The Island That Wasn’t There – A Fun ESL Grammar Story with Mixed Tenses

Rose Sensei
May 13
3 min read

Updated: Oct 13

Looking for a fun and mysterious way to learn mixed verb tenses?

✨“The Island That Wasn’t There” is a short, grammar-rich adventure story written especially for ESL learners.

Set in a coastal village with a disappearing island and a curious travel blogger, this tale helps students naturally notice and review key tenses: Past Simple, Past Perfect, Present Perfect, Present Simple, and Future Simple.

It's ideal for Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate learners who love a little suspense and a lot of grammar in action!

🎥 Watch the Lesson Video

We also have a YouTube lesson version of this story, with grammar explanations and quiz answers!

🔹Watch it here on YouTube:

Learn Mixed Tenses With a Mystery Story https://youtu.be/RA8sET2wgiI

A surprised young woman with a camera and backpack points at a map. Text: "The Island That Wasn't There" and "ESL Story + Grammar Practice".

🌍 The Story: The Island That Wasn’t There

Target Grammar: Mixed Tenses

Tenses Used: Past Simple, Past Perfect, Present Perfect, Present Simple, Future Simple

Lena has always loved exploring strange places. Last year, she found a mysterious map in an old bookstore. It had been hidden between the pages of a dusty novel.

The map showed an island that doesn’t appear on any modern GPS. Curious, Lena booked a trip immediately. “If this island is real, I will be the first travel blogger to write about it!” she said.

By the time she arrived in the coastal village marked on the map, a storm had already started. The locals refused to talk about the island. “It was there once,” an old man whispered, “but now it comes and goes with the moon.”

Lena is writing her journal now.

She has spent three days searching and still hasn’t found the island. But she isn’t giving up.Tomorrow, when the full moon rises, she will set sail again. And maybe—just maybe—the island will appear.

✏️ Grammar Focus: What Tenses Can You Find?

Past Simple: She found a mysterious map.
Past Perfect: The storm had already started.
Present Perfect: Lena has always loved exploring.
Present Simple: It comes and goes.
Future Simple: She will set sail again.

🎯Let' s try A Fun Grammar Story with Mixed Tenses QUIZ

Question 1:

What did Lena do before she went to sleep?

A) She is checking the map.

B) She had checked the map.

C) She checked the map.

D) She checks the map.

Answer Key ⬇️

Question 2:

Lena ______ many beautiful islands during her travels.

A) visits

B) visited

C) has visited

D) had visited

Question 3:

Lena thinks she ______ the island again one day.

A) will see

B) is seeing

C) saw

D) sees

Question 4:

She ______ just realised the island was gone.

A) realises

B) has just realised

C) realised

D) had realised

Question 5:

“I ______ write about this in my blog,” Lena said.

A) write

B) wrote

C) will write

D) writes

🔑Answer Key

✅ 1. Past Simple – Action Completed in the Past

🟩 Correct Answer: C) She checked the map.

✅ 2. Present Perfect – Life Experience / Result in Present

🟩 Correct Answer: C) has visited

✅ 3. Future Simple – Making a Prediction or Decision

🟩 Correct Answer: A) will see

✅ 4. Present Perfect vs. Past Simple – Use of “just”

🟩 Correct Answer: B) has just realised

✅ 5. Future Simple – Expressing a Hope or Promise

🟩 Correct Answer: C) will write

We hope you've enjoyed practising Mixed Tenses with his fun grammar story.

Need More Practice?

📥 Download the FREE Worksheet here:

👉The Past Perfect Grammar Practice https://tinyurl.com/4ba6ejc4

👉Test Your Mixed Verb Tenses Skills https://tinyurl.com/2832c7ku

ESL grammar doesn’t have to be boring!

Stories like this help learners connect language to meaning while having fun.

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