Telling past experiences

Question

0 I notice that people who talk about past experiences, majority of them use past tense and then slowly swtiches over to present tense? Why is that? I think I know, to make it more intimate? Happening now? 02br02br00Okay, this is the part that I don't get. When do you switch to present tense? Sometimes they swtich back and forth a lot. I know in storywriting (not talking about past experiences) you either write in present or past. So is this bad english when you use present and past for talking about past experiences? If not, how come it is bad for story writing? Is it because stories don't work like that? 02br02br02br00Okay here is a past experience story for example: 02br01blockquote00I was telling him about the bike, and he was telling me about how he really needed a mode of transportation because someone just stole his Acura. He was feeding me all with this stuff about how he's been riding for a long time and all that. 11b10So I start the bike, and he hops on, not a big deal right? Well he puts on his helmet and asks me if he can take it for a ride. 12b12br12br10I said, no I'd rather you didn't. I didn't have insurance on it, and plus I'd rather not have someone I don't know ride my bike. 11b10So he keeps talking some more and just takes off on my bike. So now I'm standing there watching some stranger ride off with my most prized possession that I had to work my *** off to buy.12b10 I thought getting my bike stolen or vandalized would be the most painful experience, but that's got to be pale in comparison to seeing some thief ride off with my bike right in front of eyes.12blockquote12br02br00The bold parts are to show the change to present tense and the not bold parts are in past tense. So why do we do this? And when do we shift tenses? How do you know? 02br02br00Like this part for example: 01blockquote00I said, no I'd rather you didn't. I didn't have insurance on it, and plus I'd rather not have someone I don't know ride my bike. 12blockquote12br00If I swtiched this part to present tense, it wouldn't make any sense to my past experience? But it is okay for storytelling right? And you know how the other parts are in present? How come they sound okay but not this part? 02br02br00Thanks. 0-

Abbie1948 · Accepted Answer

0 Hi Jack, 02br
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00I'll just pop my twopenn'orth in here before the erudite debate starts. 05002br
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00I think you have got the idea. "to make it more intimate? Happening now? " It is a device used in story telling to bring the listener into the situation. 02br
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00We often hear people speaking in present tense to describe past experiences; it is becoming something of a "fashion", and some of us don't really like it, because it is not grammatically correct. So: 02br
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00"I said, no I'd rather you didn't. I didn't have insurance on it, and plus I'd rather not have someone I don't know ride my bike. " -you could use the present tense if you wanted colloquial speech, but , like you, I think it sounds better in past. 010id1

Telling past experiences

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