verb tense in creative writing

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Home / Book Writing / Past Tense vs Present Tense: Which One Do You Need for Your Novel?

Past Tense vs Present Tense: Which One Do You Need for Your Novel?

The two major tenses available for creative writing are past and present (future tense is not a viable option). In fact, a common mistake new writers make is switching between the two or choosing the wrong tense. Before you start writing your book (or short story), it's imperative to decide which tense you'll use for the story.

And this article on past tense vs present tense will help you decide. 

• Past tense defined (with examples).
• Present tense defined (with examples).
• Pros and cons of each.

Table of contents

• What Is Past Tense?
• What is Present Tense?
• Simple Past and Past Perfect Tense
• Simple Present Tense and Present Perfect Tense
• Books Written in Present Tense
• Pro: It's More Versatile
• Pro: It's Still the Norm
• Pro: We Already Talk Like This
• Con: It's Not Quite as Intimate
• Con: It Can Be Confusing to Write
• Pro: Good for First-Person Narratives
• Pro: Great for Action
• Con: Some Readers Hate It
• Con: You're Stuck in the Present
• Con: It Narrows Your Options
• Past Tense vs Present Tense: Conclusion

Writing in the past tense means talking about something that happened in the past. The easiest way to think about this is to consider how people tell each other stories . If you wanted to tell someone about your day at work, you would probably use the past tense. 

Take this, for example: “Around eleven-fifteen, Gary showed up with a box of donuts. There was a stampede as we all rushed to get one before they were all gone.”

Note the use of the past tense verbs showed and rushed . The action is happening in the past. This is not only common for telling each other stories verbally, but the past tense is also the most common tense in fiction writing . 

Writing in the present tense means describing something as if it's happening right now . If you were to walk around all day narrating your every action and thought, that would be a form of present tense. 

Here's an example: “The clock reads eleven-fifteen as Gary steps into the office with an open box of donuts. Before he can even get the words out, everyone stampedes toward him to get one before they're gone.”

While you wouldn't tell someone of something that happened in the past like it was happening right now, the present tense can work for literature. Note the use of the present tense verbs reads, steps , and stampedes . The action in this example is all immediate, as if you're watching it happen. 

A Brief Rundown of Verb Tenses

The definitions above provide a broad view of the past and present tenses. But if you're planning to write an entire book in one of these narrative tenses, it pays to dive a little deeper. 

To fully understand the use of past or present tense in your creative writing project, it helps to first understand the different types of verb tenses. While I don't want to turn this article into a grammar lesson, it's important to at least be passingly familiar with the major verb tenses at your disposal as a writer. 

The use of both simple past and past perfect is common in fiction. The past tense example I shared above is written in simple past. But if I wanted to modify it to describe a sequence of events that happened before the narrative’s now, I would need to use past perfect. 

Here's an example: “Around eleven-fifteen, Gary showed up with a box of donuts. He had eaten one of the sugary treats ; I could tell by the frosting on his mustache. There was a stampede as we all rushed to get one before they were all gone.”

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In order to describe the sequence of events (Gary eating a donut before showing up and causing the stampede), the second sentence starts off as past perfect. Otherwise, the paragraph wouldn't be so clear. Using only simple past, it would look something like this: “Around eleven-fifteen, Gary showed up with a box of donuts. He ate one of the sugary treats; I could tell by the frosting in his mustache . . .”

While this second version might get the point across, it could be confusing to some, making it seem at first as if Gary picked up and ate one of the donuts right then, as the office rushed toward him.

Using the words had eaten indicates that the action took place earlier, helping to keep things clear for the reader.

Bonus: Brush up on your use of past progressive and past perfect progressive to really cement your understanding of writing in the past tense. 

Similar to simple past and past perfect, simple present and present perfect are often used in present tense fiction writing. The paragraph above in the present tense is a good example of simple present (sometimes called present simple tense). But let's see it with a present perfect example. 

“The clock reads eleven-fifteen as Gary steps into the office with an open box of donuts. He has eaten one of the sugary treats ; I can tell by the frosting on his mustache. Before he can even get the words out, everyone stampedes toward him to get one before they're gone.”

If you wrote this while using simple present, the sentence would be: “He eats one of the sugary treats . . .” which implies that he's eating it now as he steps into the room. 

The words has and have are your friends when writing in the present perfect tense.

Bonus: Brush up on your use of present progressive and present perfect progressive to really cement your understanding of writing in the present tense. 

The majority of fiction novels are written in the past tense. As such, I don't think we need a list of examples. Open your e-reader or go to your bookshelf. Unless you seek out books written in the present tense, you'll likely find that 8 or 9 out of 10 fiction novels on your shelf are in the past tense. 

This style is so ubiquitous that many readers don't even notice that the story has “already happened.” Despite the use of past tense verbs, readers can still become immersed in the story, feeling as if it's happening right now. 

Books written in the present tense, on the other hand, are somewhat rare. But there are certainly plenty of authors who have done this type of writing well. Here are some examples from different eras of excellent present-tense novels. Note that not all of these books are written entirely in the present tense. Some of them alternate to the past tense for certain characters or storylines:

• The Girl on the Trai n by Paula Hawkins
• Rabbit, Run by John Updike
• Bird Box by Josh Malerman
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
• Bleak House by Charles Dickens
• Divergent by Veronica Roth

Choosing Past Tense: Pros and Cons

So now that we've gone over the refresher, it's time to decide which tense you should use for your story. Here are some pros and cons of the past tense to help you decide. 

The past tense is much easier to work with than the present. This is because you can use all twelve types of verb tenses in English when writing in the past tense. This also makes it easier to move through time and bounce between different character points of view than in the present tense. 

You can rest easy knowing that most readers won't even bat an eye at the use of the past tense. They're used to it because most of the books they've read are in the past tense. If you're a new author , you want to give readers as many reasons as possible to take a chance on you. So you can’t really go wrong sticking to this tense .  

When we tell each other stories, we do it in the past tense (most of us, anyway). This means it has been ingrained in our heads, which helps us to write smoothly and naturally when we sit down to pen our story. 

Compared to the present tense, the past tense is not quite as intimate or immediate. For some stories, the past tense may not be the right choice . If you're looking to write a story that takes place over a short period, for example, the present tense might be best.

As mentioned above, you have more options when it comes to writing in the past tense. However, more options can mean more confusion if you're not up on your grammar. In past tense, you may need to use future perfect, past progressive, or past perfect. This can be overwhelming, which may deter some people from developing the daily writing habit it takes to finish a novel. 

Present Tense Pros and Cons

The present tense often works well for short stories, but it can be trying for an entire novel. Still, let your story dictate whether this tense is right for your novel. 

The present tense is a good choice for first-person books. Not only does it create a sense of immediacy, but it also helps the reader empathize with the narrator. Of course, this factor can also be exploited to great effect if your narrator is unreliable, making for subverted expectations and a big twist.

Action in present-tense novels is intense. This is because it seems like it's happening in real-time. In fact, the whole book seems like ongoing action because of the immediacy you get by writing this way. This is often why people compare present-tense stories to watching a movie unfold. After all, screenplays are exclusively written in the present tense for this reason. And when you’re watching a movie, it does feel as if you’re seeing the events play out in real-time.  

You can bet that if you write a book in the present tense, there will be some readers who won't get past the first page. Since this is not the norm, writing in this tense can rub some readers the wrong way. This is not something you can do anything about, so it's important to consider. Look at your genre and see if there are many books written in the present tense. If not, you might want to go with the past tense. 

It's difficult to jump around in time in a present-tense book. And this means many writers will include every small, meaningless detail. After all, when you're constantly in the present moment, it's awkward to jump ahead an hour, a day, or a week. This is one reason why it takes some skill and experience to write a novel in the present tense. 

Just as being stuck in the present makes significant time jumps awkward, it also limits your options for building and maintaining tension throughout the book. In the past tense, it's easier for the narrator to visit other characters or even reference an event that has yet to happen at that point in the story. In the present tense, this is nearly impossible to do well, so creating tension has to be done in much narrower ways, which can lead to gimmicky plot lines or unbelievable conflicts. 

Hopefully, this explanation of the different tenses has helped you determine which one is right for your book. If you're still not sure, try writing a chapter or two in both tenses. After you're done, leave them for a few days or a week and then read them with fresh eyes. This can help you see which one will work for your story. 

You certainly don't have to be a master of English grammar to understand these two tenses, but it helps to be aware of the common pitfalls for both the past and present tenses.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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March 9, 2018

Use of Tenses in Fiction: How to Pick the Right One

Fiction Writing Tips , Writing

change , creativity , grammar , literature , time , writing

The use of tenses in fiction (and writing in general) seems like a self-evident thing. You use the past tense when things happened in the past, the present tense when they happen in the present, and the future tense when they will happen in the future. It seems so simple, and yet picking the right tense at the right time is a crucial element for success in writing fiction.

You see, one major aspect that most writers don’t seem to grasp, is that a novel is  not  an exercise in writing “proper” English. Instead, a work of fiction is a necessary medium for an author’s thoughts to reach an audience. As a result, rules are secondary; affect is primary.

Still, even within a “playing-by-the-rules” context, the choice of the right tense isn’t always an obvious thing. In today’s article I’ll let you know how to pick the right tense at the right time. By “right”, we mean the tense that allows  affect  to be expressed. We are not concerned about “proper” English. We are concerned about affective power.

A very Quick Outline of Tenses

Before we talk about breaking the rules, we must know what the rules are. I’ve said that many times in my articles containing fiction writing tips , because it is important. If you’re interested in a truly scientific (i.e. the rules, pure and simple) volume on English grammar, I recommend  A Communicative Grammar of English , by Leech & Svartvik . For our purposes, I’ll offer a simple, just-the-basics, list.

Note : the following list is not exhaustive. There are several other tenses in the English language, but I do not include them since they are not very relevant for our discussion. For the purposes of this article, we are dealing with the use of tenses in fiction in terms of affect. For the same reason, my definitions/descriptions lean toward directions which will be useful further below, in our discussion on the right use of tenses in fiction. 

I play. The simplest tense of the English language. It indicates an action occurring in the present, or habitually.

Present Continuous

I am playing. Still referring to the present, with an emphasis on the duration or immediacy of the action.

Present Perfect

I have played. It describes an action that began at some undefined point and has finished in the present.

I played.  An action that began and finished at some point in the past.

