To maintain the interest of learning English, especially for beginners, stories are simply necessary for beginners - simple and short texts with simple grammar and vocabulary. But the simplicity of the texts does not make the stories boring - rather, on the contrary, too complex texts can scare off those who are starting to learn the language.
Stories in English with translation into Russian
Translations of story sentences are in italics.
Hungry Wolf(Hungry wolf)
This is a short story about Hungry Wolf.
This short story is about a hungry wolf.
Once, a wolf was very hungry.
Once upon a time there lived a very hungry wolf.
It looked for food here and there. But it couldn’t get any. At last it found a loaf of bread and piece of meat in the hole of a tree.
He looked for food here and there. But I never found anything. In the end, he found a loaf of bread and a piece of meat in a hollow tree.
The hungry wolf squeezed into the hole. It's all the food. It was a woodcutter’s lunch. He was on his way back to the tree to have lunch. But he saw there was no food in the hole, instead, a wolf. On seeing the woodcutter, the wolf tried to get out of the hole. But it couldn't. Its tummy was swollen.
The hungry wolf dived into the hollow. He ate all the food. But it was a lumberjack's lunch. He was returning to the tree to have lunch. But he saw that there was no food in the hollow except for the wolf. Before the eyes of the woodcutter, the wolf tried to get out of the hollow. But he couldn't. His stomach was bloated.
The woodcutter caught the wolf and gave it nice beatings.
The woodcutter caught the wolf and gave him a good thrashing.
A Moral Story: The Dog and The Cows
The cows used to eat hay from the manger. One day a herd of cows came to the manger to eat hay. They saw a dog lying on the hay in the manger.
Cows are used to eating hay from a trough. One day a herd of cows came to the feeder to eat hay. They saw a dog lying in a feeding trough on the hay.
One of the cows declare, “Please, will you get up!” We are hungry. We have to eat our hay." The dog did not take heed of it.
One of the cows begged, “Please, can you get up!” We're hungry. We must eat our hay." The dog didn't pay attention.
Once again another cow declares, “Please, let us have our hay.” The dog snarled and the cow stepped back.
The other cow begged again, “Please let us eat our hay.” The dog growled and the cow backed away.
A wise cow ran up to the bull and told him the matter.
The wise cow ran to the bull and told him everything.
The bull came and requested, “Get out, please!” Let them have their food." There was no reply. The bull became angry. He bellowed loudly and stamped his legs. The dog got frightened and wounded for his life.
The bull came and demanded, “Please go away!” Let them eat their food." But there was no answer. The bull got angry. He mooed loudly and beat with his hooves. The dog got scared and ran away.
Children are Wiser than Elders
It was rainy season in Russia. In a certain village in Russia the rain water was flowing in streams in a street. It had rained and stopped a little while ago. Two little girls were playing in the street water. It was festival time. They were wearing new frocks. Malasha was the youngest of the two little girls. Akulya was the older girl.
It was a rainy time of year in Russia. In a village in Russia, rainwater flowed in streams through the streets. It rained recently. Two little girls were playing in the street water. It was festival time. They were wearing new dresses. Malasha was younger than two little girls. Shark was an older girl.
Malasha stamped her foot in the water. It was a little muddy. The muddy water splashed. It fell on Akulya’s new frock. Akulya was just rubbing out the mud. At that time Akulya’s mother was walking that way. She looked at her daughter's dress. She scolded her daughter.
Malasha splashed her foot on the water. She was a little dirty. Dirty water splashed in different directions. She got on Shark's new dress. The shark was covered in mud. At the same time, Shark's mother walked by. She glanced at her daughter's dress. She started screaming at her daughter.
“How can you make your new dress so dirty?” she asked.
“How could you make your new dress so dirty?” she asked.
“Malasha splashed the water on me, mother,” said Akulya.
“Baby splashed water on me, mom,” said Shark.
Akulya’s mother caught Malasha. She gave two or three slaps on the back of Malasha. Malasha started weeping loudly. Malasha's house was close by. Malasha’s mother heard her daughter Malasha’s weeping. She came out in hurry.
