Welcome to this Yak Yacker story! Here, you can read and listen to a special B1 Intermediate English version of The Sun Also Rises. This tale is about the sun, who one day feels too sad to rise. A brave child decides to climb a mountain and remind the sun why it must shine.
The story uses simple past tense and everyday words, making it perfect for learners at the CEFR B1 level. When you read, just click on any word you don't know to get an easy English explanation. You can also listen to the story audio, read along, and check the lesson notes at the end. Everything is free and made to help you enjoy learning.
Jake Barnes loved Lady Brett Ashley, but they could not be together because of their .
One , they to Spain with their friends.
In Pamplona, they watched the . Brett was , and many men loved her. Robert Cohn, their friend, .
One evening, Jake felt very .
"Brett, why can't we be together?" he asked.
"It's just not , Jake. You know that," she said .
The next day, they went to a .
The young was and . Brett watched him with bright eyes, and Jake felt .
After the bullfight, they sat in a . The sun was , and the sky was red.
"Life is ," Jake said.
"Yes, but the sun also rises," Brett .
Early the next morning, they walked to the river. The air was , and the sun slowly, turning the sky pink, orange, and gold.
"Isn't it ?" Brett whispered.
Jake looked at the and felt a little .
"Yes," he said. "The sun also rises."
And they , ready for a .
Jake loved Brett, but they couldn't be a couple because of what happened before.
One summer, they went to Spain with friends.
In Pamplona, they saw the running of the bulls. Brett was pretty and many men liked her. Their friend Robert Cohn always went after her.
One night, Jake was very sad.
"Brett, why can't we be a couple?" he asked.
"It's impossible, Jake. You know that," she said quietly.
The next day, they attended a bullfight.
The young bullfighter was brave and good-looking. Brett looked at him with shining eyes, and Jake was jealous.
After the bullfight, they sat in a café. The sun was going down, and the sky turned red.
"Life can be hard," Jake said.
"Yes, but the sun comes up again," Brett answered.
Early next morning, they walked to the river. The air was clean, and the sun came up slowly, making the sky pink, orange, and gold.
"Isn't it lovely?" Brett whispered.
Jake saw the sunrise and felt some hope.
"Yes," he said. "The sun comes up again."
They smiled, ready for a new day.
This retelling of 'The Sun Also Rises' is filled with feeling words. These vocabulary items help us understand how the characters connect, hurt, and hope. When you read 'Jake felt very sad' or 'Jake felt jealous', you can almost touch the emotion.
Understanding and using these words will make your own storytelling richer. Start by noticing how the word feels in the sentence, not just its dictionary meaning.
- sad - unhappy; feeling sorrow. 'Jake felt very sad because he couldn't be with Brett.'
- jealous - wanting something someone else has. 'Jake felt jealous of the young bullfighter.'
- hope - a feeling that good things will happen. 'Jake felt a little hope as they smiled.'
- brave - ready to face danger or pain. 'The young bullfighter was brave and handsome.'
The story uses the past simple tense to describe finished events. Regular verbs just add -ed (loved, traveled, watched), but many common verbs are irregular and change form (feel → felt, sit → sat, go → went).
For a B1 learner, it's time to move beyond just the rules and notice the flow. The past simple isn't only about a list-it's the heartbeat of any memory you share.
- Regular: love → loved, travel → traveled, walk → walked.
- Irregular: can → could, feel → felt, sit → sat, say → said, rise → rose.
- The verb 'be' is irregular: was/were. 'The sky was red; they were together.'
- Even negative forms appear: 'could not be', 'it's just not possible'.
The story uses nature to mirror feelings. The rising sun becomes a symbol of new beginnings after sadness. Phrases like 'the sun was setting, and the sky was red' or 'the sun rose slowly, turning the sky pink, orange, and gold' create a vivid picture and a gentle mood.
Learning such descriptive language will not only expand your vocabulary but also help you express subtle emotions through the world around you.
- The sun was setting - it was going down in the evening.
- The sun rose - it came up in the morning.
- turning the sky pink, orange, and gold - the changing colors of sunrise.
- The air was fresh - clean and cool morning air.
Now it's your turn. Think of a moment when you felt sad or hopeful. Try to write three or four sentences using past simple verbs and at least two emotion words from today's lesson. You could even describe a sunrise or sunset you remember.
The best way to make these words yours is to use them. Little by little, your stories will sound as warm and real as Jake and Brett's walk by the river.
- Retell a part of the story from Brett's point of view.
- Look out your window early one morning and write what you see.
- Share your sentences with a friend or in a study group for feedback.
The Sun Also Rises: A Story for English Learners comes from the American / Ernest Hemingway tradition and is best known as a literary novel. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Ernest Hemingway, 1926; public domain in U.S., 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 adult, but this version is adapted for B1 Intermediate learners studying English. Adult disillusionment/drinking themes.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Project Gutenberg.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the B1 English Vocabulary List. After that, try 1,200 English Phrases and Expressions for another useful next step.
