrative. Two years ago, a phone call from New York changed Maya's life — and brought her to a cold Tuesday morning in Toronto.
📖 Reading: Maya's Big Decision
Two years ago, Maya's life in Taipei was comfortable but predictable.
She worked for a large design agency. She had a good salary, a nice apartment, and plenty of friends. But something was missing.
One evening in October, her colleague Jess called from New York. "Maya, I heard about a remote design position in Toronto. You should apply. It's perfect for you."
Maya didn't sleep that night. She sat at her desk and looked at the job description for hours.
The next morning, she made a decision. She wrote her application letter, updated her portfolio, and sent everything by noon.
Two weeks later, she received an email: "We'd like to invite you for an interview."
The interview went well. Maya felt confident and prepared. Three days later, they offered her the job.
She told her parents that evening. Her mother cried — not from sadness, but from pride. Her father said nothing for a long moment, then said: "Go. You've always been braver than you think."
Maya resigned from her job, packed 47 kilos of her life into two suitcases, and flew to Toronto.
She arrived on a cold Tuesday morning in January. Leo was her first neighbour. And the rest, as she likes to say, is history.
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words and phrases from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| predictable | Always behaving or happening in the expected way | adj. — Her life was comfortable but predictable. |
| salary | A fixed amount of money paid regularly for employment | n. — She had a good salary. |
| portfolio | A collection of work samples to show your skills and style | n. — She updated her portfolio. |
| resign | To formally leave a job | v. — She resigned from her job. |
| confident | Feeling sure of yourself and your abilities | adj. — Maya felt confident at the interview. |
| pride | A feeling of deep satisfaction from achievement | n. — Her mother cried from pride. |
| brave | Showing courage; willing to face difficult situations | adj. — You've always been braver than you think. |
| the rest is history | Used when a story ends with a well-known or obvious outcome | phrase — The rest is history. |
📚 Key Verbs in This Lesson | |
to apply → applied | She applied for the job in Toronto. |
to receive → received | She received an email two weeks later. |
to resign → resigned | She resigned from her job in Taipei. |
to pack → packed | She packed 47 kilos into two suitcases. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Narrative Language — Sequencing | |
Setting the scene | Two years ago, Maya's life was comfortable but predictable. |
Introducing events | One evening in October... / The next morning... |
Moving the story forward | Two weeks later... / Three days after that... |
Climax / turning point | She didn't sleep that night. / She made a decision. |
Conclusion | She arrived on a cold Tuesday morning. / The rest is history. |
Adding Detail to a Story
📚 Adding Detail to a Story | |
Adverbs of manner | She felt confident and prepared. / Her mother cried quietly. |
Adjectives | A cold Tuesday morning. / A large design agency. |
Emotional language | She didn't sleep. / Something was missing. / From pride. |
Direct speech | Her father said: "Go. You've always been braver than you think." |
🎭 Dialogue: Tell Me Your Story
Priya asks Maya for the full story of how she ended up in Toronto. Maya tells it from the phone call to the day she arrived.
Maya, how did you end up in Toronto? You never told me the full story.
It started with a phone call from Jess, two years ago.
What did she say?
She told me about a remote design job here. I applied that same night.
That was brave! Did you know anyone in Toronto?
Nobody. But I packed my bags and came anyway.
Were you scared?
Terrified. But my father told me: "You've always been braver than you think."
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Why wasn't Maya happy in Taipei, even though her life was good?
Who told Maya about the job in Toronto?
How did Maya's mother react when she heard about the job?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Put the events of Maya's story in chronological order.
Two years ago, Maya ___ for a large design agency. (work)
She ___ the night after Jess's call. (not / sleep)
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model.
- Choose a real turning point in your life: a move, a job change, starting a new course, a trip that changed you.
- Tell the story using Past Simple. Include: the background, the decision, what happened next, and how it ended.
- Your partner listens and asks at least 4 questions.
- Use: Two years ago… / One day… / I decided to… / After that… / In the end…