Using Past or Present Tense Verbs The action which takes place in works of fiction exists in a timeless world.

So, in describing characters or recapitulating the plots found in literature, it's best to use the present tense. Here's how to construct tenses properly for both types of paper. A. Literary Papers. When describing the action or characters in a work of literary fiction, use the present tense: "At the midpoint of The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus journeys to the realm of the dead." It's best in this case to use the present tense ("journeys"), because stories like Homer's epics exist in a timeless realm where they can happen over and over again each time we read them. The present tense highlights the vividness with which they re-occur whenever they pass through our minds and, because they're works of fiction, they can and do relive with every re-reading.

As Holden Caulfield walks down the road, he thinks about the day his brother died. Present tense Present tense past tense (referencing the story) (referencing the story) (event in the story that happened already) Are the verbs correct in tense? If so, why? If not, why? Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is a novel that reflected the time period, one that contained racial tensions, but it also explores the friendships that arise between the main characters, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as they made their way down the river.

Writing using Present tense: Describe a movie or book in the literary present tense. Offer a variety of ways to start each sentence. (Dont start every sentence with The.) Provide specific details of the film like character names, clear descriptions, locations, etc. Write at least 8 sentences and avoid brief, simple sentences.