Shark's mom caught Malasha. She slapped Malasha's back two or three times. Malasha cried loudly. Malashi was close to home. Malasha's mother heard her daughter cry. She quickly left.
“Why are you weeping?” asked her mother.
"Why are you crying?" - asked her mother.
“Akulya’s mother beat me on my back,” said Malasha.
“Mama Shark hit me on the back,” Malasha said.
Malasha’s mother turned to Akulya’s mother in an angry mood. Malasha’s mother abused Akulya’s mother. Soon they started quarrelling loudly. They called each other names. Their shouting continued.
Malasha's mom turned to Shark's mom in an angry mood. Malasha's mom insulted Shark's mom. Soon they began to quarrel loudly. They called each other different names. Their bickering continued.
Other women joined them soon. Some supported Akulya’s mother. Some supported Malasha's mother. The two fighting groups became bigger and bigger. The men also joined in the fighting. The quarrel became never ending.
Other women also joined. Some supported Shark's mother. Some supported Malasha's mother. The two opposing groups grew larger and larger. The men also joined the confrontation. The quarrel became endless.
At that time the grandmother of Akulya came out of the house. She told the men and the women not to fight. “It is festival time. People should not quarrel," she told them.
At this time, Akulya’s grandmother left the house. She told men and women to stop. “It's festival time. People shouldn’t fight,” she told them.
No one listened to her. No one cared for her words. In the meantime Malasha and Akulya forgot about their quarrel. They became friends again. They moved away from the fighting crowd. They started letting paper boats in the running water. Now the old woman said to the fighting groups.
Nobody listened to her. Nobody cared about her words. At the same time, Malasha and Shark forgot about the quarrel. They became friends again. They moved away from the opposing crowd. They started making paper boats and launched them on the water. Now the old woman said to the opposing groups.
“Look at the children. They have forgotten their quarrel. They have started playing again. They have become friends again. But you men and women still keep quarrelling. Are you not ashamed of your tendency?”
“Look at the children. They forgot about their coor. They started playing again. They became friends again. But you men and women still continue to quarrel. Aren’t you ashamed of this?”
The men and the women looked at the little girls. They felt ashamed. They went back to their houses quietly.
The men and women looked at the little girls. They were ashamed. They quietly went home.
Children forget and forgive very easily. The elders learned this lesson from the little girls.
Children forgot and forgave very simply. Adults learned this lesson thanks to little girls.
The Perfect Palace(Ideal Palace)
Thousands of years ago, there lived a King. His people loved him since he looked after their needs well. At the end of every month, he would invite some noble men of his Kingdom to analyze his work and advise him.
Thousands of years ago, there lived a King. His people loved him ever since he took care of their needs. At the end of the month, he would invite a noble man of his Kingdom to review his work and give him advice.
The King built many things. Every year he would rebuild his palace and every time it looked better that before. “Marvelous! Unmatched!!” the couriers would praise and the King would feel elated.
The king built many things. Every year he rebuilt his palace and every time it looked better than before. "Wonderful! Unsurpassed! - the courtiers praised and the King was in seventh heaven.
One day the King thought, “This year, I will build the perfect palace, with all comforts. It should be praised not only within my kingdom, but also by the people of the neighboring states.”
One day the King thought, “This year, I will build an ideal palace, with all amenities. He was to be praised not only by my kingdom, but also by the people of neighboring states."
The next day, the King worked out a perfect design for his perfect palace. After finalizing it, he handed it over to the builders. In about a month, the perfect palace of the King’s dream was ready. The King invited noblemen of his kingdom, as well as the neighboring states, to get their opinions about the palace.
The next day, the King made an ideal design for his ideal palace. After he finished it, he handed it over to the builders. About a month passed, the King's ideal dream palace was ready. The king invited noble people of the kingdom, also from neighboring states, to get an opinion about the palace.
“Unbelievable! Indeed, it is a perfect palace,” cheered the noblemen in unison. But a saint standing in the corner was silent.
“Incredible! Indeed, this is an ideal palace,” the nobles all said welcomingly. But the saint stood in the corner in complete silence.
