How do you determine the correct tense to use when writing about events that happened in the story you read?

How do you determine the correct tense to use when writing about events that happened in the story you read?

• A. Use present tense for all events.
• B. Use past tense for events that have already occurred in the story; remain consistent within the narrative.
• C. Use future tense for all events.
• D. Switch tenses randomly to create tension.

Answer: (B)

When you write about events that happened in a story, you show that those actions took place in the past, so past tense is the natural choice. Using past tense helps readers see the sequence of events as something that already occurred within the story’s world, which keeps the writing clear and orderly. If you used present tense for everything, it would feel like the story is happening right now, which isn’t accurate for things that have already happened. Future tense would imply things that haven’t happened yet, which isn’t appropriate for recounting what the story tells us. Switching tenses randomly would also make the writing hard to follow. So, the most straightforward and consistent approach is to use past tense for the events and keep that tense steady throughout the piece that recounts the story. (Note: in some literary analyses, writers might switch to present tense for discussing themes or actions in the story in a more general sense, but for recounting the story’s events themselves, past tense is the standard.)

When you write about events that happened in a story, you show that those actions took place in the past, so past tense is the natural choice. Using past tense helps readers see the sequence of events as something that already occurred within the story’s world, which keeps the writing clear and orderly. If you used present tense for everything, it would feel like the story is happening right now, which isn’t accurate for things that have already happened. Future tense would imply things that haven’t happened yet, which isn’t appropriate for recounting what the story tells us. Switching tenses randomly would also make the writing hard to follow.

So, the most straightforward and consistent approach is to use past tense for the events and keep that tense steady throughout the piece that recounts the story. (Note: in some literary analyses, writers might switch to present tense for discussing themes or actions in the story in a more general sense, but for recounting the story’s events themselves, past tense is the standard.)