Anecdotes

Anecdotes are short stories about something that happened to you or to somebody else. Using anecdotes in your English speaking is a great way to boost your small talk. 

When telling an anecdote, try following our four steps. 

1.Setting the scene

You’re not going to believe this but …

Did I ever tell you about the time …?

I’ll never forget when … 

Have I ever mentioned …?

That reminds me of … 

Funny you should say that because …

2.How the story started

It was back in … / a few years ago

I remember the time when I … 

This was around the time of … 

I’m sure you all know …. 

It all began when … 

3.Main story events

You should have seen/heard/been there 

To top it all off …

The strange/funny thing was … 

Can you imagine my surprise when …

By the time I’d realised what had happened … 

There I was … 

4.Ending

To cut a long story short ….

So in the end what happened was …

It seems quite funny now, but it didn’t at the time …

Anyway, it turned out well in the end … .

The long and the short of it .. 

Remember you want your anecdote to be to-the-point and easy to follow. Try using sequencing words and linking words to provide a smooth flow. Remember to use your past tenses too. 

If somebody has told you an anecdote, try some of these reactions. 

• No way!
• Seriously? 
• Really?
• I’m not surprised 
• You’re joking?
• I can imagine! 
• How strange/odd/weird!
• That sounds awful/terrible/hilarious! 
• I don’t blame you!
• I see what you mean!
• So, what happened? 
• You can’t be serious 
• You were so lucky!