The King wondered why the saint was silent, when everyone was praising his palace. He walked up to the saint and said, “Please tell, O Saint, why you are silent.” Isn’t my palace perfect?”
The king was surprised why the saint was so quiet when everyone praised his palace. He approached the saint and said, “Please tell me, O Saint, why are you so silent. Isn’t my palace perfect?”
The Saint replied in a calm voice, “Dear King! Your palace is strong and will last forever. It is beautiful but not perfect, since the people living in it are mortals. They are not permanent. Your palace will live forever but not the people in it. That is why I am silent. Man is born with empty hands and so does he die.”
The saint replied in a calm voice, “Dear King! Your palace is powerful and will always be so. It is beautiful, but not perfect, from the moment mortals live in it. You are not eternal. Your palace will always live, but not the people living in it. That's why I'm so quiet. A man is born empty-handed and that is how he dies.”
The King thanked the saint for his wise words and never tried to build a perfect palace again.
The king thanked the saint for his wise words and never tried to build the perfect palace again.
At school
Summer is over and it is autumn again, beautiful as ever. Even if you are no artist at all you can see its beauty. It is a season when the trees are simply fantastic – yellow, red, green and brown, not just one brown, but browns of all possible shades: light brown, dark brown, yellowish brown and all of a richness that only an artist can see and describe.
Summer is over and autumn has come again, beautiful as always. Even if you are not an artist at all, you will be able to see its beauty. This is the season when the trees are simply fantastic - yellow, red, green and brown, not just brown, but brown in all possible shades: light brown, dark brown, tan and other decorations that only an artist can see and describe.
Andrey is back in Klinovo. He has just come but his thoughts are still in Saint Petersburg where the autumn is so beautiful.
Andrey returned from Klinovo. He had just arrived, but his thoughts were still in St. Petersburg, where autumn is so beautiful.
This is not his first visit there. He has already been to Saint Petersburg and he has learned its streets, roads, parks, theaters, cinemas and old and new beautiful buildings. He easily recognizes the streets, buildings, buses, parks and the noise. Noise is everywhere.
This is not his first visit here. He had already been to St. Petersburg and he learned its streets, roads, wigs, theaters, cinemas and old and new beautiful buildings. It easily recognizes antennae, buildings, buses, parks and noise. Noise everywhere.
Now he is with his classmates and the usual talk begins.
WITH Now he is with his classmates and the usual conversations begin.
“Hello, Andrey!”
"Hi Andrew!"
"Hallo, Ivan."
"Hello Ivan"
“I am very glad to see you again. How is everything?”
“I'm very glad to see you again. How are you?"
“Thank you, fine.”
"OK, thank you".
“Now tell me, where have you been all the time? I haven’t seen you for ages and you haven’t written a word. Did you go anywhere?”
“Now tell me, where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you for many years and you haven't written a word. Are you going somewhere?
“Certainly, I did.” I have just come back from Saint Petersburg."
“Of course I will. I just returned from St. Petersburg."
“How did you like it? Is it a good place to go to?”
“How do you like him? Is this a good place to go?”
"Splendid! You must go there some day, too."
“Great! You should go there one day too."
“I certainly shall.” And I shall write letters to you as I know you like to get letters.”
“Of course I will go. And I will write you letters, because I know that you love receiving letters."
Igor's working day
You know Igor lives with his family in Oktybrskiy. He is a pupil of the 8th form.
You know, Igor lives with his family in Oktyabrsky. He is an 8th grade student.
Igor is very busy on weekdays. Every morning he goes to school. The school is not so far from Oktyabrskiy. It is on the nearest farm. The boy goes there in a bus. The bus takes boys and girls and carries them to school.
Igor is very busy on weekdays. Every morning he goes to school. The school is not so far from Oktyabrsky. He's near the farm. The boy goes there by bus. The bus picks up boys and girls and transports them to school.
Here is Igor’s working day. The alarm clock rings at 7 o’clock and Igor gets up. He does his morning exercises at the open window, washes and dresses. Igor’s mother gets up an hour before Igor. She prepares breakfast for the family. After breakfast Igor leaves home. The bus is waiting for the children near the shop. Igor goes to school with his friends. He stays at school till 2 or 3 o’clock. Then he comes home. His mother waits for him. They have dinner. After dinner he rests a little or helps his mother or father.
