Have you noticed people switching to the present tense when they're telling stories? It actually has a name: It's called the "historical present tense."
This is the article we mentioned if you want to read more about the historical present tense: Schiffrin, Deborah. 1981. Tense variation in narrative. Language 57(1). 45-62.
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Nov 20
Why print dictionaries still matter, with Peter Sokolowski
<p>1135. This week, we talk with Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, about the new print 12th Collegiate Dictionary. We look at why print still matters, how the dictionary used lookup data to decide which words to drop (least looked-up compounds), and the import ... Show More
35m 31s
Nov 18
Personification in language and AI. Dictums, maxims, and proverbs. Expensitive.
<p>1134. This week, we look at the poetic power of personification (the language quirk that gives human traits to nonhuman things) and why style guides advise against using it for AI. Then, we look at the different names for common sayings, defining a proverb and breaking down th ... Show More
17m 26s
Sep 2009
29. Mystery Story / Narrative Tenses
This podcast is about narrative tenses (past simple, past continous, past perfect - see details below). We use these tenses to sequence stories about the past. To master the use of these tenses you have to deal with their form, their use and their pronunciation - both for listeni ... Show More
31m 30s
Dec 2021
Understanding Grammar - Narrative Tenses
Rowan tells Jack an anecdote about a time she met a famous person. The language focus is narrative tenses: past simple, past continuous, past perfect simple and past perfect continuous.
Visit the podcast page on Premier Skills English to read the transcript, complete some practic ... Show More
12m 40s
Mar 2024
872. The Birthday Party (Learn English with a Short Story)
<p>Learn English with another short story. This time it's a 300-word story by Katherine Brush often used in literature classes, full of vivid imagery and with an emotional twist. I read the story to you, and then go through each line, explaining vocabulary and grammar.</p><p>👉 E ... Show More
48m 6s
Nov 2021
41: Amazing Stats on English Verb Tenses and How to Finally Master Them
Do you need to learn all English tenses? How often are some of them used? In this video, I go through verb tense frequency, give a summary of all the tenses, and then explain how best to learn tenses so that you can use them naturally.
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https://w ... Show More
17m 15s
Aug 2023
#68 - "Was für ein Scheißtag" - Deutsch lernen mit Kurzgeschichten
<p>Heute gibt's bei Deutsches Geplapper wieder eine Kurzgeschichte, die dir dabei helfen wird, deinen Wortschatz zu erweitern und neue Satzstrukturen kennen zu lernen. Das Sprachenlernen kann mit Kurzgeschichten deutlich effektiver werden, weil unser Gehirn sich neue Informa ... Show More
13m 10s
May 2024
Your English Five a Day #30.1
<p><b>E278: </b>🎙️ Welcome to <b>The English Like a Native Podcast</b> with me, your host, Anna! Tune in to <b>Week 30, Day 1 </b>of <b>Your English Five a Day</b> where we dive into vocabulary enrichment. Join us on this journey as we explore five new words each weekday to boos ... Show More
14m 31s
Jul 2022
#109 Ellen Jovin on “The Grammar Table”
Creator and proprietor of The Grammar Table, Ellen Jovin, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to talk about traveling the country to discuss grammar, learning the languages of New York, and finding joy in learning grammar.Featured Resources
Rebel with a ClausePatreon Extended E ... Show More
47m 53s