I will play.  An action which has not occurred yet, but which will occur in the future.

Notable tenses that are absent from this list include Past Perfect ( I had played ), Past Continuous ( I was playing ) and Future Continuous ( I will be playing ). I don’t include them because they are comparatively more rare and, more importantly, they don’t affect…  affect  to the same extent. There are all kinds of other, more arcane constructions, especially if there are conditionals in the sentence. But we’ll stick to fiction, narrative, and style.

Using Tenses in Your Novel: Picking the Right One

Picking the main tense of your book.

The first thing to decide is the main tense which you will use throughout your book. Almost always, this is the past tense.

Mary opened the door. She saw John standing there. “Hi,” she said with a smile. “You’re here already.”

Every now and then, you might see a novel written in the present tense throughout, but it’s much more rare.

Mary opens the door. She sees John standing there. “Hi,” she says with a smile. “You’re here already.”

Personally, I favor the past tense. It’s for a reason that it’s so popular. Unless for stream-of-consciousness narratives, the present tense – if it’s the main tense of the novel – comes off as too immediate and “unprocessed”. However, this is precisely the reason why it can be very effective when it is used as an  accent  tense.

Picking Accent Tenses

Now we come to the real deal. Having picked a main tense, you can deploy  accent  tenses for creative purposes. In other words, by introducing a different tense in a paragraph, in a scene, or in a chapter, you create an  accent . You effectively draw the reader’s attention to there being a difference. The kind of affect you create depends on the way you deploy this narrative strategy.

The secret in the use of tenses in fiction (and knowing how to pick the right tense) is a result of understanding the emotional weight each tense brings to the scene. Let’s see this with some examples.

Example 1: Using the Present as an Accent Tense.

Let’s see a short, paragraph-level example.

I opened the door and entered the small bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and looked in it. My eyes seemed tired, yet fully aware of the memories that came to drown me. My mother yells, she runs away from my father, but he catches up. He beats her mercilessly, and there is blackness. As I turned on the faucet and washed my hands, I realized I could not remember anymore.

The main tense is the past tense, but deploying present tense to indicate the person’s memories brings an immediacy to the scene which would’ve been absent without it. Try to imagine the same scene with past perfect ( My mother had yelled, she had run away from my father… ) and you will notice how much more impersonal or even cold it feels.

Technically speaking, past perfect would be a more “correct” tense to use. It would describe a scene that had occurred at some point in the past  before  the point surrounding it. In other words, since the narrative is in the past tense, to describe events from a time further past, you would need past perfect. But, as I explained, an author should focus on  affect , not strictly following rules. The use of tenses in fiction is a matter of conveying an emotion, a thought, or a state of mind.

Example 2: Using the Present and the Present Continuous as Accent Tenses

Let’s take the same example as above, with a slight variation.

I opened the door and entered the small bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and looked in it. My eyes seemed tired, yet fully aware of the memories that came to drown me. My mother yells, she runs away from my father, but he catches up. He beats her mercilessly, but suddenly the bell is ringing. He stops. And there is blackness. As I turned on the faucet and washed my hands, I realized I could not remember anymore.

See what happened there? Present continuous allows you to essentially interject yet another level of depth. The main narrative (past tense) morphs into the character’s memories (present tense), but present continuous ( the bell is ringing ) feels akin to the reminiscent  itself  being “interrupted” by the bell ringing. Obviously enough, this adds even more immediacy to the scene.

Example 3: Using the Future Tense as an Accent Tense

This is less often used, but notice the effect it creates.

I opened the door and entered the small bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and looked in it. My eyes seemed tired, yet fully aware of the memories that will come to drown me. My mother will yell, she will run away from my father, but he will catch up. He will beat her mercilessly. But suddenly, there is blackness. As I turned on the faucet and washed my hands, I realized I could not remember anymore.

It’s more subtle, but the future tense brings a sense of  inevitability and recurrence  to your narrative. Again, this isn’t 100% “by the book”. A phrase such as  My eyes seemed tired, yet fully aware of the memories that  would  come to drown me  is, strictly speaking, more correct. But it lacks the immediacy and emotional aspect of the future tense.

In a way, you can think of it like this: there is an  implied  passage to present tense (as in the first example, further above), with future tense used subsequently. You can perhaps notice the more overt passage to the present ( there is blackness ), before switching completely back to the main tense, that is, past.

The Use of Tenses in Fiction: Understanding the Emotional Impact of Time

Perhaps you can blame my academic background , but it’s hard for me not to find aspects of time in virtually every narrative expression. Indeed, the process of narrative itself is a  temporal series of events . In other words, a sense-making narrative has to display an evolution; a change from one state to another. And for this to happen, events (the plot of the novel, that is), need to be organized temporally.

So, what does that have to do with the use of tenses in fiction writing? As the examples above hopefully showed, tenses come with… emotional baggage. Depending on the context, tenses can “nudge” the narrative in a temporal direction. They can make a certain scene appear more distant or more immediate; more clinical or more personal. As a result, picking the right tense can be crucial for authors who want full control of their narratives.

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Verb tenses — literature.

Use of the correct verb tense allows you to express clearly the time relationships among your ideas. When deciding which verb tense to use, aim for consistency, simplicity and clarity.

Whenever possible, keep verbs in the same tense (consistency), and use either the simple present or the past tense (simplicity). Above all, choose the verb tense that most clearly expresses the idea you want to convey (clarity). In general, use the present tense to describe actions and states of being that are still true in the present; use the past tense to describe actions or states of being that occurred exclusively in the past.

Use the present tense to describe fictional events that occur in the text (this use of present tense is referred to as "the historical present"):

• In Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan tempts Eve in the form of a serpent.
• Voltaire's Candide encounters numerous misfortunes throughout his travels.

Also use the present tense to report your interpretations and the interpretations of other sources:

• Odysseus represents the archetypal epic hero.
• Flanagan suggests that Satan is the protagonist of Paradise Lost.

Use the past tense to explain historical context or elements of the author's life that occurred exclusively in the past:

• Hemingway drew on his experiences in World War I in constructing the character of Jake Barnes.

When writing about literature, use both present and past tense when combining observations about fictional events from the text (present tense) with factual information (past tense):

• James Joyce, who grew up in the Catholic faith, draws on church doctrine to illuminate the roots of Stephen Dedalus' guilt.
• In Les Belles Images, Simone de Beauvoir accurately portrays the complexities of a marriage even though she never married in her lifetime.

Use the present perfect tense to describe an event that occurs in the text previous to the principal event:

• The governess questions the two children because she believes they have seen the ghosts.
• Convinced that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him, Othello strangles her.

Use the past tense when referring to an event occurring before the story begins:

In the opening scenes of Hamlet, the men are visited by the ghost of Hamlet's father, whom Claudius murdered.

Adapted From: “Verb Tense,” Hamilton University Writing Center. 16 October 2017,

Works Cited:

• Webb, Suzanne, Robert Miller, and Winifred Horner. "Hodges' Harbrace Handbook," 14th edition. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers, 2001.
• Zach Brown '03, and Sharon Williams would like to thank the following readers for their assistance in the preparation of this document: Meghan Barbour '00, John Farranto, '01, and Professors Eismeier, Grant, Hopkins, Jensen, J. O'Neill, Strout, Thickstun, and E. Williams.
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Past or Present? Learn Which Tense is Best for Your Narration

If you google VERB TENSE, you’ll find lists ranging from 12 to 16 confusing forms. Fortunately, writers of middle grade and young adult literature only need to concern ourselves with the two main tenses, PAST and PRESENT . To help you determine which tense is best for the narration of your story, I’ll review the possibilities and limitations of each.

PAST TENSE: Use this tense when describing action that occurred in the past, whether recent or distant, especially when writing about a well known and documented event like V-Day, August 14, 1945, the official end of WWII. Flashbacks, by definition, should always be written in past tense, as these reflect scenes recalled from a character’s past.

The majority of MG and YA books (fiction and non-fiction alike) are written in past tense. Think about how natural the dialogue tag “she said,” sounds, and you’ll understand why. For many writers, past tense is more natural to write than present tense, and it also allows for deep reflection and accommodates a lush descriptive style.

If the narrator is also the main character, readers will deduce the character must have survived whatever story is being revealed. This makes it especially appropriate when describing difficult topics to young readers. But If you want your readers to experience nail-shredding worry about the survival of the main narrator, give PRESENT TENSE a try, at least for a chapter or two, to see if it works for your writing style and plot.

WATCH OUT!! Writing in PAST TENSE lends to long narrative passages, which can easily lead to telling, not showing. These can work if the narrator’s voice is especially compelling and revealing. But to SHOW , not TELL , sprinkle in as many active verbs (growled, baked, jumped) as possible instead of the more passive verbs was and were.

Rest assured, PAST TENSE can still offer action-packed suspense. An outstanding example of this is SHADOW MAGIC by Joshua Khan, a darkly compelling MG fantasy written in PAST TENSE with alternating points of view and differentiated dialogue. The bulk of the plot takes place in the fictitious land of Gehenna, land of the dead, whose existence is the stuff of nightmares to those from other lands. What I truly loved, however, is how the traditional symbols of good and evil are completely reversed. In the following scene, the giant, fearsome bat is young Lady Shadow of Gehenna’s loyal steed. Yes, the plot gets quite intense, but we know the main characters will survive in some fashion or another.

The bat turned to face the line of soldiers and widened its mouth, revealing its bloody fangs and hissing out a warning… “Put your weapons away!” shouted Lady Shadow as she raced across the flagstones, waving furiously. (from page 119)

PRESENT TENSE: Do you want readers to believe your story is unfolding before their eyes? Do you want readers to feverishly turn pages throughout the night in their drive to learn the fate of main characters or of the world in which they live? Is your plot contemporary or set in a different galaxy? Are you itching to write something fresh and new? If you say YES to any of these questions, give PRESENT TENSE a try.

The 1st Person POV is tailor-made for this tense, followed closely by 3rd Person Limited. These POVs allow for delving into the character’s deep inner thoughts and unique perspectives whether your narration choice is PRESENT TENSE or PAST TENSE . Regardless which POV you choose, PRESENT TENSE works especially well for mysteries, horror, science fiction, and realistic contemporary fiction.

For many writers, PRESENT TENSE is awkward to write, especially if you end up with a lot of “I say” and “she says” dialogue tags. To avoid that pitfall and help your story sound as natural as possible, remember you can also identify a speaker by describing that character’s actions.

