Tenses and time linkers for relating past events	
Now try to make longer sentences by linking the following pairs with a time linking word or phrase:
I (have) a shower
The phone (ring)
		
I (have) a shower
I (make) breakfast
		
I (make) breakfast
I (listen) to the radio
		
I (have) breakfast
I (talk) to my sister
		
I (open) the door
The postman (arrive)		
I (open) the letter
I (see) I (win) the lottery!		

Tenses and time linkers for relating past events	
Now try to make longer sentences by linking the following pairs with a time linking word or phrase:
I (have) a shower
The phone (ring)
		
I (have) a shower
I (make) breakfast
		
I (make) breakfast
I (listen) to the radio
		
I (have) breakfast
I (talk) to my sister
		
I (open) the door
The postman (arrive)		
I (open) the letter
I (see) I (win) the lottery!		

Answers	
I (have) a shower
The phone (ring)
	While I was having a shower, the phone rang. (interrupted past)
After I had (I’d had) a shower, the phone rang. (sequence)
When I’d had a shower, the phone rang. (sequence)	
I (have) a shower
I (make) breakfast
	After I had (I’d had) a shower, I made breakfast. (sequence)
When I’d had a shower, I made breakfast. (sequence)	
I (make) breakfast
I (listen) to the radio
	While I made breakfast, I listened to the radio. (simultaneous longer actions)
After I made (I’d made) breakfast, I listened to the radio. (sequence)
When I’d made breakfast, I listened to the radio. (sequence)	
I (have) breakfast
I (talk) to my sister
	While I had breakfast, I talked to my sister. (simultaneous longer actions)

After I had (I’d had) breakfast, I talked to my sister. (sequence)
When I’d had breakfast, I talked to my sister. (sequence)	
I (open) the door
The postman (arrive)	When I opened the door, the postman arrived. (sequence)
As I opened the door, the post man arrived. (simultaneous short actions)
As I was opening the door, the postman arrived. (interrupted past)

Note, there is practically little difference between these three as the time of the action ‘open’ the door is very short.	
I (open) the letter
I (see) I (win) the lottery!	When I opened the letter, I saw I had won the lottery. (sequence)