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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Use past or present tense for lasting fact?

Asked by: Brenda Foster

Facts that are true are expressed in the present tense. It doesn’t matter whether they are always true, or true for a long time: if they “are” true, then you must use the present tense. A past habit must of course be expressed in a past tense.

What tense do you use for facts?

Fact vs. Observation. The simple present tense is used to state fact, how things exist or behave (always/ permanently).

Is Lasting past tense?

The past tense of last is lasted. The third-person singular simple present indicative form of last is lasts. The present participle of last is lasting. The past participle of last is lasted.

Are facts written in present tense?

But as in other writing, use the present tense to describe facts or rules that exist now and the past tense for facts or events that have already happened. Use the present tense to discuss the rule of law.

Which tense is used in historical fact?

the present tense

In English grammar, the “historical present” is the use of a verb phrase in the present tense to refer to an event that took place in the past. In narratives, the historical present may be used to create an effect of immediacy. Also called the “historic present, dramatic present, and narrative present.”

What is the present tense of last?

last ​Definitions and Synonyms ​‌‌‌

present tense
I/you/we/they last
he/she/it lasts
present participle lasting
past tense lasted

What is the past perfect tense of last?

Last verb forms

Infinitive Present Participle Past Tense
last lasting lasted


Why do historians use the present tense?

It leads the reader (and often, the writer) to assume things that are not there or take things at face value that are nothing more than an interpretation. As a note, in Spanish it’s actually proper to use the present tense to talk about the distant past.

Is history past or present?

The answer is that History is inescapable. It studies the past and the legacies of the past in the present. Far from being a ‘dead’ subject, it connects things through time and encourages its students to take a long view of such connections. All people and peoples are living histories.

How do you use present tense and past tense?

Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. The past is used to describe things that have already happened (e.g., earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous.



Can I use past and present tense in the same sentence?

It’s fine to use the present and the past here. After all, that’s what happens: as you say, you paid the deposit in the past and pay the rent in the present. Tenses should agree in the same clause, but it’s very common to have multiple tenses in the same sentence. Although I was sick yesterday, I am fine today.

When present tense is used?

There are two tenses in English: past and present. The present tense is used to talk about the present and to talk about the future.

How do you use past tense?

Past simple this tense is used to describe an action that has already happened the structure is subject plus a verb in the past form for example I walk to work today. She arrived late to school.

What is an example of present tense?

Present tense is a grammatical term used for verbs that describe action happening right now. An example of present tense is the verb in the sentence “I eat.”

What are the 4 types of present tense?

The present tense is mainly classified into four parts:



  • Simple present.
  • Present perfect.
  • Present continuous.
  • Present perfect continuous.


What are present tense verbs examples?

Present Tense Verbs

  • the base form: go, see, talk, study, etc.
  • the base form plus ‘s’ (or ‘es’) for 3rd person singular: goes, sees, asks, studies. (For example, Joe goes to school, Ann sees a bird, Bill talks a lot, but he also studies.)
  • and the base form plus ‘ing’: going, seeing, talking, studying.


What are past tense verbs examples?

Regular Past Tense Verbs

Present Tense + -d or -ed Past Tense
walk + -ed walked
pick + -ed picked
move + -d moved
push + -ed pushed




What are the past tense words?

Past tense verbs refer to actions or events in the past. They can be regular verbs that simply end with a “d” or an “ed” or they can be irregular and change their spelling to show the past tense.

How do you write in present tense?

You can write in present tense by simply using the root form of the word. However, if you’re writing in third person singular, you need to add -s, -ies, or -es. First person singular: I go swimming every day. Third person singular: She goes swimming every day.

Is it better to write in past or present tense?

Present tense has more “immediacy” than past tense.



Past-tense narration is of course “immediate” in a way, since the events of the characters’ past are happening in the reader’s present. But the immediacy of the present tense also allows us to convey a character’s change as it happens, not after the fact.

How do you convert past tense to present tense?

By slightly modifying the verb, you can change the sentence from past tense to present tense. Change the simple past tense to the simple present tense. For example, a simple past-tense sentence that reads “I smiled” can be changed to “I smile,” which is simple present tense.



Can you mix past and present tense?

The bottom line is this: there is no restriction on what tenses we can use and mix within a sentence, as long as they are appropriate for the context.