Noun A2 — Elementary /ˈstɔː.ri/

Story — Definition, Examples & Usage

A narrative account, a floor of a building, or an explanation — one of the most versatile words in English.

Quick Definition

A story is a spoken or written account of events, real or imaginary; a floor or level of a building (British English: storey); or an explanation given for a situation or set of facts.

What Does Story Mean?

Story comes from Anglo-French estorie and Old French estoire, both derived from Latin historia — meaning a narrative or historical account. It entered Middle English in the 13th century. The same Latin root gives us history, historic, and historian, all connected by the idea of a recorded or narrated sequence of events.

In everyday English, story has three distinct senses. The most common is a narrative — something told, read, or written to entertain, inform, or explain: a bedtime story, a short story, a news story. The second sense refers to a floor of a building, though in British English the preferred spelling for this sense is storey (plural: storeys). The third sense is informal: the explanation someone gives for their behaviour or situation — "What's your story?" or "That's quite a story you've told the teacher."

At A2 level, learners encounter story mainly as a narrative noun. By B2–C1 level, they are expected to handle the idiomatic and figurative uses: a different story (a contrasting situation), the same old story (a familiar, repeated problem), and to cut a long story short (to summarise).

Example Sentences by CEFR Level

SentenceLevel & Usage note
She read a short story in English every evening to improve her reading comprehension.A2 — basic object use
My grandfather always told us funny stories about life in the village when he was young.A2 — tell a story collocation
The journalist investigated the story for three weeks before it was published on the front page.B1 — news story context
His version of events was convincing, but the police suspected there was more to the story than he was letting on.B2 — idiomatic phrase: more to the story
The novel weaves together three parallel storylines, each of which illuminates a different facet of the protagonist's fractured identity.C1 — literary analysis, complex syntax

Collocations

CollocationExample
tell a storyShe told us a story about a dragon who was afraid of fire.
short storyHe won a prize for his short story about life in London.
bedtime storyRead me a bedtime story, please.
love storyThe film is a classic love story set in 1940s Paris.
success storyThe company has become one of the great success stories of the decade.
news storyThe editor chose that news story for the front page.
the whole storyI don't think you're telling me the whole story.
side of the storyWe should hear both sides of the story before judging.
make up a storyHe made up a story about missing the bus.
cover storyThe interview became the cover story of the magazine.

Usage Notes

Key Points for ESL Learners

  • Verb choice: Native speakers tell a story (not say a story). You can also read, write, hear, or follow a story.
  • Story vs. storey: In British English, the floor of a building is a storey: "a ten-storey building". Using story for a building floor is acceptable in American English but sounds non-standard in British English.
  • Plural: The plural is stories (narrative) and storeys (building floors) in British English.
  • Idiomatic uses: Cut a long story short = summarise. A different story = a contrasting situation. The same old story = a familiar repeated problem. End of story = there is nothing more to discuss (informal, emphatic).
  • Register: In journalism, a story is a published article or report. In literature, it refers to a narrative work of fiction or non-fiction. Both uses are standard.

Common Mistakes

Watch Out For

She said us a very interesting story. (wrong verb)

She told us a very interesting story. (tell a story is the fixed collocation)

The building has ten story. (missing plural and wrong sense)

The building has ten storeys. (British English spelling for floors)

Can you make a story about your holiday? (wrong verb)

Can you tell a story about your holiday? (or: write a story about your holiday)

Word Family

Knowing the full word family helps you use story naturally across different contexts:

story (noun) stories (plural) storyline storyteller storytelling storybook story-based

Synonyms

narrative tale account anecdote yarn report chronicle fable

Antonyms / Contrasts

fact reality truth silence

Related Vocabulary

All Common Words → Grammar Glossary Vocabulary Hub Flash Cards

Practise This Word

Flash Cards Complete the Sentence Vocabulary Quiz Hangman

Frequently Asked Questions about “story”

What is the meaning of story?
A story is a spoken or written account of events, which may be real or imaginary. It can be a narrative told for entertainment ('bedtime story'), a news report ('front-page story'), or an explanation of events ('What is your story?'). In architecture, a storey (British spelling) is a floor of a building.
What is the difference between story and storey?
In British English, 'storey' (plural: storeys) is the standard spelling when referring to a floor of a building: 'a five-storey building'. 'Story' is used for a narrative. In American English, 'story' covers both meanings. On LexFizz we follow British English, so we write 'storey' for the architectural sense.
How do you use story in a sentence?
You can use story as a subject or object: 'She told us an interesting story.' It commonly follows the verbs tell, read, write, and hear: 'He read a short story before bed.' Avoid saying 'say a story' — native speakers say 'tell a story'.
What is the plural of story?
The plural of story is stories. The -y changes to -ies following the standard English spelling rule: story → stories, glory → glories. Example: 'The collection contains twenty short stories.'
What is the difference between story and tale?
Both words refer to a narrative, but tale often carries a sense of something traditional, legendary, or slightly exaggerated: 'a fairy tale', 'tall tale'. Story is more neutral and versatile, suitable for everyday, literary, journalistic, and conversational contexts.
What does it mean to cut a long story short?
‘To cut a long story short’ is a common British idiom meaning to summarise and give only the most important information, skipping unnecessary details. Example: 'To cut a long story short, we missed the train and had to walk home.' The American equivalent is 'to make a long story short'.
What are common collocations with story?
Common collocations include: tell a story, short story, bedtime story, love story, success story, cover story, news story, side of the story, make up a story, and the whole story. The most frequent verb collocations are tell, read, hear, and write.
What is the origin of the word story?
Story comes from Anglo-French 'estorie' and Old French 'estoire', derived from Latin 'historia' (narrative, history). It entered Middle English in the 13th century. This Latin root also gives us history, historic, and historian — all sharing the idea of a recorded or narrated account.
Is story a countable or uncountable noun?
Story is a countable noun: 'a story', 'two stories', 'many stories'. It is almost always used with an article or determiner: 'Tell me a story', 'I read the story twice.' It is not used as an uncountable mass noun in standard English.
How can I practise using story in English?
Try LexFizz's Complete the Sentence exercise to practise story and its collocations in context, or use Flash Cards to reinforce the word family (story, stories, storyteller, storyline). Reading graded readers — short stories written for your CEFR level — is one of the most effective ways to acquire natural story usage.