Literary Present with Tenses

LITERARY PRESENT 1) Always use the simple present tense when discussing action that takes place in literature. This is referred to as the literary present. 2) Several issues might arise in your attempts to use the literary present. First, you might slip into the passive voice, which makes it difficult to tell whether or not you are in the present tense. Also, you might use one of the progressive tenses, which are too complex and could indicate past time. • • • First Issue: Writing a sentence in the passive voice might make it appear that you have used the past tense, so you might get confused. Also, you might have used the past tense in the passive voice, which is also not a move a writer wants to make. voice (two types): refers to whether or not the subject of a sentence is actually enacting the verb o active voice: describes the verb when the subject IS enacting the verb  The students play soccer every afternoon. o passive voice: describes the verb when the subject IS NOT enacting the verb  Soccer is played by the students every afternoon. • passive voice is always formed by taking a form of be followed by a past participle. • am/is/are/was/were/will be + past participle = passive voice • Look at only the form of be in order to determine the tense if you have used the passive voice. o am played = present tense because am is the present tense of be o is played = present tense because is is the present tense of be o are played = present tense because are is the present tense of be o was played = past tense because was is the past tense of be o were played = past tense because were is the past tense of be o will be played = future tense because will be is the future tense of be  It is usually better to avoid the passive voice. To do so, put the main verb into the simple present tense. Second Issue: Sometimes people slip into the progressive tenses when they should use the literary present. You are in the active voice, but you are using a tense that is too complex and might, itself, signify past time. o progressive tense = form of be followed by present participle  Look at only the form of be in order to determine which progressive tense you have used. • am playing = present progressive tense because am is the present tense of be • is playing = present progressive tense because is is the present tense of be • are playing = present progressive tense because are is the present tense of be • was playing = past progressive tense because was is the past tense of be • were playing = past progressive tense because were is the past tense of be • will be playing = future progressive tense because will be is the future tense of be  Change all such instances of any of the progressive tenses to the simple present when discussing literature. Put the main verb into the present tense in order to do so. present tense (Use this when referring to novel!) to play play plays to see see sees to discuss discuss discusses to show show shows present tense but passive voice (OK for now, but you should change to present tense.) am played is played are played am seen is seen are seen am discussed is discussed are discussed am shown is shown are shown present progressive tense (Change to present tense.) past tense (Change to present tense.) past tense but passive voice (Change to present tense.) am playing is playing are playing am seeing is seeing are seeing played was played were played saw was seen were seen discussed was discussed showed was shown were shown am discussing is discussing are discussing am showing is showing are showing were discussed 1) passive voice = form of be + past participle of any verb • • The form of be determines the tense. o am/is/are = present tense forms of be o was/were = past tense forms of be o will be = future tense of be Therefore, the following would be true: o am + any past participle = present tense (but passive voice) o was + any past participle = past tense (but passive voice) o are + any past participle = present tense (but passive voice) o were + any past participle = past tense (but passive voice) 2) progressive tense = form of be + present participle of any verb (the form that ends in –ing) • • • Progressive tenses are active voice (which means the subject is doing what the verb indicates), but it is NOT the same as the literary present. Avoid the progressive tenses when referring to action in the novel. The form of be determines the tense. o am/is/are = present tense forms of be o was/were = past tense forms of be o will be = future tense of be Therefore, the following would be true: o am + any present participle = present progressive tense (Change to simple present!) o was + any present participle = past progressive tense (Change to simple present!) o is + any present participle = present progressive tense (Change to simple present!) o were + any present participle = past progressive tense (Change to simple present!)