Here is Igor's working day. The alarm clock rings at 7 o'clock and Igor gets up. He does his morning exercises with the window open, washes himself and gets dressed. Igor’s mother gets up an hour earlier than Yegor. She is cooking for the family tomorrow. After breakfast, Igor leaves the house. The bus is waiting for the children near the store. Igor is going to school with his friends. He is at school from 2 to 3. Then he comes home. His mother is waiting for him. They are having dinner. After dinner he rests a little or helps mom or dad.
Then he does his homework in different subjects: in English, history, mathematics, physics and others.
Then he does his homework in different subjects: English, history, mathematics, physics and others.
Sometimes Igor stays at school a little longer. There is a good library there. Igor likes to work in the library. He often does his homework there.
Sometimes Igor stays at school a little longer. There is a good library there. Igor likes to work in the library. He often does his homework there.
In the evening Igor likes to stay at home. He watches TV, listens to the radio or reads a book. He sometimes goes for a walk with his friends. On Saturday and Sunday Igor often goes to the club.
In the evening, Igor likes to stay at home. He watches TV, listens to the radio or reads books. Sometimes he goes out with friends. On Saturday and Sunday, Igor often goes to the club.
You can download and save these simple stories to your computer, phone or tablet.
Thus, it is very interesting to read small, short stories in English for a change, especially for beginners learning English, and at the same time combining this direction with listening to audio or video with Russian subtitles.
Hello friends. Many teachers include independent extracurricular reading in their curriculum. Some assign readings from classic works or adapted versions of books, but short stories that can be printed out and distributed to students are much better suited for this purpose.
The boy was soaking wet. He was standing in a puddle of water. His clothes hung heavy on his body. Suddenly, a sharp razor-like slither of white light blazed above his head and a gravelly rumbling echoed in his ears. Then came another downpour. He pulled his jacket tightly...
Long, long ago, in the winter-time, when the snowflakes were falling like little white feathers from the sky, a beautiful Queen sat beside her window, which was framed in black ebony, and stitched. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and so it happened that she pricked ...
In old days, it was believed that the seventh son, in a family of sons, was a conjurer by nature, and that he could work wonders like the fairies and cure diseases better than any doctor. If he were the seventh son of a seventh son, he was himself ...
Down below there was only a vast white sea of clouds. Above there was the sun, and the sun was white like the clouds, because it is never yellow when one looks at it from high in the air. He was still flying the Spitfire.* His right hand was on ...
JACK SELLS THE COW Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a little cottage with her only son Jack. Jack was a giddy, thoughtless boy, but very kind-hearted and affectionate. There had been a hard winter, and after it the poor woman had suffered from ...
Learning English can be a challenging task. There are many ways to help overcome various problems related to grammar, spelling, pronunciation and even. One of them is the active reading method. The more you read texts in English, the more you develop an understanding of the English language. And as a result, the faster you will learn to read and speak English. Independent reading is quite effective, and it also greatly motivates learning. When you read on your own, and not with a teacher, you choose texts that will definitely be interesting to you, as opposed to texts suggested by the teacher. As a result, you will read more readily and, accordingly, remember more new words.
English language courses are useful teaching tools, but newspapers, magazines and books in English can be just as useful. From them you will learn popular English expressions, phrases, grammatical structures and words that will significantly expand your vocabulary.
Why is reading necessary?
Reading in English is one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary. The context of articles, stories and dialogues helps you identify and understand the meanings of English words you encounter for the first time. Also, with the help of reading, you repeat already familiar words, thereby remembering them better.
Reading helps to concentrate your thinking in English. When you read books in English, hundreds of English words, set phrases, and grammatical structures are stored in your memory. Subsequently, they will be useful to you in writing and in doing exercises. Over time, you will stop thinking every time which tense form of the verb to use, how to place punctuation marks, how to write this or that word - your brain will learn to process all this information automatically. By the way, there is a strong connection between reading and writing. Reading allows you to see grammatically correct sentences in a living context, which can serve as a model for your own writing. Regular reading stimulates imagination and creativity, and helps you learn to write more meaningfully and originally.
