Switch from past to present as an exercise

Question

Hi teachers,Needed information:I have already asked the students to change a story from past and past continuous to present and present continuous to make it more vivid.If a have the below questions and answers in the simple past and I want, just as an exercise for the students, to switch it from past to present, will it make sense? To me it does because I'm using the simple present as a narrative tense. Right?If yes, could I apply this rule to all the questions in the simple past if I want them to be changed to the simple present, even though I'm not expressing habits or routines as one of the simple present rules is?a) What did the man do after he looked at the doctor carefully?b) He took the cigarette out of his mouth and smiled with his yellow teeth.a) What does the man do after he looks at the doctor carefully?b) He takes the cigarette out of his mouth and smiles with his yellow teeth.Thanks in advance.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It makes sense to me. That exercise would make them think a bit about the structures of the simple present and the simple past. I'm an EFL teacher and I also have my students do this type of exercises once in a while.

E-

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.
So I can tell my students to do it so just because of the narrative tenses, just in the name of them.

TS

CalifJim · Answer

Thinking Spain-
a) What did the man do after he looked at the doctor carefully?
b) He took the cigarette out of his mouth and smiled with his yellow teeth.

a) What does the man do after he looks at the doctor carefully?
b) He takes the cigarette out of his mouth and smiles with his yellow teeth.

These are all correct. When asking about the events in a narrative, you can ask either way.

The use of the past shows that the speaker is thinking of the narrative as finished and looking back on the events in the story as if they had happened in real time.

The use of the present shows that the speaker is thinking of the narrative as a timeless work of art that exists outside of time. He looks at the events of the story as if they are there forever to be discussed. (As you already said, this use of the present does not mean that the events are happening habitually or routinely within the story. The only "habit" indicated by something like "He takes the cigarette out of his mouth" is that every time you read the story "He takes the cigarette out of his mouth".)

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,

When thinking about narrative tenses, simple past and past continuous only come to my mind. I guess it's because narrative tenses are grammatical structures used when telling a story, or talking about situations and activities which happened at a defined past time. Using simple present as a narrative tense may confuse them, although simple present, I guess, could be used to recreate the story in a more dynamic manner.

The exercise you are planning to do might have some objectives, could you tell me what they are?

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi Jim,
Thank you for your reply. It is a great explanation. I'll tell my students the way you told me. In fact, I'll just copy and paste your explanation. Are there any copy rights to be paid?

TS

CalifJim · Answer

Thinking SpainAre there any copy rights to be paid?

No.

By the way, in case you're interested, it goes like this:

Is that material copyrighted? (verb: copyright)
or
Do you have a copyright on that material? (noun: copyright)
or
Are there any royalties to be paid?

"Royalties" are the payments you make in exchange for using material that is copyrighted.

It's one word: copyright.

Now you know!

CJ

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Esneider Ramirez GuerraThe exercise you are planning to do might have some objectives, could you tell me what they are?

Hi,
Thank you very much for your explanation too.
Well, I have one of those books of Oxford University Press, to be precise, 'The Elepant Man' with a CD, I don't give my students the text until they have listened and answered the many questions I give them.
First Step
They listen to the CD at home and answer the questions.
Second Step
We correct them in class.
Third Step
They change the questions to the simple present and present progressive.
Fourth Step
Since I have written myself the whole story on the computer I give them a fill in the blank exercise, to write the appropriate verbs, according to my questions and their answers. So, they rewrite the story in the simple present and present progressive.
Of course they also have to change time adverbs and place adverbs.

TS

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Hi,
Thank very much for you reply. Now I feel much better knowing that I don't have to pay any 'royalties'.

Thank you for your other explanationns too. I'll do as always, copy and paste.

TS

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Esneider Ramirez GuerraUsing simple present as a narrative tense may confuse them, although simple present, I guess, could be used to recreate the story in a more dynamic manner.

Hi,
They have not confused them so far. The simple present an present progressive can be used to make a story more vivid, as if it is happening now.

TS

Switch from past to present as an exercise

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