With PRESENT TENSE , you’re still able to use highly descriptive and poetic language and insert flashbacks when it benefits your plot. Shorter memories can be woven into your plot, but take special care when switching from PRESENT to PAST and back to PRESENT within your narration.

WATCH OUT!! The most serious limitation of PRESENT TENSE is this: you can’t summarize the plot in advance or provide any kind of perspective on action that has not yet occurred! If you love to drop hints on what’s to come, PAST TENSE narration will likely be your best bet.

A fantastic example of the use of PRESENT TENSE narration is GOLDEN BOY by Tara Sullivan, a chillingly realistic story of an albino teen named Habo whose “otherness” is one of the reasons his family must move from Tanzania to Mwanza. Life was hard enough for Habo before, with his poor eyesight, pale skin and hair, and the cruelty he endured from his own family, but in Mwanza, albinos are hunted for their body parts, as they are thought to bring good luck. When Habo gets chased by a fearsome machete-wielding man, I was terrified for him, especially since I know the horror of hunting albinos exists in reality.

With the first step I feel a terrible shift in my chest. This leaving is not like leaving for the river or school. This leaving is the kind of leaving you do at a gravesite. It’s a leaving that is also giving up. (From Page 12)

DARE TO MIX IT UP!

Now that you fully understand the pros and cons of narrating your story in PAST or PRESENT , feel free to experiment, as long as you do so purposefully and not accidentally. It’s difficult to mix up tenses effectively, but look no further than to OUT OF MY MIND , a masterful MG novel by Sharon M. Draper to see it done well. Main character and narrator Melody, an 11-year old girl who can neither talk nor walk, is judged incapable of learning by many, including teachers and doctors who really should know better. But at the start of chapter 1, readers quickly learn the depth of her intelligence and fascination with words.

Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes – each one melting untouched in my hands. Deep within me, words pile up in huge drifts. (from page 1)

Chapters start in PRESENT TENSE but often switch back and forth with PAST TENSE , and as you can see in the quote above, PRESENT and PAST TENSE are also deftly woven together in adjacent sentences. In essence, much of the story is told using flashbacks, but the flashbacks are seamlessly interlaced with the present-day circumstances facing Melody. For most of us, interrupting the flow of an active scene with a flashback is a giant no-no. This book is a marvel in many ways, and I highly suggest you read it!

FUTURE TENSE :

You may be wondering why I didn’t include this tense in my list of narration choices. While MG and YA passages are commonly written in FUTURE TENSE , it’s hard to imagine an entire novel written that way. But picture books are another story entirely (pun intended). Some wonderful examples include IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE by Laura Numeroff, WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN by Jodi Moore, and IF I BUILT A CAR by Chris Van Dusen.

I hope you now have a better understanding of whether PAST or PRESENT tense is better for your novel’s narration. For more in-depth information about some of the other important topics brushed upon in this post, check some of my earlier Writers’ Rumpus posts: FLASHBACKS: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE : This post will help you better understand flashbacks and how to integrate them into your stories effectively .

SHOW AND TELL FOR WRITERS : Learn the difference between TELLING and SHOWING and examine passages from books that effectively TELL then SHOW .

DARE TO CHANGE YOUR POV : This post contains a detailed description of each POV (Point of View) with examples. It also includes mentor texts that effectively use dual POV’s.

DESCRIPTIVE WRITING TOOLBOX: If you’re looking to add more descriptive details to your stories, this post shares a toolbox-worth of possibilities for you to choose from.

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If you’d like to work on your present simple tense and other tenses in a friendly and fun way, check out websites like https://typeng.com . It’s a fantastic free online simulator that offers exercises to help you improve your English grammar skills.

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This is very helpful for me in my middle grade writing. Lots of interesting angles to consider here!

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Thanks, Hilary! I recommend writing a page or chapter in both tenses to discover which fits your story and writing style best.

I loved the quotes you chose.

Thank you, Adaela! I heartily recommend all the books I highlighted.

Thank you for breaking these down and pointing out the pros and cons. Great post, Laura!

Thank you, Kim! Have fun writing!!

Fantastic post, Laura. You always tell it like it is in an interesting, fun way!

Thank you, Marcia! I’m a teacher at heart, and I strive to make my teaching posts clear and compelling.

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How To Maintain Good Tense Control In Your Writing

What is tense control in writing?

It is staying in your selected primary tense and time and then using other tenses to highlight changes in the time frame.

Can you switch tenses in writing?

Yes, of course, you can change tenses and time. But only when you need to indicate a distinct change.

Article Contents

Time and tenses in writing

You can write in past, present, or future time in any form of writing.

In each time setting, you have a choice of verb tenses you can use.

For example, if you write in the present, you will primarily use the present simple, present continuous, and perhaps present perfect tense.

Writing in the past uses past simple, past continuous, and the past perfect form.

When writing in the future , you use will, going to, or any other future form.

Switching between past and present time in writing is always necessary for variety.

But you need to be careful with changes in time and use the most appropriate tense.

Your choice of time and tense depends on what and how you intend to write.

It will be different for an essay, an article, a story, a research paper, a literary work, or a business proposal.

But you need to keep your tenses consistent.

Tenses for writing projects

Story writing tenses

For short stories and novels, the past is the most common choice.

In fact, the simple past tense is often called the storytelling tense.

You are recounting a series of events in the past through your narration and dialogue .

You indicate changes or switches in the time order of events by using good tense control and selection.

For example, the past perfect says that an event is older than an event in the past simple.

You can use it for flashbacks to what your characters might have gone through and how they felt at an earlier time.

The past continuous is another option to indicate that an action was happening at the time of a past simple event.

Story writing is usually written in these forms of past tense.

Switching from past to present tense in a story is possible, however.

But it is not an easy feat.

There are possibilities when the narrator moves into the present to talk about facts or generalities.

But generally, you would write most stories in the past in narrative tenses.

One other choice you need to make is your point of view when you write any story.

Essay writing tense

The general rule is to use the present simple tense when writing an essay.

You would only use past tenses if you needed to write a narrative essay, which is quite rare.

In an essay, you usually express facts, your understanding or beliefs, or your opinions.

You can only express these aspects by using present tenses.

The one possibility to change tense in essay writing is when you express a possible future outcome related to your facts or opinions.

Here is a quick example.

In the book, the author says our waterways are highly polluted, and this now affects our domestic water supply.

I believe this will become a significant problem for our children in the future.

Blog and article writing

When you write an online article or blog post, you often talk about something that has happened. Blog writing is frequently like news reporting.

You are telling the reader about events that occurred before you sat down to write.

In this case, you would always use past tenses.

However, if you are writing evergreen content like how-to articles or advice posts, you will probably choose to use the present tense.

Anytime you give advice or instructions, you use the present simple or even the imperative.

Think here about a recipe article. You would always write it in the present.

You should always be clear about your tense control in writing before you start and avoid changing tenses unnecessarily in your writing.

One last factor to consider is your choice of point of view when writing blog posts and articles. The most common points of view are first—or second-person.

Professional and academic writing

You can usually classify this type of writing into three main categories. You are going to write either a plan, a report, or a statement.

For a plan, such as a business plan or a proposal for a new curriculum, you will use future tenses and forms.

If you need to write a sales report or the results of a survey, you should only use the past tense forms.

A statement like a code of ethics, a statement of purpose, or a press release are most often in the present.

For these three writing tasks, when you start writing in a particular tense, you should be consistent unless there is a compelling reason to switch between tenses.

Common mistakes in changing tenses in writing

The most common error with tenses is switching from past to present tense at a sentence level.

One of my favorite examples of mixing tenses in a sentence is this one.

Who said writing is easy?

It is incorrect because the first verb is past, and the second is present.

There are two ways to correct this sentence with the right tense agreement.

Who says writing is easy?

Who said writing was easy?

Both sentences now agree.

Here are a few more examples of incorrect tense agreements and how to keep tenses located in the same time.

I was walking down the stairs, and there he stands , staring at me. Incorrect

I was walking down the stairs, and there he stood , staring at me. Correct

I saw Mary this morning, and she says that she is moving to Canada. Incorrect

I saw Mary this morning, and she said that she was moving to Canada. Correct

After I booked my flight to London, I am finding that all the prices for tickets were falling. Incorrect

After I booked my flight to London, I found that all the prices for tickets were falling. Correct

Tense change in a paragraph

Switching tenses in writing within a paragraph is also an area that can cause problems.

It often happens when you use a pronoun linking back to the previous sentence.

You need to be careful with this and that . This is for present and future references. That is for a past reference.

The police believe the suspect is armed and is suffering from a severe mental disorder. That was why everyone in the district should be on alert. The detective in charge said all precautions were being taken. Incorrect

The police believe the suspect is armed and is suffering from a severe mental disorder. This is why everyone in the district should be on alert. The detective in charge says all precautions are being taken. Correct

With future tenses, mistakes often occur in first and second conditional sentences.

You can only use the future with the present and not with the past.

If I win the lottery, I would buy a Ferrara. Incorrect

If I win the lottery, I will buy a Ferrara. Correct

If I won the lottery, I will buy a Ferrari. Incorrect

If I won the lottery, I would buy a Ferrari. Correct

Use natural tenses

You can write more naturally if you first determine what tenses you would generally use when speaking.

You’ll save a lot of time and spend less time editing and revising.

If you write in perfect tenses that you’re not familiar with, such as present perfect or future perfect, you might find yourself shifting back to a more natural tense.

You need to stay in your comfort zone and your natural variety of English with tenses.

For US writers, past simple is much more common than present perfect. However, for UK writers, the opposite is true.

You should stay within your local voice but still pay attention to any mixed tenses.

Get some help

It’s so easy to mix your tenses. Every writer is guilty of it occasionally.

If you’re not sure, get some help. Find a friend or family member who can read your text and check.

You don’t need to hire an editor, but a fresh pair of eyes always helps.

But don’t rely too much on online grammar checkers.

They are great for finding basic grammar errors, but for tense shifts, they are not as reliable.

You can write in three different times, present, past, and future.

The English tense system has four tenses, or verb forms, for each time.

They are simple, continuous, perfect, or perfect continuous.

As long as you use the correct tenses for your time setting, you won’t make a mistake.

When you are writing a story, stick with the past tense forms.

For an essay or advice article , stay with present tenses.

