Join teenage detective Nancy Drew in this classic mystery, retold for B1 Intermediate English learners. When Nancy hears about a missing will and a hidden inheritance connected to a strange old clock, she jumps at the chance to solve the puzzle. Along the way, she faces suspicious characters, secret clues, and a race against time to do the right thing. The retelling keeps the suspense of the original book but uses simpler language so you can follow every twist.
This interactive graded reader lets you read and listen at your own pace. Tap any difficult word to see its meaning instantly, and use the included story audio to improve your listening skills. After the story, explore the lesson notes and teaching focus to deepen your understanding. It's a free, fun way to learn English through an exciting mystery!
Nancy Drew, eighteen years old, loved . One sunny afternoon, her friend Helen with .
"Nancy! Have you heard about the old Crowley house?" Helen asked .
"No, what happened?" Nancy asked, her .
"Mr. Crowley died last week, and his is missing. There's also a old clock that nobody ."
Nancy's eyes . "That sounds like a for me!"
The next day, Nancy the Crowley . She met the , Mrs. Purdy.
"I'm here to the clock," Nancy explained. "May I see it?"
Mrs. Purdy her to a tall wooden clock with a golden face. Nancy it carefully.
She noticed a tiny on its side. "Has anyone looked inside?" she asked.
"Oh no, it's been for years," Mrs. Purdy replied.
Nancy the crack with her fingernail. A small hidden popped open!
Inside was an old . "It's the missing will!" Nancy exclaimed.
"It says the house and money go to Mr. Crowley's kind niece, Mary, not his relatives."
Just then, the Tophams . "What are you doing?" Mr. Topham .
"I found the real will," Nancy said . "Mary is the true ."
The Tophams were but could not argue. Later, Mary arrived, full of joy. "Thank you, Nancy! You're wonderful!" she said. Nancy smiled. Another mystery was .
Nancy Drew, 18, loved solving mysteries. One sunny afternoon, her friend Helen hurried to her with exciting news.
"Nancy! Did you hear about the old Crowley house?" Helen asked, out of breath.
"No, what happened?" Nancy asked, curious.
"Mr. Crowley died last week and his will is lost. There's also a strange old clock no one understands."
Nancy's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a perfect mystery for me!"
The next day, Nancy went to the Crowley house. She met the caretaker, Mrs. Purdy.
"I'm here to see the clock," Nancy said. "Can I look at it?"
Mrs. Purdy took her to a tall wooden clock with a gold face. Nancy looked at it closely.
She saw a small crack on its side. "Did anyone check inside?" she asked.
"Oh no, it's been locked for years," Mrs. Purdy said.
Nancy pressed the crack with her fingernail. A small hidden drawer opened!
Inside was an old paper. "It's the missing will!" Nancy cried out.
"It says the house and money go to his kind niece Mary, not the greedy relatives."
Just then, the Tophams came in. "What are you doing?" Mr. Topham asked angrily.
"I found the real will," Nancy said calmly. "Mary is the true owner."
The Tophams were surprised but couldn't argue. Later, Mary came, very happy. "Thank you, Nancy! You're great!" she said. Nancy smiled. Another mystery was solved.
Let's look at some useful words and phrases from the story. These will help you describe investigations, emotions, and discoveries with more precision.
Pay attention to how the words are used in context - that's the best way to remember them.
- curiosity piqued - when your interest is suddenly awakened ("her curiosity piqued")
- sparkled - to shine brightly, often with excitement ("Nancy's eyes sparkled")
- examined - to look at something closely and carefully ("Nancy examined it carefully")
- heir - a person who legally receives money or property from someone who has died ("Mary is the true heir")
When we tell a story, we usually use the past simple for the main events. But we also need other past forms to show what was happening at the same time or what had happened earlier.
The past continuous (was/were + -ing) describes background actions. The past perfect (had + past participle) tells us about something that happened before the main events.
- Past simple for main actions: 'She noticed a tiny crack.'
- Past continuous for ongoing background action: 'The Tophams were waiting outside.' (not in the original, but a possible context)
- Past perfect for earlier events: 'Mr. Crowley had died the week before.'
- Notice how the tenses work together: 'When Nancy arrived, Mrs. Purdy was dusting the clock, which hadn't been opened for years.'
Good storytellers use time expressions to guide the listener or reader through the sequence of events. The Nancy Drew story is full of these helpful signposts.
Using words like 'one afternoon' or 'the next day' makes your narrative clear and easy to follow - even when events happen quickly.
- To start the story: 'One sunny afternoon…'
- To jump to a later event: 'The next day…'
- To show a sudden change: 'Just then…'
- To wrap up the final action: 'Later…'
Now it's your chance to create a mini-mystery. Try retelling the story in your own words, or invent a new short case for Nancy Drew. Use the vocabulary and time words you've just learned.
The more you write and speak in English, the more natural these structures will feel. Keep your ears open for past tenses the next time you read or listen to a story - you'll be surprised how often they appear!
The Secret of the Old Clock comes from the American / Stratemeyer Syndicate tradition and is best known as a mystery novel. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Carolyn Keene/Stratemeyer, 1930; public domain in U.S. as of 2026, 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. The original audience was usually kids/general, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying English. Use only original 1930 version; trademark/revised-text caution.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Library of Congress.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the B1 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
