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Tenses
What’s the difference between past tense and present tense
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2 Replies
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The past tense is used to indicate actions that have already happened.
Actions that are currently taking place are described in the present tense.
There is a tendency to use present tense in dialogue since one is depicting situations that exist at the moment. This is the most common tense to use in academic writing as well.
In past tense, you will use it for any discussion concerning the occurrences that took place in the past. It is also the more common tense to use in fiction, in tales written from the third person perspective.
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The past tense is used to indicate actions that have already happened.
Actions that are currently taking place are described in the present tense.
There is a tendency to use present tense in dialogue since one is depicting situations that exist at the moment. This is the most common tense to use in academic writing as well.
In past tense, you will use it for any discussion concerning the occurrences that took place in the past. It is also the more common tense to use in fiction, in tales written from the third person perspective.
When you are writing, the essence of correct use of the present tense and the past tense is consistency. Sometimes, it is evident, like while discussing current or past events, and other times it is not.
When writing fiction, ensure that the tense remains intact throughout the narrative, except when you are writing dialogue. If at all, you start the tale from past tense, stick to past tense.
However, when trying to write a present-tense narrative, you must be keen to avoid the past tense. You are supposed to keep it unchanged if you want your readers to understand. Remember that the present perfect form of the verb is a present tense form, although it uses past tense conjugation.
Differentiating between the present tense vs. the past tense, especially when you consider the different conjugations that fall into these categories, can be quite complex. Present tense conjugations depict actions that occur in the moment while past tense conjugations explain actions that took place in the past. Ensure that you practice consistency in your writing.
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