If you want to write about a plan, use the future.

It’s that easy to maintain tense control in writing.

Related reading: What Is The Subjunctive Mood And How To Use It?

About The Author

Derek Haines

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7 thoughts on “how to maintain good tense control in your writing”.

Great article! I did notice one potential error in your favourite sentence though… maybe you’ll like it even better with this alternative interpretation ;)

I would argue the primary issue with this sentence is not that it’s changing tense in the middle, but that it’s lost its quotation marks.

I’ve noticed this sometimes happens with well-known rhetorical questions.

Put them back, and there’s no problem:

Who said “writing is easy”?

Now the sentence is no more incorrect than any other dialogue. The narration is in the past, but the speaker is using the present tense. As you pointed out, you can always have narration and dialogue differ.

Laura said “writing is easy.” Laura said “I like peas”. Jill will respond, as she always does “But you used to hate peas, and writing has not always come naturally”.

It’s an example phrase, so I didn’t think it needed to be written in strict dialogue. But yes, it could also be written in different ways. “Who said writing is easy?”, I asked. “Who said writing is easy?”, I wondered. But thanks for your interest and interaction.

Hi Lisa, I have been reading (and rereading) your articles on writing. I have found them to be very interesting and very inspiring. I am enquiring if I can download all your articles into a Word document, so I can read the offline. I know I could this without your knowledge but I find it polite to ask permission to do so.

That’s fine with us, Paul. Glad to hear that our writing articles are useful for you.

I’m from Philippines, greetings from filipinos! Such a good starter pack about writing. It’s very useful, keep it up! :)

Hi Lisa, great article, as all that you write. Keep on doing the good work. And keep on smiling, too.

Hi Lisa- Thanks for the heads-up to writers about the need that “other set of eyes”, professional eyes of an editor. It seems we have a bad rep from some writers, but all we really want to do is help; help the writer with clarity and simple corrections. All this so that the reader is not confused or distracted.

Comments are closed.

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Novel writing ,

Writing tenses: tips for past, present, and future tense .

By Eve Ainsworth

Knowing which tense to write in can be one of the earliest stumbling blocks that a writer can face. Getting the tense right is key to ensuring that your text flows smoothly and that your reader can engage with your writing. Although it seems like such a simple decision, it can be so easy to get in a muddle with tenses and confuse both yourself and the reader. I guess it’s fair to say that tense in writing can make the most experienced writer tense! Therefore, its vital that we understand the benefits of each tense and try to use them to our best advantage. 

In this guide we will dig deeper into the main tenses and explore past, present and even future tense to discover how these they can be used to the greatest effect. We will also explore the advantages and disadvantages of writing in each tense and consider some writing examples that demonstrate their use well. 

Hopefully, by the end of this guide you will have a clearer idea about how to write in each tense and will have a better idea of which would work best for you. 

So, sit back, untense yourself and read on! 

First, let’s consider what the main tenses are. 

What Are The Main Tenses?  

In short, there are three main tenses. 

• Past tense 
• Present tense 
• Future tense 

I will take each one in turn, beginning with the one most commonly used in writing; past tense. 

Writing In Past Tense

Past tense is the most traditional and familiar form of writing and is a form of tense that we can recognise in many of the books that we read. It is popular in many contemporary novels and traditionally has been seen a lot in the historical and fantasy genre. It harps back to the old and comforting ‘once upon a time’ , that makes us want to settle down and listen to the story unfold in its ‘told’ form. In short, the narrator is looking back to the past, commenting on events that have already taken place. This can often help the writer and reader feel more in control as the events taking place are already resolved. 

A great example of past tense is in Reservoir 13 , by Jon McGregor, which opens with: 

They gathered at the car park in the hour before dawn and waited to be told what to do. It was cold and there was little conversation. There were questions that weren’t being asked. The missing girl’s name was Rebecca Shaw . Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor

As readers, we are that the narrator knows lots of information about past events that they will be feeding to us throughout the book. There is often a sense of familiarity and reassurance in knowing that the events have already happened, and the outcome has been decided, which is part of the reason why past tense is popular with readers. 

If we were to change the above section to present tense it will read like this: 

They gather at the car park in the hour before dawn and wait to be told what to do. It’s cold and there is little conversation. There are questions that aren’t being asked. The missing girl’s name is Rebecca Shaw .

Immediately you can see that, in present tense, the dynamic of this piece has changed. It is now feels far more immediate and urgent. The reader has been dropped directly into the action at the moment it is occurring. The narrator is speaking in the ‘now’ and therefore has no knowledge of how the future will play out.  

Another advantage of writing in past tense is that it’s much easier to play with the order in which things happen. In many ways you have more flexibility and freedom. Backstory , flashbacks and hindsight are much easier to manage. 

The acclaimed author Stephen King is very keen on writing in past tense and this works well for him, as his stories often include the use of hindsight, memory and flashback . An example of this can be seen in his book, The Talisman written in collaboration with Peter Straub:

He closed his eyes, squeezing his legs together. His mother looked uncertain, lost and confused and the men forced her into the car as easily as they would a weary collie dog. But this was not really happening, he knew: it was a memory – part of it must have been one of the Daydreams – and it happened not to his mother but to him. The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

This memory recollection doesn’t feel forced and doesn’t disrupt the flow of writing in any way, which shows that such a device works particularly well when used in conjunction with past tense writing. That’s not to say that when you are writing in present tense you cannot use these devices, it’s just that they can appear a little clumsier or forced if not used carefully.  

Writing In Present Tense  

Writing in present tense has always been a common form of writing in the YA and children’s fiction genres but is now becoming increasingly popular in thrillers and psychological books too. This is probably because writing in present tense feels much more immediate and places the reader right in the ‘now’. Emotions and drama can also be instantly intensified. In many ways, writing in the present tense can be likened to watching a film or TV programme, where the reader is watching the events unfold right in front of them. There is often a sense that anything can happen because the future is unknown, much as it is in reality. 

A great example of present tense writing is used in the book White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock which opens with the lines: 

Mum finds me in the larder. I crouch in the corner, flinching from the sudden light in the doorway. My mouth is full of blood and shards of porcelain . White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock

This is an excellent example of the reader being immediately thrust into the action and straight into the characters’ thought processes. There is a sense of urgency and suspense that is created because the narrator and reader are on this journey towards an uncertain future together– which is a powerful tool to use. 

Changing this example to past tense, we can see that there is a shift in energy: 

Mum found me in the larder. I was crouched in the corner, flinching from the sudden light in the doorway. My mouth was full of bloo d and shards of porcelain .

Although it is still an effective piece of writing, there is less urgency about it. Also, some of the intrigue has been removed as we can assume that the narrator has survived the experience, as they are now recounting it. 

Writing in present tense can also feel quite personal and is a great opportunity to develop voice as you are experiencing the story in real time alongside the characters. A lovely example of this is in This Must be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell, which feels conversational and natural. 

There is a man. He’s standing on the back step rolling a cigarette. The day is typically unstable, the garden is lush and shining. The branches weighty with still-falling rain. There is a man, and the man is me . This Must be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

Here you can see O’Farrell is deep in thought and taking the reader on that journey with her – it feels intimate and immediate which is very powerful.  

Writing In Future Tense  

It’s rare to see future tense used in an entire book – as it places the narrator constantly in the future (for example – “I will be going to town, and I shall be buying some clothes and then I will be meeting my friends”) which would be limiting to the narrator and possibly repetitive and jarring to the reader.  

However, writing in future tense can be effective in sections of writing or in shorter books. It is also useful for describing spontaneous actions or predictions, and authors often use it as a tool when their characters are trying to decide what decision or path to take next.  

There aren’t many examples of future tense being used effectively continuously in novels, but in the Spanish editions of the novella Aura Carlos Fuentes uses future tense to good effect. 

It is certainly quite a unique style of writing and can stand out from the rest, but this is a tense that needs to be treated delicately and with consideration if used at length. 

Let’s now explore how the main tenses are used and how you can decide which one to choose for your writing. 

Writing Tenses  

Deciding which tense to write in can be one of the most challenging writing decisions, however there are some things that can help you make your choice. Consider the books that you enjoy reading yourself. Ask yourself if there is a tense that you particularly engage with, as often the tenses we best connect with are the ones we can write well. What type of book are you looking to write? Is it a thriller or a YA mystery? Do you want your character/narrator to ‘know’ the outcome of the story? Are you likely to play around with timelines or introduce devices such as flashbacks? All these points can help you decide which tense might suit you best. 

Also, knowing the main pros and cons of each tense can help you decide: 

• A familiar and traditional form of writing. Readers will know what to expect. 
• Non-linear timelines are easier to manage and control.
• Suspense is easier to convey as the narrator (usually) knows how events will play out. 
• The reader knows that the narrator is alive and safe, and the story has already happened – this can take away some of the intrigue and pace.  
• It can be easier to slip into ‘telling’ the story ( rather than ‘showing’ it ) and the writer must be mindful of this. 
• There’s a risk that the voice can become passive , and readers will struggle to connect. 

Present Tense  

• Writing in present tense feels much more immediate and places the reader right in the ‘now’.  
• There is a sense of urgency and intrigue that is created because the future is unknown to both the narrator and the reader. 
• You have an opportunity to showcase voice as the reader can see into the characters immediate thought process. 
• It can be inflexible and possibly restrict your ability to manipulate time or play with chronological order. 
• The future is blank and therefore the narrator is unable to build or manipulate suspense because they can’t know what is about to happen. 
• It can be easy to fixate on smaller, mundane details and risk boring your reader. 

Future Tense  

• As this is such a rare form of writing in novels, your book is much more likely to get noticed.  
• Your writing can be more fluid and unique. 
• Your narrator is rooted in the future which gives you greater scope to have fun and experiment. 
• Readers may find it hard to connect with the writing and find the tense jarring.  
• As the events haven’t happened yet it may be much harder for the reader to connect with the characters.  
• It is very difficult to maintain for long periods. 

Past, Present, And Future Tense  

Using tenses well will develop your own writing and bring your work to life, but a lot of it comes from practice, trial and error and having a bit of fun. Some writers find that they like to combine tenses in their work to have the best impact, others will stick to one tense throughout and will find that far less muddling and easier to edit. The key is to find what works best for you and then run with it. 