If you want to become an experienced, “skilled” reader, it is advisable to read and translate at least a few pages a day. If you don’t have enough free time for this, take books, magazines and newspapers with you on the road, read on public transport or in a long line. Once you start reading every day, after a while you will learn to look in the dictionary less and less, and then you will completely abandon it.
Free lesson on the topic:
Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples
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Reading is an activity that can be interesting for all age groups and students with any level of English proficiency.
Texts for children
English texts for children are usually limited to a small list of topics that are understandable to any schoolchild or child. As a rule, these are simple, sometimes funny and entertaining stories about animals, family members, nature, and surrounding objects. English texts for children use the simplest vocabulary and short sentences. Such stories are easy to understand and usually consist of 1-2 small paragraphs.
Texts for Beginners
These texts are designed for students at the Beginner and Elementary levels. Here you can find a wider variety of topics: holidays, appearance, cities and countries, everyday affairs. In terms of vocabulary, texts for beginners are almost as easy as texts for children; the same basic words and expressions are used here. As for grammar, tense forms of verbs, complex and compound words, and subordinate clauses begin to appear here.
Medium difficulty texts
English texts of medium complexity already include a large list of topics: professions, work, studies, relationships with family and friends, music, art, history, social problems, made up stories. Complex vocabulary is used here, professional terms are encountered, but in general the topics of the texts are not narrowly focused; they should be interesting and understandable to a wide range of readers. There are many grammatical structures in texts of average complexity - almost all of them can be found here, with the exception of the most complex and outdated ones.
Hello, my beloved readers!
Have you ever wondered how to force yourself to listen and read more at the very beginning of learning a language? After all, it seems like it’s so complicated, and difficult, and uninteresting... and you can come up with a couple hundred more excuses!
Today I will share a method that helps my students a lot. I will give you stories in English for beginners (by the way, I have begun to form - please)!
I have prepared short and very interesting stories with parallel translation for you. This practice at the beginning of learning a language helps you quickly and also absorb the structure of the language as a whole.
Story 1
Sudden rain.
Sudden rain.
It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned into gray and there was no sun at all. It was already a noon.
It was definitely going to rain. The sky turned gray and there was no sun at all. It was already noon.
Mary was standing at the corner of the street talking to Jane. Both of them were holding shopping bags in their hands.
Mary stood on the street corner talking to Jane. They were holding shopping bags in their hands.
Mary and Jane started to discuss the weather.
-Do you like rain? -Mary asked.
-Yes, actually I do. - Answered Jane. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. Rain is quite refreshing and allows to think about everything. And you?
Mary and Jane began to discuss the weather.
Do you like rain? - asked Mary.
Yes, actually I like it,” Jane replied. - When it rains, I sit on the porch and drink tea. The rain is very refreshing and allows you to think about everything. And you?
-Well, I love when it rains during the summer. But I can’t stand rainy weather in winter.
I love it when it rains in summer. But I can't stand rainy weather in winter.
They were talking when a sudden stroke of thunder interrupted them. The heavy rain was about to start. Jane noticed that Mary didn’t have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation sitting on her porch.
-I have no objections. At least, we can spend more time talking about your journey to the USA.
They were talking when a sudden clap of thunder interrupted them. It was about to start raining heavily. Jane noticed that Mary did not have an umbrella. She decided to invite her for a cup of tea and continue their conversation while sitting on the porch.
I do not mind. At least we can spend more time chatting about your trip to the US.
At the initial stage of study, it is very important that the stories are adapted specifically to your level. These stories are exactly like that. So try another exciting story with translation and audio.
Story 2
A Book Shop Robbery.
Bookstore robbery.
Sandy was on her way to work. Being the owner of a book shop was her dream. She loved books and the smell of recently published ones.
Sandy was on her way to work. Being a bookstore owner was her dream. She loved books and the smell of newly published books.
When she got to the shop she noticed that there was something wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.
