Answer: When writing in present tense, do we use past tense or past perfect tense for past events?
Question: When writing in present tense, should events taking place in the past be written in past tense or past perfect tense? (ex: Victor remembers his first days in Paris (present tense). The first thing he did after unpacking was call home (past tense), just as his mother had urged him to do (past perfect) before he got onto the plane (past tense).)
Examples from the lovely Doctor Who.
It might seem tricky to choose the right tense, especially when we're dealing both with present and past events. One such instance could be when you're writing in present tense and you need to talk about events taking place in the past. Which do you choose past tense or past perfect?
You'll think it's a complicated one, but actually it isn't! And I'll explain why. But first, for a better understanding of the correct uses of past tense and past perfect tense, let’s make sure we know the basics about both tenses.
The past simple tense refers to actions which were completed in the past, habits you used to have, or states. The past continuous tense refers to past actions in progress (often interrupted by other events), changing states, or regarding repeated actions, meant as criticism (and often used with a frequency adverb, such as “always”, “forever”). It is also often used for background descriptions in narratives.
On the other side, we have the past perfect tense. Past perfect simple is used in situations where we are already talking about the past and we want to go back to an even earlier moment. Past perfect continuous is used in the same way: if we use past simple continuous for past events, we used past perfect continuous for earlier past events.
Considering this, when we are writing a text in present text, the tense we choose for past events depends on when they take place.
Let’s look at Amy’s afterword, written for the Doctor:
“Hello, old friend. And here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well and were very happy.”
The text is written in present tense, yet when referring to her past with Rory, she used past simple. It expresses a state, a truth about their past.
So when do things get complicated? When we are talking about several events in the past. Sure, they all belong to the past, but some took place earlier than others. For a past event completed before another past event, we use past perfect:
“Oh, look,” Amy says, “Another postcard from your dad!”
“What is it this time?” Rory asks, moving next to her.
“More traveling.” Amy replies, reading the back of the postcard. “And it says he didn’t forget about our wedding anniversary present, just like he had promised before he left.”
The past perfect there implies the following: Brian promised something in the past, before he left - also in the past. The first action was him making a promise, while the second was Brian leaving - both count as past actions.
In conclusion, when you’re writing in present tense and you need to choose the right past tense regarding past events, think of the timeline. Based on when events take place regarding a main past event, decide on the correct tense!
Source: Michael Vince (Advanced English Practice)
Examples from the lovely Doctor Who.
It might seem tricky to choose the right tense, especially when we're dealing both with present and past events. One such instance could be when you're writing in present tense and you need to talk about events taking place in the past. Which do you choose past tense or past perfect?
You'll think it's a complicated one, but actually it isn't! And I'll explain why. But first, for a better understanding of the correct uses of past tense and past perfect tense, let’s make sure we know the basics about both tenses.
The past simple tense refers to actions which were completed in the past, habits you used to have, or states. The past continuous tense refers to past actions in progress (often interrupted by other events), changing states, or regarding repeated actions, meant as criticism (and often used with a frequency adverb, such as “always”, “forever”). It is also often used for background descriptions in narratives.
On the other side, we have the past perfect tense. Past perfect simple is used in situations where we are already talking about the past and we want to go back to an even earlier moment. Past perfect continuous is used in the same way: if we use past simple continuous for past events, we used past perfect continuous for earlier past events.
Considering this, when we are writing a text in present text, the tense we choose for past events depends on when they take place.
Let’s look at Amy’s afterword, written for the Doctor:
“Hello, old friend. And here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone. So know that we lived well and were very happy.”
The text is written in present tense, yet when referring to her past with Rory, she used past simple. It expresses a state, a truth about their past.
So when do things get complicated? When we are talking about several events in the past. Sure, they all belong to the past, but some took place earlier than others. For a past event completed before another past event, we use past perfect:
“Oh, look,” Amy says, “Another postcard from your dad!”
“What is it this time?” Rory asks, moving next to her.
“More traveling.” Amy replies, reading the back of the postcard. “And it says he didn’t forget about our wedding anniversary present, just like he had promised before he left.”
The past perfect there implies the following: Brian promised something in the past, before he left - also in the past. The first action was him making a promise, while the second was Brian leaving - both count as past actions.
In conclusion, when you’re writing in present tense and you need to choose the right past tense regarding past events, think of the timeline. Based on when events take place regarding a main past event, decide on the correct tense!
Source: Michael Vince (Advanced English Practice)