Five Tips For Using Tenses Well  

• Try using a combination of tenses in your work. Explore, have fun and play with a range to see what suits you. 
• Read! Remember the books that you connect best with and see if you are drawn to any particular tense. Often the tenses we personally connect with are the ones we write best. 
• Take time to rewrite paragraphs in different tenses to see which one works best for you. 
• Read passages out loud to yourself. Does the tense sound right? If not, change it. 
• Don’t limit yourself. If you’ve always written in past tense, try writing a new piece in present tense to see how it changes your writing. Enjoy experimenting!  

Tense In Writing

When it comes to writing tenses, the truth is there is no right or wrong answer. The most important thing is to take time to explore the different tenses and try not to be wary of trying each one out and experimenting a little. What suits one writer might not suit another, and what works well for one piece of writing, might not deliver for another. 

Consider the type of narrative you are using and how you want the action to unfold. Perhaps you can use a combination of past and present narratives to best deliver the story and showcase your characters. 

Personally, I love writing in present tense because I prefer being in the immediate moment. I also feel that by writing in the present tense I have more insight, and can reach into my characters current thoughts. However, this is a personal preference, and I can also see and appreciate the benefits that other tenses bring. 

The most important thing to remember is that each of the tenses bring something to the table (or page!) and when used correctly can have an outstanding effect on your work.  

So, my advice is – pick up your pen and stop being tense about tenses!  

About the author

Eve Ainsworth is a working-class award-winning and Carnegie nominated children’s author who has written for both middle grade and teen readers. Her debut novel for adults, Duckling , will be published by Penguin Random House in spring 2022. As well as writing, Eve is a public speaker and creative workshop coordinator for schools, libraries and other events. She's also an experienced mentor and is passionate about helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fiercely proud of her working-class roots and her large, loud extended family, Eve still lives in Crawley with her husband, two young children and funny pets. For more on Eve, see her website , Twitter , or Amazon author page .

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• Inconsistent Verb Tenses

In formal writing, it is important to keep verb tenses consistent so that readers can follow the progress of ideas and arguments easily. In creative writing, verb tenses may be used inconsistently for effect, but in academic writing, it is important to use verb tenses consistently throughout a paper, carefully signaling any necessary shifts in tense.

Was, felt, and thrived are past tense; trains and seems are present tense. All of the action in the passage above occurred in the past, so all of the verbs there should be in the past tense.

Rule to Remember

Choose the specific tense to be used in the essay, paper, or report and then coordinate all other verbs with it.

Correcting Inconsistent Tenses

Sometimes in academic writing, it is necessary to signal to the reader that one event was completed in the past before another past event occurred. This is where the perfect form of verbs can be used ( have + verb).

The phrase " by the time " signals that the action in the second clause occurred before the action in the first clause. This kind of signal helps the reader follow any shifts in time.

When discussing a specific essay or piece of literature , use the present tense throughout the paper.

To eliminate illogical shifts in tenses, the writer should choose the specific tense to be used in the essay and then coordinate all other verbs with it to reflect future and past events in relation to the chosen tense.

The passage above is full of illogical shifts from the past tense to the present and the future. Since most actions happened in the past, we need to make the verb forms consistent.

Here is the revised version of the passage in which the use of the past tense is consistent:

• Adjective or Adverb
• Commonly Confused Words
• Dangling Modifiers
• Double Negatives
• Misplaced Modifiers
• Parallelism
• Pronoun Agreement
• Relative Clauses
• Split Infinitives
• Subject-verb Agreement
• Use of Numbers
• Punctuation
• Organization

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Creative Writing: Vivid Verbs To Boost Your Language

• Posted By Randall Chew

Happy June Holidays and hello, again! I hope that you children will be able to catch a breather during this break even though some of my pupils have already told me about the homework that they have for this month! In my third post, I will be looking at the use of verbs and how using appropriate and precise verbs will help you to express yourself better in your writing. If you have a piece of writing to do, it will be a good opportunity to try out how to use vivid verbs for creative writing!

First of all, what are verbs?

Simply put, although there are a few types of verbs, most people remember verbs as words that describe actions, such as run, jump, skip and stumble. Stories are full of verbs because they involve actions done by the characters. Writers c hoose their verbs carefully so that they can paint a clear picture of the actions carried out by the characters they create . Using precise verbs will also help to convey other important things about the characters, such as how they feel and what kind of people they are. 

To illustrate my point, let’s start by comparing these two simple sentences:

A: Jake walked to school.

B: Jake limped to school.

Both sentences are similar because they tell the action done by Jake but what makes the second one better? By using ‘limped’, the writer is suggesting an extra detail about Jake and makes us ask, “Why is Jake limping? Is he injured?” The word ‘walked’ , although a legitimate verb, is limiting because it is too simple and does not tell us more about Jake.

Let’s take a look at another example:

A: “Get out of my room!” Anna said.

B: “Get out of my room!” Anna fumed.

By using the word ‘fumed’, the writer has revealed to us Anna’s anger while ‘said’ is too generic a word because it does not reveal to us how Anna is actually feeling.

These two examples help to illustrate the importance of using vivid verbs – verbs that are appropriate to the situation as well as precise in their description of the action. So how do you ensure that you always use vivid verbs in your writing?

How do I start using vivid verbs for creative writing?

1. Make sure to stay away from simple words like ‘walk’, ‘go’, ‘say’ and ‘ask’ . If there is a better, more apt word, use that. Sometimes, looking the alternative up in a thesaurus might help. But be careful to check the meaning of the new word in a dictionary to see that it is appropriate for the situation.

2. The only way to learn more and better verbs is to READ as widely as you can . Take note of how writers like Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling use vivid verbs to make their stories come alive. Here’s a short extract from a popular Roald Dahl’s book, “Matilda”. Read the writer’s description of the Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Try spotting the vivid verbs that Mr. Dahl has used in his writing to create Miss Trunchbull’s personality:

“When she marched – Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched like a storm trooper with long strides and arms swinging – when she marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she went and if a group of children happened to be in her path, she ploughed on through them like a tank, with small people bouncing off her to the left and right.”

What are some words that popped up in your mind about Miss Trunchbull as you read this? Let’s take a look at how Miss Trunchbull looks like and how Mr. Dahl’s description had helped to create her personality.

From his description, we could tell that Miss Trunchbull is an unpleasant person from her actions – she ‘marched’ like a storm trooper, she would ‘snort’ as she went along the corridor and ‘ploughed on’ through the children like a tank. The writer has used interesting verbs to give us a clear picture of Miss Trunchbull’s personality Try replacing ‘marched’ and ‘ploughed on’ with ‘walked’, you will realise that the effect is quite different.

To help you get started, I am providing a table of verbs you can use in your writing :

I hope you find this list useful and remember to keep adding on to it as you read this holiday! Let me know about the additions that you made for each column in the comments section!

Ms Nora is an English Teacher at Lil’ but Mighty. She is committed to providing students with a dynamic and nurturing environment in which they can grow and develop. One of her greatest strengths as an educator is instilling a love for the English Language in her students.

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Verb Tenses

What this handout is about.

The present simple, past simple, and present perfect verb tenses account for approximately 80% of verb tense use in academic writing. This handout will help you understand how to use these three verb tenses in your own academic writing.

Click here for a color-coded illustration of changing verb tenses in academic writing.

Present simple tense

The present simple tense is used:

In your introduction, the present simple tense describes what we already know about the topic. In the conclusion, it says what we now know about the topic and what further research is still needed.

“The data suggest…” “The research shows…”

“The dinoflagellate’s TFVCs require an unidentified substance in fresh fish excreta” (Penrose and Katz, 330).

“There is evidence that…”

“So I’m walking through the park yesterday, and I hear all of this loud music and yelling. Turns out, there’s a free concert!” “Shakespeare captures human nature so accurately.”

Past simple tense

Past simple tense is used for two main functions in most academic fields.

“…customers obviously want to be treated at least as well on fishing vessels as they are by other recreation businesses. [General claim using simple present] De Young (1987) found the quality of service to be more important than catching fish in attracting repeat customers. [Specific claim from a previous study using simple past] (Marine Science)

We conducted a secondary data analysis… (Public Health) Descriptional statistical tests and t-student test were used for statistical analysis. (Medicine) The control group of students took the course previously… (Education)

Present perfect tense

The present perfect acts as a “bridge” tense by connecting some past event or state to the present moment. It implies that whatever is being referred to in the past is still true and relevant today.

“There have been several investigations into…” “Educators have always been interested in student learning.”

Some studies have shown that girls have significantly higher fears than boys after trauma (Pfefferbaum et al., 1999; Pine &; Cohen, 2002; Shaw, 2003). Other studies have found no gender differences (Rahav and Ronen, 1994). (Psychology)

Special notes

Can i change tenses.

Yes. English is a language that uses many verb tenses at the same time. The key is choosing the verb tense that is appropriate for what you’re trying to convey.

What’s the difference between present simple and past simple for reporting research results?

• Past simple limits your claims to the results of your own study. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers were moody.” (In this study, teenagers were moody.)
• Present simple elevates your claim to a generalization. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers are moody.” (Teenagers are always moody.)

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Biber, Douglas. 1999. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English . New York: Longman.

Hawes, Thomas, and Sarah Thomas. 1997. “Tense Choices in Citations.” Research into the Teaching of English 31 (3): 393-414.

Hinkel, Eli. 2004. Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Penrose, Ann, and Steven Katz. 2004. Writing in the Sciences: Exploring the Conventions of Scientific Discourse , 2nd ed. New York: Longman.

Swales, John, and Christine B. Feak. 2004. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills , 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Writing exercises: 10 fun tense workouts

‘What exercises can I do to improve my writing craft?’ Writing often and reading a lot are common answers given to this question. Writing exercises targeting specific aspects of craft help too. Dip into these fun, practical writing workouts on using tenses correctly:

• Post author By Jordan
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General tips on tense use:

Knowing how to use verb tenses is key to telling a great story. Switching between tenses should be intentional, without confusing the reader.

‘I went to the store this morning. I am buying milk when I realised I will not have had bread’ is confusing. Why? because we can’t easily pinpoint when which event happens.

