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What if I am writing about a historic character
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:39 pm
by wholeagain
If I am writing about a historic character,should I always use the past tense or I can use present tense as well? Should I stick to one kind of tense in the whole essay? Many thanks.
Re: What if I am writing about a historic character
Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 9:40 am
by Joe
We often use present tense in speech when telling little stories, anecdotes and jokes.
"So this guy comes in the room and points a gun at us..."
However, this is very informal.
Generally, when writing about an historical person it would not be appropriate to use the present tense to describe that person's actions and character, especially in an essay or any kind of formal writing.