
Sara’s big dream
September 15, 2026
Sara’s big dream
September 15, 2026
The cold walk to school
Emily loved challenges, and her latest idea was to turn an old, unused garage into a creative art studio. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she was excited about the project.
"I’ll finally have my own space to paint," she thought with a smile.
The garage had been abandoned for years and was filled with old furniture, boxes, and dust. Emily spent the entire weekend cleaning it out. She threw away what she didn’t need and kept a few interesting pieces of furniture she could repaint.
After clearing the garage, Emily started designing her new studio. She imagined large windows for natural light, bright walls, and plenty of shelves for her art supplies. She spent hours sketching the design, making sure it would be both practical and inspiring.
Emily was good at painting, but she didn’t know much about construction. So, she decided to ask her friend Mike, a carpenter, for help.
“I need some advice on how to install the windows and fix the walls,” she said.
Mike agreed to assist her and even offered to help with the installation.
Mike and Emily started the renovation the following weekend. They began by replacing the old, cracked windows with new, larger ones. It took longer than expected because they ran into a few problems with the walls.
“We’ll have to fix the foundation before adding the windows,” Mike said.
During the renovation, they discovered that the roof was leaking. Emily hadn’t planned for this extra expense.
"What a nightmare," she said, frustrated.
But she didn’t want to give up. She adjusted her budget and decided to delay buying some art supplies until the roof was repaired.
After fixing the roof and installing the new windows, things finally started to move forward. Emily painted the walls a soft white, giving the studio a bright and clean atmosphere. She added colorful curtains and decorated the space with some of her own artwork.
With the major work done, Emily focused on the small details. She set up a large wooden table for painting and arranged her brushes, paints, and canvases neatly on the shelves. She also installed track lighting to highlight her artwork when it was finished.
After weeks of hard work, the studio was ready. Emily invited her friends over to celebrate the opening of her new creative space. Everyone admired the transformation, especially Mike, who was proud of how well the project had turned out.
Sitting in her new studio, Emily felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. She picked up her brush and began to paint, feeling more inspired than ever.
"This is just the beginning," she thought,, as she imagined all the art she would create in this beautiful new space.
1 Simple Past
The Simple Past is used for completed actions or events in the past.
wake up → woke up
look → looked
“Anna woke up and looked out the window.”
Example:
She opened the door.
2 Past Simple Negative
To make a negative sentence in the past, use didn’t + base verb.
After didn’t, use the base form of the verb.
“She didn’t want to leave her warm bed.”
Remember:
❌ She didn’t wanted to go.
✅ She didn’t want to go.
3 Have to / Had to
Have to expresses necessity or obligation. For past situations, use had to.
Present: have/has to + base verb
Past: had to + base verb
“You have to go.”
Past example:
Anna had to walk slowly.
4 Wish + Could
Wish + could is used to express a desire for something that is not possible or not possible in the current situation.
Subject + wish + subject + could + base verb
“I wish I could stay home today.”
Example:
I wish I could fly.
5 Even Though
Even though introduces a contrast between two ideas.
Even though + subject + verb, subject + verb
“Even though it was cold, they laughed and joked.”
Example:
Even though I was tired, I continued working.
| # | Word / Phrase | Meaning in English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | freezing | extremely cold |
| 2 | slippery | difficult or dangerous to walk on because you can easily slide |
| 3 | crunching sound | a crackling or crushing sound made when something is stepped on |
| 4 | thick | having a large distance between opposite sides; not thin |
| 5 | wool | a soft, warm material made from the hair of sheep |
| 6 | cheeks | the soft parts of the face below the eyes |
| 7 | blew | the past form of blow; moved or pushed air strongly |
| 8 | reach | to arrive at a particular place |
| 9 | sip | a small amount of a drink taken at one time |
| 10 | at least | used to emphasize something positive in a difficult situation |
| 11 | deep | extending far down from the surface |
| 12 | warm | having a comfortably high temperature |
| 13 | coat | a piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep the body warm |
| 14 | gloves | pieces of clothing worn on the hands |
| 15 | scarf | a piece of clothing worn around the neck for warmth |
| 16 | boots | strong shoes that cover the foot and part of the leg |
| 17 | wind | moving air, especially air moving strongly outdoors |
| 18 | road | a path or surface used for traveling between places |
| 19 | frozen | turned into ice or made extremely cold |
| 20 | joke | something said or done to make people laugh |
1.
How did Anna feel about going to school at the beginning of the story? How did she feel when she finally arrived at school?
2.
How did meeting Ben change Anna’s experience on the way to school?
3.
If you were Anna, would you have wanted to go to school on such a cold day? Why or why not?
Learn English Through Short Stories
Improve your English naturally with engaging English stories designed for language learners. Read stories in English, build your vocabulary, learn useful English grammar in context, and improve your reading and listening comprehension through stories.