Ursula K. Le Guin puts this humorously in her must-read writing manual Steering the Craft :

I could almost state this as a rule, but I won’t, because good and careful writers will blow all Rules of Writing into bits. So I state it as a High Probability. It is highly probable that if you keep changing the tense of your narrative, if you go back and forth between past and present tense frequently and without some kind of signal (a line break, a dingbat,* a new chapter)—your reader will get all mixed up and will not know what happened before what and what’s happening after what and when we are, or were, at the moment. Ursula K. Le Guin in ‘6: verbs: person and tense’ in Steering the Craft : A 21st century guide to sailing the sea of story (1998), p.

10 exercises for practicing tense:

• Switch between tenses with intent
• Mix present actions with memories
• Change verbs and persons of verbs
• Use future perfect tense
• String together present participles
• Recognize tense inconsistency
• Master subjunctive mood
• Play with the infinitive
• Use present perfect continuous tense
• Change irregular verbs

These grammatical tense terms might seem confusing, but read on for explanations and exercises to help you understand them on a craft level:

1. Switch between tenses with intent

Write a 500-word flash fiction in which a character describes events leading up to a surprising encounter at the grocery store.

Use past perfect tense for prior events, and switch to present when they renact the encounter itself. (Example of a switching point: ‘…so I had gone to the wine aisle. Picture this: [words signalling switching tense] I’m standing there when…’)

2. Mix present actions with memories

Often there are two simultaneously narrated time-periods in a scene. Something a character is doing now, and past events they’re remembering. Le Guin calls this exercise ‘The Old Woman’. Her instructions:

The subject is this: An old woman is busy doing something—washing the dishes, or gardening, or editing a PhD dissertation in mathematics, whatever you like—as she thinks about an event that happened in her youth. You’re going to intercut between the two times. “Now” is where she is and what she’s doing; “then” is her memory of something that happened when she was young. Your narration will move back and forth between “now” and “then.” Le Guin, Steering the Craft , pp. 50-51.

Try even more writing exercises for creating characters for extra practice.

3. Change verbs and persons of verbs

Singular persons (‘I’, ‘you’, ‘she/he/it’) and plural persons (‘we’, ‘they’, ‘you’ plural) take different verbs.

For example we say ‘I go’ for present first person, but ‘she goes’ (not ‘she go’, unless perhaps writing a local dialect of English where non-standard grammar gives regional quality).

Rewrite this altered passage by Barbara Kingsolver in second-person, present tense (‘A first child is your own best foot forward…’):

A first child was their own best foot forward, and how they did cheer those little feet as they struck out. They examined every turn of flesh for precocity, and crowed it to the world. But the last one: the baby who trailed her scent like a flag of surrender through their life when there would be no more coming after–oh, that was love by a different name. Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible , edited.

[ See the answer, the original quote, here – try not to cheat!]

4. Use future perfect tense

Some tenses, such as future perfect (‘I will have lived…’) we see and use less frequently than the simple ones.

For this writing exercise, describe a working class character’s grand future plans for when they achieve a major career goal (e.g. becoming vice president). Start with a pre-condition connected to setting (e.g. ‘I will have lived in the capital for 5 years’).

Use future perfect tense to describe at least 3 future conditions that will have been met (e.g. ‘I will have risen through the ranks to become the preferred candidate.’)

Find more future perfect tense examples here .

5. String together present participles

Present participles are ‘-ing’ verbs we use to describe unfolding actions.

For example, the bolded words in the following examples:

• Talking loudly to ensure the other elevator passengers could hear, she described the previous night’s passion to her colleague
• Running and laughing , the valedictorians threw their caps into the air

Chaining together multiple participles is a useful way to create a tumultuous sense of action .

For the fifth of these writing exercises, describe a stampede for the last remaining item (of your choice) at a big chain store on Black Friday.

Use at least 7 present participles to describe various shoppers’ behaviour.

6. Recognize tense inconsistency

Recognising when tenses have shifted incorrectly is key to being in control of when tenses change.

For this writing exercise, copy-paste this altered passage into your word processor and highlight the verbs that should change for correct tense:

So I know I am right not to settle, but it didn’t make me feel better as my friends pair off and I stay home on Friday night with a bottle of wine and made myself an extravagant meal and tell myself, This was perfect, as if I’m the one dating me. As I will go to endless rounds of parties and bar nights, perfumed and sprayed and hopeful, rotated myself around the room like some dubious dessert. Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl , edited.

Rewrite in present continuous tense ( compare to the original quote when you’re done). Bonus round: Rewrite the entire passage in simple past tense.

Note: Which verbs have to change, and which can stay the same?

7. Master subjunctive mood

‘Subjunctive mood’ is another more unusual grammar construction.

What exactly is ‘mood’ in grammar?

In grammar, mood refers to a verb form that shows the writer’s attitude toward the content of his or her words. Margaret Stone, via study.com.

Subjunctive mood is a verb form we use to express a wish, command (AKA an imperative), hypothetical, or suggestion. For example:

• Timmy said, “If only I were a T-Rex!” (a wish)
• “It’s crucial that you pay attention, Timmy” (a command)
• If I were you, Timmy, I would be careful (a hypothetical)
• “Timmy, I suggest that you focus . You do not have tiny arms,” said his teacher (suggestion)

For this writing exercise, write a scene between a student and their teacher. Use at least one wish (‘If only I/you were…’), one command (‘It’s good/bad that you [present-tense verb]…’), one hypothetical and one suggestion.

8. Play with the infinitive

To be, or not to be, that is the question. Or, rather, ‘to get better at writing tense, or to bewilder your reader?’ Ideally, with practice, we’ll do the former!

The infinitive form of the verb is useful for expressing general, broad activity. For example:

• She loved to bake , even if her crusts were always inches thick and had a curiously charcoal hue
• To sing, to really belt it out, particularly when the neighbours were sleeping at 3 am, that was his passion.
• She wanted to dance but the dance floor was full of short jocks doing the raver fist pump… it seemed a good way to get a black eye

For this writing exercise on tense, write a paragraph describing a character’s personality using at least 5 infinitives. Pick one of the scenarios below. Choose between a:

• Lawyer who can’t help falling asleep in court
• Shop owner who loves to chase people who make them anxious from their store
• Restaurateur who loves to argue with customers

For example, you might begin ‘To stay awake was prudent, yet the judge’s gavel was his own private alarm clock.’

9. Use present perfect continuous tense

Present perfect continuous tense (also called present perfect progressive) is used when we describe actions that began in the past and continue in the present moment.

The positive takes the form has/have + ‘been’ + present participle. The negative uses ‘not’ (‘he has not been…’). Examples:

• He has been sleeping in court since the trial began
• He has been eyeing a stick he keeps under the shop counter when a regular customer he finds obnoxious approaches
• She has not been arguing with the couple on their anniversary date about our tinned ravioli for the past forty minutes… at least I sure hope not

For this writing exercise, take the character you created in the previous section. Now describe a tense argument with someone who has accused them of bad conduct. (Remember to change the verb for second person if using dialogue. ‘He has been…’ becomes “You have been…”).

10. Change irregular verbs

Most verbs follow a specific pattern for changing forms.

For example, the past tense forms of verbs that simply take some variant of ‘-d’, ‘-ed’ or ‘-ted’:

• Bake – baked
• Steep – steeped
• Strut – strutted

Irregular verbs are those that do not follow the pattern. For example:

• go – went
• be – was/were
• grow – grew

For the last of these tense writing exercises, create a five-year-old’s written voice. Deliberately use incorrect verb conjugations to create a sense of non-mastery of language.

Begin with a phrase using an incorrect application of ‘the rule’ (e.g. that ‘bake’ becomes ‘baked’ in simple past tense) and have at least 5 more instances.

For example: ‘Deer Journal. Mom says I’ve growed so much…’

Need more writing prompts? Here are 50 categorized writing prompts to start.

Get more writing exercises in the form of easy, step-by-step prompts to develop your story .

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Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

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Verb Tense Consistency

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Throughout this document, example sentences with nonstandard or inconsistent usage have verbs in red .

Controlling shifts in verb tense

Writing often involves telling stories. Sometimes we narrate a story as our main purpose in writing; sometimes we include brief anecdotes or hypothetical scenarios as illustrations or reference points in an essay.

Even an essay that does not explicitly tell a story involves implied time frames for the actions discussed and states described. Changes in verb tense help readers understand the temporal relationships among various narrated events. But unnecessary or inconsistent shifts in tense can cause confusion.

Generally, writers maintain one tense for the main discourse and indicate changes in time frame by changing tense relative to that primary tense, which is usually either simple past or simple present. Even apparently non-narrative writing should employ verb tenses consistently and clearly.

General guideline: Do not shift from one tense to another if the time frame for each action or state is the same.

Explains is present tense, referring to a current state; asked is past, but should be present ( ask ) because the students are currently continuing to ask questions during the lecture period.

CORRECTED: The instructor explains the diagram to students who ask questions during the lecture.

Darkened and sprang up are past tense verbs; announces is present but should be past ( announced ) to maintain consistency within the time frame.

CORRECTED: About noon the sky darkened , a breeze sprang up , and a low rumble announced the approaching storm.

Walk is present tense but should be past to maintain consistency within the time frame ( yesterday ); rode is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame.

CORRECTED: Yesterday we walked to school but later rode the bus home.

General guideline: Do shift tense to indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another.

Love is present tense, referring to a current state (they still love it now;) built is past, referring to an action completed before the current time frame (they are not still building it.)

Began is past tense, referring to an action completed before the current time frame; had reached is past perfect, referring to action from a time frame before that of another past event (the action of reaching was completed before the action of beginning.)

Are installing is present progressive, referring to an ongoing action in the current time frame (the workers are still installing, and have not finished;) will need is future, referring to action expected to begin after the current time frame (the concert will start in the future, and that's when it will need amplification.)

Controlling shifts in a paragraph or essay

General guideline: Establish a primary tense for the main discourse, and use occasional shifts to other tenses to indicate changes in time frame.

• Rely on past tense to narrate events and to refer to an author or an author's ideas as historical entities (biographical information about a historical figure or narration of developments in an author's ideas over time).
• Use present tense to state facts, to refer to perpetual or habitual actions, and to discuss your own ideas or those expressed by an author in a particular work. Also use present tense to describe action in a literary work, movie, or other fictional narrative. Occasionally, for dramatic effect, you may wish to narrate an event in present tense as though it were happening now. If you do, use present tense consistently throughout the narrative, making shifts only where appropriate.
• Future action may be expressed in a variety of ways, including the use of will, shall, is going to, are about to, tomorrow and other adverbs of time, and a wide range of contextual cues.