When she reached the store, she noticed that something was wrong with the door. It was open. She remembered closing it last night. So there was only one explanation - she was robbed.
Entering the shop she realized that the place was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the till and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.
Upon entering the store, she realized that everything was turned upside down. All the books were on the floor. She checked the cash register and thanked herself for taking all the money to the bank last night so there was nothing to steal.
She was upset but the relief of the thought that nothing was stolen calmed her down.
-I need to set an alarm system, - thought Sandy and started placing books on the bookshelves.
She was upset, but the relief of knowing that nothing had been stolen calmed her.
We need to install an alarm, Sandy thought and began to lay out books on the bookshelves.
If you want not only to learn to read, but also to perceive texts by ear, then I suggest listening to these stories. I recommend that you first read the story several times, then read and listen at the same time, and not at the last stage just listen.
2. A Book Shop Robbery
Nowadays you can find hundreds of stories online that will help you quickly master the initial stages of the English language. You can read, listen to, download for your travels, and all this is completely free. Don't be lazy and spend 20 minutes a day.
And if you don’t know what to learn, then subscribe to my newsletter, where I will constantly give you new materials and ideas for studying, as well as replenish your piggy bank with new stories for different levels.
Remember that the most important thing on the way to good English is practice.
Until we meet again, my dears.
In this article we offer you simple English texts for beginners with audio and translation. If you have already mastered them, then it will not be difficult for you to read them.
The texts are written by a native English speaker with an Australian accent, the so-called Aussie. Listen carefully, follow the text with your eyes, try to catch not only sounds, but intonation, rhythm, stress. Listen several times (the more, the better), then start repeating after the speaker, and try to copy exactly all the nuances of her speech.
We highly recommend reading an article on the topic, which, in particular, contains some practical useful advice from the young, very successful polyglot Luca Lampariello on how to correctly read texts in English for beginners.
1. I am happy - I’m happy
2. Texts in English for beginners on the topic: What is it? - What is this?
I want to tell you a little about my family. My family is quite big. I have a mother, father, sister and brother. There are five of us in our family. My mother is 42, but she looks younger. She is not tall, but slim. Her hair is blond and curly. Her eyes are gray. She is a doctor. She is very kind. My father is strong and handsome. His hair is dark and straight. His eyes are brown. My father is a programmer. It can also do many different things. He always helps us with our homework. I have an older sister. She is 19 and a student. She loves to cook and read. She looks like my father. She has a lot of boyfriends. My little brother is only 12. Sometimes he is noisy, but mostly he is a very friendly boy. I'm 16. I like to play football and listen to music. I look like my mother. I also have light ones, curly hair and gray eyes. After I finish school I would also like to be a doctor and help people. We have grandparents. They live in the village. They don't work, they are retired. Sometimes they come to visit us and every summer we visit them and spend our holidays with them.
4. Apperance - Appearance
We have a head, a face, two arms, two hands, a body with two shoulders, a chest and stomach, two legs, two knees and two feet. We have hair and two ears on our head. We have two eyes, a nose, a mouth on our face. We have 32 teeth and a tongue in our mouth. Our hair can be dark or light, straight or curly, long or short. Our eyes can be blue, green, brown, gray or yellow. We can have long or short, strong or weak arms and legs. We can be tall or short, thin or fat. Our skin can be white, yellow, brown or black.
We may be old or young. A man can be good-looking or handsome. A woman can be very pretty or beautiful. How would you describe yourself? I'm not very tall, not very short. I'm not very old, but my hair is almost grey. I have blue eyes. My nose is straight. My ears are small. My face is a little tanned because I'm outside a lot. What about you? How would you describe yourself?
5. Where are you from - Where are you from?
Where are you from?
I'm from Russia. And you?
I am from Germany. And you?
I am from Italy. And she?
She's from France. And he?
He's from Spain. And they?
They are from the Czech Republic.
We are from different countries, but we all want to learn English, don't we?
By the way, do you know where English is the native language? It is a native language in the UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ghana and the second national language in India.
English is now the most influential language in the world, spoken by more than a billion people on our planet.
