Welcome! This is a special retelling of the much-loved classic Anne of Green Gables, written just for elementary English learners. It tells the story of Anne Shirley, a bright and talkative orphan girl who is sent by mistake to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert at Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. Follow Anne's adventures as she turns quiet Avonlea upside down with her imagination, big heart, and talent for getting into trouble.
This version uses A2-level language, so you can read comfortably and focus on the story. If you find a difficult word, just click it to see a simple definition – no dictionary needed. You can also listen to the full story audio, check the lesson notes for key vocabulary and grammar, and enjoy a free, friendly reading experience designed to help your English grow.
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert lived in a quiet house called . They were brother and sister, and they were not young. They wanted a from the to help on the farm.
But when Matthew arrived at the , there was no boy. There was only a girl. She was sitting on a , with a small, old bag. She had red hair and on her face. She looked at Matthew with big, excited eyes.
'Are you Mr. Cuthbert?' she asked. 'Yes,' said Matthew. 'I'm Anne Shirley. I'm so happy to meet you!' Anne smiled. 'You see, I'm an . I was waiting for you.'
Matthew was a quiet man. He did not know what to say. So he helped Anne into the , and they started the to Green Gables. During the ride, Anne talked and talked. 'I love beautiful things,' she said. 'Look at that tree! It's so . I'm so glad to be going home.'
When they arrived, Marilla was waiting at the door. She looked . 'Matthew, who is this? Where is the boy?' she asked. 'There was no boy,' Matthew said. 'Only this girl.'
Marilla was not happy. 'We can't keep her,' she said. 'We need a boy to help with the .' Anne's face became . 'Please don't send me back,' she said. 'I was so happy when I saw you. I can work hard. I can learn. I can be a good girl.' 'I'm in the !' she said.
That night, Anne cried in her little room. The next morning, Marilla and Matthew talked. 'She's just a child, and she has no one,' Matthew said quietly. Marilla thought for a . 'Well, we can try,' she said. 'She can stay.'
When Anne heard the news, she jumped up and down. 'Oh, thank you! I'm so glad! I will love Green Gables forever!' And so, Anne stayed. She began her new life, full of fun, , and many .
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert were siblings who lived in a quiet house named Green Gables. They were older and wanted to adopt a boy from an orphanage to assist with farm work.
When Matthew got to the station, he found a girl instead of a boy. She sat on a bench with a small, worn bag. She had red hair, freckles, and looked at him with wide, eager eyes.
"Are you Mr. Cuthbert?" she asked. Matthew said yes. "I'm Anne Shirley, and I'm thrilled to meet you!" Anne smiled. "I'm an orphan, and I've been waiting for you."
Matthew was shy and didn't know what to say. He helped Anne into the carriage, and they headed to Green Gables. Anne chattered nonstop: "I adore beautiful things. Look at that lovely tree! I'm so happy to be going home."
Upon arrival, Marilla waited at the door, astonished. "Matthew, who is this? Where's the boy?" she asked. "No boy," Matthew replied. "Just this girl."
Marilla was upset. "We can't keep her; we need a boy to help," she said. Anne looked sad. "Please don't send me back. I was overjoyed to see you. I can work hard, learn, and be good. I'm in deep despair!"
Anne cried in her room that night. Next morning, Marilla and Matthew discussed. "She's just a child with no one," Matthew said softly. Marilla paused, then said, "We can give it a try. She can stay."
When Anne heard, she jumped for joy. "Oh, thank you! I'm so happy! I'll love Green Gables forever!" So Anne stayed and started a new life filled with fun, mistakes, and adventures.
Let's take a closer look at some useful words from the chapter. These will help you understand the story better and use them in your own conversations!
Click any word in the story to see its meaning and hear the pronunciation. Here are a few to get you started.
- orphan - a child whose parents have died
- carriage - a vehicle with wheels pulled by horses
- freckles - small light-brown spots on the skin
- despair - a feeling of having no hope at all
Anne uses dramatic language to express her feelings. When she says, "I'm in the depths of despair," she means she is extremely sad. It's a strong, emotional phrase-perfect for a girl with a big imagination!
Notice how the characters show surprise and hesitation. Marilla says, "We can't keep her-we need a boy to help." Even though she's firm at first, we can see her kindness slowly appear.
- Why do you think Marilla changes her mind?
- How would you feel if you were Anne, arriving at a new home?
- Matthew is very quiet-what might he be thinking?
Most of the story is in the simple past tense. We use it to talk about completed actions in the past.
Regular verbs add -ed (lived, wanted, arrived). But many common verbs are irregular-like say → said, see → saw, go → went. The story is full of them!
- lived → live
- wanted → want
- said → say
- saw → see
- went → go
Now you've met Anne and learned some new words and grammar. Why not read the story again with the audio? Listen for the emotion in Anne's voice-she's never boring!
When you're ready, try the quiz to check your understanding. The more you practise, the easier reading will feel. Anne would be so proud!
Anne of Green Gables: A Retelling for English Learners comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_children_story_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
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