Using other tenses in conjunction with simple tenses

It is not always easy (or especially helpful) to try to distinguish perfect and/or progressive tenses from simple ones in isolation, for example, the difference between simple past progressive ("She was eating an apple") and present perfect progressive ("She has been eating an apple"). Distinguishing these sentences in isolation is possible, but the differences between them make clear sense only in the context of other sentences since the time-distinctions suggested by different tenses are relative to the time frame implied by the verb tenses in surrounding sentences or clauses.

Example 1: Simple past narration with perfect and progressive elements

On the day in question...

By the time Tom noticed the doorbell, it had already rung three times. As usual, he had been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turned the stereo down and stood up to answer the door. An old man was standing on the steps. The man began to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example, the progressive verbs had been listening and was standing suggest action underway at the time some other action took place. The stereo-listening was underway when the doorbell rang. The standing on the steps was underway when the door was opened. The past perfect progressive verb had been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that was still underway as another action began.

If the primary narration is in the present tense, then the present progressive or present perfect progressive is used to indicate action that is or has been underway as some other action begins. This narrative style might be used to describe a scene from a novel, movie, or play, since action in fictional narratives is conventionally treated as always present. For example, we refer to the scene in Hamlet in which the prince first speaks (present) to the ghost of his dead father or the final scene in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing , which takes place (present) the day after Mookie has smashed (present perfect) the pizzeria window. If the example narrative above were a scene in a play, movie, or novel, it might appear as follows.

Example 2: Simple present narration with perfect and progressive elements

In this scene...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it has already rung three times. As usual, he has been listening to loud music on his stereo. He turns the stereo down and stands up to answer the door. An old man is standing on the steps. The man begins to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first one, the progressive verbs has been listening and is standing indicate action underway as some other action takes place. The present perfect progressive verb has been listening suggests action that began in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that is still underway as another action begins. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first example.

In all of these cases, the progressive or -ing part of the verb merely indicates ongoing action, that is, action underway as another action occurs. The general comments about tense relationships apply to simple and perfect tenses, regardless of whether there is a progressive element involved.

It is possible to imagine a narrative based on a future time frame as well, for example, the predictions of a psychic or futurist. If the example narrative above were spoken by a psychic, it might appear as follows.

Example 3: Simple future narration with perfect and progressive elements

Sometime in the future...

By the time Tom notices the doorbell, it will have already rung three times. As usual, he will have been listening to loud music on his stereo. He will turn the stereo down and will stand up to answer the door. An old man will be standing on the steps. The man will begin to speak slowly, asking for directions.

In this example as in the first two, the progressive verbs will have been listening and will be standing indicate ongoing action. The future perfect progressive verb will have been listening suggests action that will begin in the time frame prior to the main narrative time frame and that will still be underway when another action begins. The verb notices here is in present-tense form, but the rest of the sentence and the full context of the narrative cue us to understand that it refers to future time. The remaining tense relationships parallel those in the first two examples.

General guidelines for use of perfect tenses

In general the use of perfect tenses is determined by their relationship to the tense of the primary narration. If the primary narration is in simple past, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in past perfect. If the primary narration is in simple present, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in present perfect. If the primary narration is in simple future, then action initiated before the time frame of the primary narration is described in future perfect.

Past primary narration corresponds to Past Perfect ( had + past participle) for earlier time frames

Present primary narration corresponds to Present Perfect ( has or have + past participle) for earlier time frames

Future primary narration corresponds to Future Perfect ( will have + past participle) for earlier time frames

The present perfect is also used to narrate action that began in real life in the past but is not completed, that is, may continue or may be repeated in the present or future. For example: "I have run in four marathons" (implication: "so far... I may run in others"). This usage is distinct from the simple past, which is used for action that was completed in the past without possible continuation or repetition in the present or future. For example: "Before injuring my leg, I ran in four marathons" (implication: "My injury prevents me from running in any more marathons").

Time-orienting words and phrases like before, after, by the time , and others—when used to relate two or more actions in time—can be good indicators of the need for a perfect-tense verb in a sentence.

• By the time the senator finished (past) his speech, the audience had lost (past perfect) interest.
• By the time the senator finishes (present: habitual action) his speech, the audience has lost (present perfect) interest.
• By the time the senator finishes (present: suggesting future time) his speech, the audience will have lost (future perfect) interest.
• After everyone had finished (past perfect) the main course, we offered (past) our guests dessert.
• After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we offer (present: habitual action) our guests dessert.
• After everyone has finished (present perfect) the main course, we will offer (future: specific one-time action) our guests dessert.
• Long before the sun rose (past), the birds had arrived (past perfect) at the feeder.
• Long before the sun rises (present: habitual action), the birds have arrived (present perfect) at the feeder.
• Long before the sun rises (present: suggesting future time), the birds will have arrived (future perfect) at the feeder.

Sample paragraphs

The main tense in this first sample is past. Tense shifts are inappropriate and are indicated in bold .

(adapted from a narrative)

Inappropriate shifts from past to present, such as those that appear in the above paragraph, are sometimes hard to resist. The writer becomes drawn into the narrative and begins to relive the event as an ongoing experience. The inconsistency should be avoided, however. In the sample, will should be would , and rise should be rose .

The main tense in this second sample is present. Tense shifts—all appropriate—are indicated in bold.

(adapted from an article in the magazine Wilderness )

This writer uses the present tense to describe the appearance of a dragonfly on a particular July morning. However, both past and future tenses are called for when she refers to its previous actions and to its predictable activity in the future.

Click here for exercises on verb tense.

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Creative Writing - Past and Present Tenses

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

18 September 2023

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AQA English Language Paper 1 Question 5. Tenses can be quite a dry and dull topic to teach, but it’s something many students struggle with, so this lesson is designed to make the topic interesting and engaging for the reader! A fully differentiated and resourced lesson that assists students in focusing on past and present tenses. Easily adaptable for both KS3 and KS4.

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Edexcel English Language 2.0 Paper 2 Section B

Edexcel English Language 2.0 Paper 2 Section B scheme of work with differentiated activities, modelled answers, knowledge organiser, exam practice pack and more. Includes: Imaginative Writing Introduction Exploring Setting and Description Using Sentence Types Tone Using colours Dashes, semicolons and colons Tenses Language techniques for describing characters Sentence openers Structure and narratives Imaginative writing examples Imaginitive writing practice resource Improving creative writing Narrative perspectives Endings Knowledge organiser for Section B Exam practice pack with modelled answers Scheme of work document

AQA English Language Paper 1 Question 5

TWENTY fully resourced hour long lessons to prepare students for Section B or Question 5 of the AQA English Language Paper 1 exam, but easily adaptable for other specifications. The lessons provide students with modelled examples, mark scheme analysis, visual stimuli, sentence starters and differentiated activities to prepare them for writing their own pieces in exam conditions. 1) Descriptive Writing Introduction 2) Descriptive Writing - Zooming in 3) Sentence Types 4) Building Tone 5) Using Colour 6) Dashes, Semicolons and Colons 7) Past and Present Tenses 8) Language Techniques 9) Sentence Openers 10) Sentence Openers (Lower ability) 11) The Middle of Narratives (Structure) 12) Descriptive Writing Examples and Analysis 13) Descriptive Writing Practice 14) Improving Descriptive Writing Review 15) Understanding Genre 16) Understanding Character Through Description 17) Narrative Writing - Narrators and Perspectives 18) Endings to Narratives and Descriptions 19) Exam Practice Pack 20) FULL scheme of work **Check out our [English Shop](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Lead_Practitioner) for loads more free and inexpensive KS3, KS4, KS5, Literacy and whole school resources.** [AQA English Language Paper 1 and Paper 2 Knowledge Organisers](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12063979) [AQA English Language Paper 1 Section A package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11757237) [AQA English Language Paper 1 Sections A and B package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11747224) [AQA English Language Paper 1 package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11561370) [AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 5 package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11899610) [AQA English Language Paper 1 Question 5 package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11483869) [AQA English Language Paper 2 Section A package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11828984) [AQA English Language and English Literature revision package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11449199) [An Inspector Calls whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11711589) [An Inspector Calls revision package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-inspector-calls-gcse-9-1-exam-practice-11850503) [Macbeth whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11702645) [Macbeth revision package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11904820) [A Christmas Carol whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11718691) [A Christmas Carol revision package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12080244) [Jekyll and Hyde whole scheme package ](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11607362) [Jekyll and Hyde revision package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11904852) [Romeo and Juliet whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11903624) [Power and Conflict poetry comparing poems package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11843215) [Power and Conflict poetry whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11563766) [Love and Relationships poetry whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11924178) [Unseen Poetry whole scheme package](http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-11843275) Or check out some Citizenship, RE, PSHE + RSE resources at [EC Resources](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/EC_Resources)

Edexcel English Language Paper 1 Section B

Edexcel English Language Paper 1 Question 5 and 6 complete lesson pack that covers all aspects of descriptive writing, narrative writing and creative writing to prepare students for Paper 1 Q5 and Q6 questions and tasks. Includes: 1) Introduction to descriptive writing 2) Zooming in on pictures to aid description 3) Using sentences and sentence structures 4) Building tone 5) Using colour in description 6) Punctuation recap: dashes, semicolons, colons 7) Past and present tenses lesson 8) Language techniques for descriptive writing 9) Sentence openers 10) Personification and similes - lower ability 11) Structure and narratives 12) Descriptive writing practice 13) Analysing creative writing examples 14) Improving descriptive writing 15) Genre lesson 16) Characters through description lesson 17) Narrative writing example 18) Endings analysis 19) Huge Imaginative Writing revision and exam practice pack 20) Q5 and Q6 KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER

Eduqas English Creative Prose Writing

Eduqas English Language Component 1 Section B scheme of work with differentiated activities, modelled answers, knowledge organiser, exam practice pack and more. Includes: Creative Prose Writing Introduction Exploring Setting and Description Using Sentence Types Tone Using colours Dashes, semicolons and colons Tenses Language techniques for describing characters Sentence openers Writing description - lower ability Structure and narratives Creative prose writing examples Creative prose writing practice resource Improving creative prose writing Narrative perspectives Endings Knowledge organiser for Section B Exam practice pack with modelled answers

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Future Progressive Tense

What is the future progressive tense.

• John will be baking a cake.
• They will be painting the fence.

