Tense problem. Retelling a story and asking questions
I am reading a story and I need to retell it and then to ask some questions about the plot. So I don’t know what tense I should use. The author himself switches from Present Simple/Continuous to Past Simple from time to time. So I am absolutely confused. Here are some extracts for you to make my question more clear:
1. It was December 21st, I am 15 and I am living through a slump.
2. I went to school. Flash forward a few hours I am sitting in the Vice Principal’s office.
Thank you!
grammar american-english tenses
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
add a comment |
I am reading a story and I need to retell it and then to ask some questions about the plot. So I don’t know what tense I should use. The author himself switches from Present Simple/Continuous to Past Simple from time to time. So I am absolutely confused. Here are some extracts for you to make my question more clear:
1. It was December 21st, I am 15 and I am living through a slump.
2. I went to school. Flash forward a few hours I am sitting in the Vice Principal’s office.
Thank you!
grammar american-english tenses
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday
add a comment |
I am reading a story and I need to retell it and then to ask some questions about the plot. So I don’t know what tense I should use. The author himself switches from Present Simple/Continuous to Past Simple from time to time. So I am absolutely confused. Here are some extracts for you to make my question more clear:
1. It was December 21st, I am 15 and I am living through a slump.
2. I went to school. Flash forward a few hours I am sitting in the Vice Principal’s office.
Thank you!
grammar american-english tenses
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
I am reading a story and I need to retell it and then to ask some questions about the plot. So I don’t know what tense I should use. The author himself switches from Present Simple/Continuous to Past Simple from time to time. So I am absolutely confused. Here are some extracts for you to make my question more clear:
1. It was December 21st, I am 15 and I am living through a slump.
2. I went to school. Flash forward a few hours I am sitting in the Vice Principal’s office.
Thank you!
grammar american-english tenses
grammar american-english tenses
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
asked yesterday
Curious EnglishCurious English
174
174
Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday
add a comment |
Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday
Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Suit yourself!
You are re-telling it, now it is almost your story, especially if you are telling it to children and not a formal audience like in a seminar.
In general, present tense works great, combined with past tense for "flash back" segments of the story.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
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Suit yourself!
You are re-telling it, now it is almost your story, especially if you are telling it to children and not a formal audience like in a seminar.
In general, present tense works great, combined with past tense for "flash back" segments of the story.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Suit yourself!
You are re-telling it, now it is almost your story, especially if you are telling it to children and not a formal audience like in a seminar.
In general, present tense works great, combined with past tense for "flash back" segments of the story.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Suit yourself!
You are re-telling it, now it is almost your story, especially if you are telling it to children and not a formal audience like in a seminar.
In general, present tense works great, combined with past tense for "flash back" segments of the story.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Suit yourself!
You are re-telling it, now it is almost your story, especially if you are telling it to children and not a formal audience like in a seminar.
In general, present tense works great, combined with past tense for "flash back" segments of the story.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
answered yesterday
Ananth NAnanth N
161
161
New contributor
Ananth N is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
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Check out our Code of Conduct.
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Put everything into the present. For example, John is 15 and living through a slump. On December 21 he goes to school. A few hours later he is sitting in the VP's office because he has hit another student... The same applies to the questions: What does his mother say when he gets home?
– Shoe
yesterday
@Shoe thank you! Is it a mistake if I put everything into the past? As far as I understand the key is to use ONE tense and not mix it with others. Is it right?
– Curious English
yesterday
Strictly speaking, English has only two tenses: past and present. So the present simple, present continuous and present perfect are all present tenses. It is common practice to summarize a story or film in the present. (But if you are doing this as a homework assignment, it would be best to ask your teacher.)
– Shoe
yesterday