logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
16m 20s

Using Present Tense in a Story About the...

Quickanddirtytips.com
About this episode

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.

Subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates.

Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing course.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Peeve Wars card game.

Grammar Girl books.

HOST: Mignon Fogarty
VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475)

Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

Theme music by Catherine Rannus at beautifulmusic.co.uk.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/podcasts

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe

https://www.tiktok.com/@therealgrammargirl

http://twitter.com/grammargirl

http://facebook.com/grammargirl

http://pinterest.com/realgrammargirl

http://instagram.com/thegrammargirl

https://www.linkedin.com/company/grammar-girl

Up next
Jul 10
Metaphors and your brain. How figurative language works, with Dr. Vicky Lai
1098. We talk with cognitive scientist Dr. Vicky Lai about how frequently we use metaphors and what happens in our brains when we hear them. We also look at her research on irony and its effect on emotion, and how people recovering from cancer use metaphors differently depending ... Show More
19m 20s
Jul 8
Can you have a million bacons? Martha's Vineyard's unique sound.
1097. Do you wonder whether "bacon" can be plural? We look at the difference between countable and uncountable nouns. Then, we look at how the Martha's Vineyard accent developed and what it tells us about language and society.The "countable" segment was written by Karen Lunde, a ... Show More
17m 6s
Jul 3
The surprising history (and politics) of emoji, with Keith Houston
1096. This week, we look at the world of emoji with Keith Houston, author of "Face with Tears of Joy." He discusses the long history of emoji, from ancient origins to early computer character sets, and the formal process of proposing new emoji to the Unicode Consortium. We also l ... Show More
28m 39s
Recommended Episodes
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
Feb 2024
116. Are Tenses Important?
In this episode of the My English Matters podcast, Madam Azimah discusses the significance of tenses in English. Learn why mastering tenses is crucial for effective communication and how understanding temporal relationships enhances your overall language proficiency! Sign up for ... Show More
32m 43s
Oct 2021
37: Learn English Phrasal Verbs so You Can Talk about Your Daily Routine
In this English lesson, listen to a story that gives you the phrasal verbs you need to know to talk about daily routines. Here is the tool that I recommend for your writing task (this is an affiliate link(: https://www.tofluency.com/grammarly/ 00:00 Introduction 02:09 Phrasal ver ... Show More
19m 49s
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)
Learn English with another short story. This time it's a 300-word story by Katherine Brush, often used in literature classes, and full of vivid imagery and an emotional twist. I read the story to you, and then go through each line, explaining vocabulary and grammar.👉 Episode pag ... 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. Get my fluency book for free here: https://w ... Show More
17m 16s
Aug 2022
Episodio 298 - Ser y Estar en el Pasado: ¿Detectas el Error en Estas Frases?
Hoy vamos a aprender sobre SER y ESTAR en el pasado. Veremos cuándo usar ERA, FUE, ESTABA y ESTUVO con cada uno de los pronombres. Haremos un ejercicio divertido en el que escucharás una frase y tendrás que detectar el o los errores en ella y corregirla. Get the transcript of thi ... Show More
31m 5s
Aug 2023
#68 - "Was für ein Scheißtag" - Deutsch lernen mit Kurzgeschichten
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 Informatio ... Show More
13m 10s
May 2024
Your English Five a Day #30.1
E278: 🎙️ Welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast with me, your host, Anna! Tune in to Week 30, Day 1 of Your English Five a Day where we dive into vocabulary enrichment. Join us on this journey as we explore five new words each weekday to boost your lexicon. 😂 In today's e ... 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
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami