History vs Narrative vs Past vs Record

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

History

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 noun

Narrative

Top 2,000 (common) B1 noun

Past

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Record

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 noun

	History	Narrative	Past	Record
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈhɪstri/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈhɪstri/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈnærətɪv/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈnærətɪv/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/pɑːst/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/pæst/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈrekɔːd/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈrekərd/"]/
Meaning	The study of past events and times.	A story or a description of events.	Something that happened before now.	To write down or save information.
Example	We learned about ancient civilizations in history class.	The narrative of the story captivated the audience from the very beginning.	I always look at past photos when I miss my childhood.	I bought a new record of my favorite artist yesterday.
Register	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	B1	A1	A2
Part of speech	noun	noun	adjective	noun
Collocations	contemporary, early, recent, piece, be steeped in, go down in, make, go back to something, go back…, reveal something, book, during something’s history, in (something’s) history, history of, change the course of history, a period of history, the lessons of history, contemporary, early, recent, piece, be steeped in, go down in, make, go back to something, go back…, reveal something, book, during something’s history, in (something’s) history, history of, change the course of history, a period of history, the lessons of history, contemporary, early, recent, piece, be steeped in, go down in, make, go back to something, go back…, reveal something, book, during something’s history, in (something’s) history, history of, change the course of history, a period of history, the lessons of history, contemporary, early, recent, piece, be steeped in, go down in, make, go back to something, go back…, reveal something, book, during something’s history, in (something’s) history, history of, change the course of history, a period of history, the lessons of history, chequered/​checkered, colourful/​colorful, fascinating, have, history of	popular, compelling, coherent, construct, create, develop, be based on something, form, style, technique, in a/​the narrative, popular, compelling, coherent, construct, create, develop, be based on something, form, style, technique, in a/​the narrative	past tense, past events, in the past, past experiences	formal, official, public, keep, maintain, compile, contain something, include something, indicate something, in the record, in the records, off the record, access to the records, have a record of something, have no record of something, club, course, national, hold, establish, set, stand, fall, book, attempt, breaker, record for, record with, in record time, past, track, distinguished, have, possess, establish, demonstrate something, show something, compare with something, record among, record for, record in, long-playing, LP, gramophone, write, cut, make, company, industry, label, long-playing, LP, gramophone, write, cut, make, company, industry, label
Antonyms	future	fact, truth	future	erase, delete
Common mistakes	Confused with 'story' - history is about real events, while a story can be fictional., Using 'histories' when referring to one subject; 'history' is usually uncountable., Incorrectly placing 'the' before 'history' when referring to its study in general.	Confused with 'narration', which refers specifically to the act of telling a story., Using 'narrative' as a verb instead of a noun., Mispronouncing the word as 'narr-active'.	Confused with 'passed' (the verb form), Using 'past' improperly with present tense, Confusing 'the past' with 'history'	Confused with 'recorded' when discussing past actions., Using 'record' incorrectly as a noun instead of a verb., Mixing up 'record' with 'recall' which has a different meaning.
Usage notes	Use 'history' when discussing events from the past, especially in educational contexts. It's appropriate in both written and spoken forms. Avoid using it in very casual conversations unless referring to personal stories.	Used often in literature and storytelling contexts. Suitable for both formal and informal discussions about stories. Avoid using it in overly casual settings where simpler terms like 'story' might be preferred.	Used to describe things that have already occurred. Can refer to time (the past) or past events. In writing, be careful not to confuse with 'present' or 'future'.	Use 'record' when talking about saving audio, video, or information. It's suitable in most contexts, but in casual speech, phrases like 'make a recording' may sound more natural.

Frequently asked questions: History vs Narrative vs Past vs Record

What's the difference between History, Narrative, Past, and Record?

History: The study of past events and times. Narrative: A story or a description of events. Past: Something that happened before now. Record: To write down or save information.

Which is more advanced: History, Narrative, Past, and Record?

Narrative is the highest level, at B1, on the CEFR scale.

Are History, Narrative, Past, and Record the same CEFR level?

History: A1, Narrative: B1, Past: A1, Record: A2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are History, Narrative, Past, and Record?

History: noun, Narrative: noun, Past: adjective, Record: noun.

Can you show an example of each?

History: We learned about ancient civilizations in history class. Narrative: The narrative of the story captivated the audience from the very beginning. Past: I always look at past photos when I miss my childhood. Record: I bought a new record of my favorite artist yesterday.

Can I use History, Narrative, Past, and Record interchangeably?

Not always. History, Narrative, Past, and Record are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.