A trip to Oregon

Miles: Kim! You’re finally back from your trip! I missed you! I saw your pictures on Instagram! Tell me everything about it!
Kim: It’s so nice to see you again! I missed you too! The trip was amazing. First, let me tell you, you know there are seven wonders of the world, right? Well, Oregon in the United States, also named its own seven wonders.
Miles: Really? That's great! I guess all countries have beautiful places left out of the list. So tell me where did you go?
Kim: Well, first, I went to Crater Lake, which is the deepest lake in the United States. It is the result of a catastrophic volcanic explosion and actually formed 7,700 ago. Second, I went hiking to Mount Hood, an active volcano, at night we went camping too. Third, I could walk across the Painted Hills, which have colorful ash dating back 33 million years ago, their color changes depending on the light. Then, I saw some incredible waterfalls in Columbia River Gorge. Afterwards, I had the chance to see the Wallowa Mountains, where there was a high desert, and fields of fauna. Finally, I took great pictures of the Oregon Coast.
Miles: Well, that sounds amazing! It seems to be a trip for adventurous people. But what about the seventh wonder?
Kim: Maybe we can visit it next time you and I go together.
A trip to Oregon

In the previous conversation, we can see the use of connectors of sequence, which we use to express the chronological order in which events occurred. These words help us to connect ideas when telling a story. They are usually mentioned at the beginning of a sentence and followed by a comma. The most common ones are:

First: Use this connector to say what happened before other actions. You can also use it at the end of the sentence.

First, I went to Crater Lake. I went to Crater Lake first. (Don’t use a comma in this case)

Second: Use it to say what happened after the first activity.

Second, I went hiking to Mount Hood,

Third: Use it to say what happened after the second activity.

Third, I could walk across the Painted hills

Then/After that/Next/ Afterwards: These connectors can express what happened after previous activities, especially after you use first, second and third. Try to use different connectors and not always the same one.

Then, I saw some incredible waterfalls in Columbia River Gorge.

Afterwards, I had the chance to see the Wallowa Mountains.

After that, we went camping.

Next, I took pictures of the beautiful landscapes.

Finally: Use this linking word to say which was your final activity.

Finally, I took great pictures of the Oregon Coast.

A fast-paced city

If you prefer big cities when travelling, then Tokyo is the right choice for you. People say this cosmopolitan city located in Japan has developed its own culture, as it has been influenced by other countries like India, China, Korea and the United States. Apart from being considered one of the most expensive cities, it is home to museums, palaces, shopping malls, temples, parks, and festivals, but also beautiful landscapes. Read the description of Sarah’s trip to this fascinating place. Look at the photos of the places she visited:

Select exercise

Now, read the description of Kim’s trip to Japan. Choose the right connector. Sometimes more than one option is correct. Correct answers will be in green and the wrong ones in red.

, my best friend and I went to the Tokyo National Museum, it was amazing! There, I saw some historical artwork like samurai swords and masks. we went to the Hamarikyu Gardens, a tranquil park in Central Tokyo. I went to Akihabara because I am a video gamer and a fan of anime so I went shopping for some retro games. , as I love Mario Bros I couldn’t miss driving a real go-kart just like in the Mario Kart video game through the streets of the city, and I even had the chance to choose a costume. I will never forget that day! It was like a dream come true! I visited the Studio Ghibli Museum, and I saw illustrations of the director Hayao Miyasaki. , I went hiking to Mt. Takao, where there was also a monkey park with Japanese macaques. This was one of my best trips in my life, and I definitely want to go back one day.