Tom was a British man living in London. He was usually happy, but today, everything went wrong. It was Monday, and his day started badly. His alarm clock didn’t ring. He woke up at 8:30 a.m., but he needed to be at work by 9:00. “Oh no!” he shouted, jumping out of bed. He ran to the bathroom, but the shower was cold. There was no hot water. He shivered as he washed quickly.
Tom hurried to get dressed. He put on his favourite shirt, but then he spilled coffee on it. The brown stain spread across the white fabric. “Great, just great,” he muttered. He changed into another shirt, but it was wrinkled. He had no time to iron it. He grabbed his bag and ran out the door.
Outside, it was raining. Tom forgot his umbrella, so he got wet. His shoes squished with every step. He reached the bus stop, but the bus drove past without stopping. “Come on!” he yelled, waving his arms. The next bus was late, and when it arrived, it was full. Tom squeezed in, but someone stepped on his foot. He winced in pain.
At work, things got worse. His boss, Mr. Jenkins, was in a bad mood. “Tom, where’s the report?” he asked. Tom’s heart sank. He forgot to finish it over the weekend. “I’ll have it by tomorrow,” Tom said nervously. Mr. Jenkins frowned. “Tomorrow? I needed it today!” Tom felt his face turn red.
During lunch, Tom went to the café. He ordered a sandwich, but they gave him the wrong one. It had tomatoes, which he hated. He tried to eat it, but it tasted awful. Then, his phone fell out of his pocket and the screen cracked. “This can’t be happening,” he groaned.
In the afternoon, Tom’s computer crashed. He lost an hour’s work. He called the IT department, but they were busy. “Try restarting it,” they said. He did, but it didn’t help. By now, Tom was exhausted. He just wanted to go home.
After work, he missed his train. He waited on the cold platform for 20 minutes. When he finally got home, he realised he lost his keys. He stood outside in the rain, searching his bag. No keys. He called a locksmith, who took an hour to arrive. The locksmith charged him £100. Tom sighed as he paid.
Inside, Tom thought things might get better. He made tea, but the kettle broke, and water spilled everywhere. He cleaned it up, feeling more tired. Then, his neighbour’s dog started barking loudly. It wouldn’t stop. Tom tried to watch TV, but the signal was bad. The screen showed only static.
Tom decided to order pizza for dinner. He called the restaurant, but they said delivery would take two hours. He gave up and ate some old cereal. It was stale. He sat on the sofa, feeling defeated. His phone buzzed with a message from his boss: “Meeting tomorrow at 8 a.m. Don’t be late.”
Tom put his head in his hands. “What a terrible day,” he said. He hoped tomorrow would be better, but he wasn’t sure. He went to bed early, trying to forget the day. As he closed his eyes, he heard a loud noise. The neighbour’s dog was still barking.
Vocabulary Notes
Muttered: Verb (past tense of “mutter”)
Definition: To speak or say something quietly, often in a low voice, usually because you are annoyed or complaining.
Example: “’Great, just great,’ he muttered.” (Tom says this quietly when he spills coffee on his shirt, showing his frustration.)
Similar Words:
Mumble: To speak unclearly or softly. Example: She mumbled an apology when she bumped into someone.
Whisper: To speak very softly, often secretly. Example: He whispered to his friend during the meeting.
Grumble: To complain in a low voice. Example: The workers grumbled about the long hours.
Note for Learners: Use “muttered” when someone speaks quietly because they are upset or annoyed, like Tom in the story.
Shivered: Verb (past tense of “shiver”)
Definition: To shake or tremble, usually because of cold, fear, or discomfort.
Example: “He shivered as he washed quickly.” (Tom shakes because the shower water is cold.)
Similar Words:
Tremble: To shake slightly, often from fear or cold. Example: She trembled when she heard the loud noise.
Shake: To move back and forth quickly. Example: His hands shook as he held the broken phone.
Quiver: To shake slightly, often with emotion. Example: Her voice quivered when she spoke about her bad day.
Note for Learners: “Shivered” is often used for physical shaking due to cold, but it can also describe shaking from fear or excitement.
Wrinkled: Adjective
Definition: Having small lines or folds in something, like clothes or skin, often because it is not smooth or ironed.
Example: “He changed into another shirt, but it was wrinkled.” (Tom’s new shirt has folds because it wasn’t ironed.)
Similar Words:
Creased: Having lines or folds, especially in clothes. Example: His trousers were creased after sitting all day.
Crumpled: Badly wrinkled or crushed. Example: The paper was crumpled after being in his bag.
Folded: Bent or creased, often intentionally. Example: She folded the shirt, but it still looked messy.
Note for Learners: Use “wrinkled” for clothes or skin that looks uneven or not smooth, like Tom’s shirt.
Squeezed: Verb (past tense of “squeeze”)
Definition: To press or push something tightly, often to fit into a small space or to hold something firmly.
Example: “Tom squeezed in, but someone stepped on his foot.” (Tom pushes into the crowded bus to fit.)
Similar Words:
Pushed: To move something or someone with force. Example: She pushed her way through the crowd.
Crammed: To force something into a small space. Example: He crammed his books into his bag.
Pressed: To push or hold something tightly. Example: She pressed her hands together to stay warm.
Note for Learners: “Squeezed” often describes fitting into a tight space, like Tom on the bus, or pressing something hard.
Defeated: Adjective
Definition: Feeling like you have lost or given up, often because things keep going wrong.
Example: “He sat on the sofa, feeling defeated.” (Tom feels like he can’t win after his bad day.)
Similar Words:
Hopeless: Feeling like there is no chance to succeed. Example: She felt hopeless after failing the test.
Discouraged: Feeling less confident or motivated. Example: He was discouraged when his plan didn’t work.
Beaten: Feeling like you’ve lost a fight or struggle. Example: The team felt beaten after losing the game.
Note for Learners: Use “defeated” to describe someone who feels like they can’t continue because of many problems, like Tom at the end of the story.
Stale: Adjective
Definition: Not fresh anymore, often used for food that is old and tastes bad.
Example: “He gave up and ate some old cereal. It was stale.” (Tom’s cereal tastes bad because it’s old.)
Similar Words:
Spoiled: Food that has gone bad and can’t be eaten. Example: The milk was spoiled and smelled bad.
Old: Not fresh, often for food or things. Example: The bread was old and hard to chew.
Rancid: Having a bad taste or smell, often for fats or oils. Example: The butter was rancid after weeks in the fridge.
Note for Learners: “Stale” is used for food like bread or cereal that is old but still edible, unlike “spoiled,” which is worse.
Story written by Grok 3 AI
Image created by Grok 3 AI
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
Leave a comment