Table of Contents

Examples of the Future Progressive Tense

• Forming the Future Perfect Progressive Tense

Interactive Verb Conjugation Tables

Video lesson.

• The Moscow State Circus will be performing in Cheltenham for the next 3 weeks.
• We will be celebrating like kings if it works.
• The next time you see a spider's web, please pause and look a little closer. You will be seeing one of the most high-performance materials known to man. (Biologist Cheryl Hayashi)
• She 'll be coming around the mountain when she comes.

Forming the Future Progressive Tense

Forming the present participle.

• play > playing
• shout > shouting
• prepare > preparing
• ride > riding
• lie > lying
• untie > untying
• run > running
• forget > forgetting

The Negative Version

• The Moscow State Circus will not be performing in Cheltenham for the next 3 weeks.
• We will not be celebrating like kings if it fails.

The Question Version

• Will the Moscow State Circus be performing in Washington?
• Will we be celebrating like kings?
• When will the Moscow State Circus be performing in Cheltenham?
• Why will we be celebrating like kings?
• Will the Moscow State Circus be performing in New York or Washington?
• Will we be celebrating like kings commiserating like paupers?

Top 10 Regular Verbs

Top 10 Irregular Verbs

All 4 Past Tenses

All 4 Present Tenses

All 4 Future Tenses

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

Other Future Tenses

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Earning A Master’s In Creative Writing: What To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 1:51pm

Do you want to create written work that ignites a reader’s imagination and even changes their worldview? With a master’s in creative writing, you can develop strong storytelling and character development skills, equipping you to achieve your writing goals.

If you’re ready to strengthen your writing chops and you enjoy writing original works to inspire others, tell interesting stories and share valuable information, earning a master’s in creative writing may be the next step on your career journey.

The skills learned in a creative writing master’s program qualify you to write your own literary works, teach others creative writing principles or pursue various other careers.

This article explores master’s degrees in creative writing, including common courses and concentrations, admission requirements and careers that use creative writing skills. Read on to learn more about earning a master’s degree in creative writing.

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What Is a Master’s in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing is an advanced degree that helps you develop the skills to write your own novel, poetry, screenplay or nonfiction book. This degree can also prepare you for a career in business, publishing, education, marketing or communications.

In a creative writing master’s degree program, you can expect to analyze literature, explore historical contexts of literary works, master techniques for revising and editing, engage in class workshops and peer critiques, and write your own original work.

Creative writing master’s programs usually require a thesis project, which should be well-written, polished and ready to publish. Typical examples of thesis projects include poetry collections, memoirs, essay collections, short story collections and novels.

A master’s in creative writing typically requires about 36 credits and takes two years to complete. Credit requirements and timelines vary by program, so you may be able to finish your degree quicker.

Specializations for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are a few common concentrations for creative writing master’s programs. These vary by school, so your program’s offerings may look different.

This concentration helps you develop fiction writing skills, such as plot development, character creation and world-building. A fiction concentration is a good option if you plan to write short stories, novels or other types of fiction.

A nonfiction concentration focuses on the mechanics of writing nonfiction narratives. If you plan to write memoirs, travel pieces, magazine articles, technical documents or nonfiction books, this concentration may suit you.

Explore the imagery, tone, rhythm and structure of poetry with a poetry concentration. With this concentration, you can expect to develop your poetry writing skills and learn to curate poetry for journals and magazines.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting is an excellent concentration to explore if you enjoy creating characters and telling stories to make them come alive for television or film. This specialization covers how to write shorts, episodic serials, documentaries and feature-length film scripts.

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are some typical admission requirements for master’s in creative writing degree programs. These requirements vary, so check with your program to ensure you’ve met the appropriate requirements.

• Application for admission
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Transcripts from previous education
• Writing samples
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay

Common Courses in a Master’s in Creative Writing

Story and concept.

This course focuses on conceptualizing, planning and developing stories on a structural level. Learners study how to generate ideas, develop interesting plots, create outlines, draft plot arcs, engage in world-building and create well-rounded characters who move their stories forward.

Graduate Studies in English Literature

Understanding literature is essential to building a career in creative writing. This course prepares you to teach, study literature or write professionally. Expect to discuss topics such as phonology, semantics, dialects, syntax and the history of the English language.

Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

You’ll study classic and contemporary creative nonfiction in this course. Workshops in creative nonfiction explore how different genres have emerged throughout history and how previous works influence new works. In some programs, this course focuses on a specific theme.

Foundations in Fiction

In this course, you’ll explore how the novel has developed throughout literary history and how the short story emerged as an art form. Coursework includes reading classic and contemporary works, writing response essays and crafting critical analyses.

MA in Creative Writing vs. MFA in Creative Writing: What’s the Difference?

While the degrees are similar, a master of arts in creative writing is different from a master of fine arts in creative writing. An MA in creative writing teaches creative writing competencies, building analytical skills through studying literature, literary theory and related topics. This lets you explore storytelling along with a more profound knowledge of literature and literary theory.

If you want your education to take a more academic perspective so you can build a career in one of many fields related to writing, an MA in creative writing may be right for you.

An MFA prepares you to work as a professional writer or novelist. MFA students graduate with a completed manuscript that is ready for publishing. Coursework highlights subjects related to the business of writing, such as digital publishing, the importance of building a platform on social media , marketing, freelancing and teaching. An MA in creative writing also takes less time and requires fewer credits than an MFA.

If you want to understand the business of writing and work as a professional author or novelist, earning an MFA in creative writing might be your best option.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Creative Writing?

Below are several careers you can pursue with a master’s in creative writing. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher

Median Annual Salary: $74,280 Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master’s degree may be accepted at some schools and community colleges Job Overview: Postsecondary teachers, also known as professors or faculty, teach students at the college level. They plan lessons, advise students, serve on committees, conduct research, publish original research, supervise graduate teaching assistants, apply for grants for their research and teach subjects in their areas of expertise.

Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors plan, revise and edit written materials for publication. They work for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, media networks, and motion picture and video production companies. Editors work closely with writers to ensure their written work is accurate, grammatically correct and written in the appropriate style for the medium.

Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists research and write stories about local, regional, national and global current events and other newsworthy subjects. Journalists need strong interviewing, editing, analytical and writing skills. Some journalists specialize in a subject, such as sports or politics, and some are generalists. They work for news organizations, magazines and online publications, and some work as freelancers.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: None; bachelor’s degree in creative writing or a related field sometimes preferred Job Overview: Writers and authors write fiction or nonfiction content for magazines, plays, blogs, books, television scripts and other forms of media. Novelists, biographers, copywriters, screenwriters and playwrights all fall into this job classification. Writers may work for advertising agencies, news platforms, book publishers and other organizations; some work as freelancers.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $79,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers craft technical documents, such as training manuals and how-to guides. They are adept at simplifying technical information so lay people can easily understand it. Technical writers may work with technical staff, graphic designers, computer support specialists and software developers to create user-friendly finished pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Master's in Creative Writing

Is a master’s in creative writing useful.

If your goal is to launch a career as a writer, then yes, a master’s in creative writing is useful. An MA in creative writing is a versatile degree that prepares you for various jobs requiring excellent writing skills.

Is an MFA better than an MA for creative writing?

One is not better than the other; you should choose the one that best equips you for the career you want. An MFA prepares you to build a career as a professional writer or novelist. An MA prepares you for various jobs demanding high-level writing skills.

What kind of jobs can you get with a creative writing degree?

A creative writing degree prepares you for many types of writing jobs. It helps you build your skills and gain expertise to work as an editor, writer, author, technical writer or journalist. This degree is also essential if you plan to teach writing classes at the college level.

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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.

Articles on Creative writing

Displaying 1 - 20 of 46 articles.

UK’s creative industries bring in more revenue than cars, oil and gas – so why is arts education facing cuts?

Adam Behr , Newcastle University

An ode to the social realism of ‘boring’ lyrics – from The Kinks to The Streets

Glenn Fosbraey , University of Winchester

How to write a love song – three tips for beginners from a songwriting expert

‘ Cli-fi ’ might not save the world, but writing it could help with your  eco-anxiety

Rachel Hennessy , The University of Melbourne ; Alexander Cothren , Flinders University , and Amy T Matthews , Flinders University

I research the therapeutic qualities of writing about art – here are three steps for trying it yourself

Patrick Wright , The Open University

Creative writing can help improve one’s health: a South African study shows how

Dawn Garisch , University of Cape Town and Steve Reid , University of Cape Town

Boxing empowered me to express my trauma – now, I help other abuse survivors do the same, combining it with creative writing

Donna Lyon , The University of Melbourne

How a poet and professor promotes racial understanding with lessons from history

Quraysh Ali Lansana , Oklahoma State University

How to understand your grief through writing

Catherine Cole , Liverpool John Moores University

Write what you know: the COVID experience is a rich resource for year 12 English exams

Janet Dutton , Macquarie University

5 ways to teach the link between grammar and imagination for better creative writing

Brett Healey , Curtin University

Writing can improve mental health – here’s how

Christina Thatcher , Cardiff Metropolitan University

In an AI world we need to teach students how to work with robot writers

Lucinda McKnight , Deakin University

To succeed in an AI world, students must learn the human traits of writing

‘Lit therapy’ in the classroom: writing about trauma can be valuable, if done right

Yannick Thoraval , RMIT University

Too many adjectives, not enough ideas: how NAPLAN forces us to teach bad writing

What my students taught me about reading: old books hold new insights for the digital generation

Kate Flaherty , Australian National University

Life sentences – what creative writing by prisoners tells us about the inside

Dr Michael X. Savvas , Flinders University

Frozen in time, the casts of Indigenous Australians who performed in ‘human zoos’ are chilling

Katherine Johnson , University of Tasmania

‘I’m in another world’: writing without rules lets kids find their voice, just like professional authors

Related topics.

• Australian literature
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Top contributors

Visiting Fellow, Centre for Cultural and Creative Research, University of Canberra, University of Canberra

Associate professor, Deakin University

Adjunct assistant professor, University of New England

PhD Student, School of Education, Curtin University

Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Southern Queensland

Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester

Dean of Research (Creative), University of South Australia

Associate Professor in Media, University of Notre Dame Australia

Distinguished Professor of Creative Practice, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra

Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, University of Stirling

Lecturer in Professional and Creative Writing, Deakin University

Principal Lecturer in Creative Writing, Coventry University

Professor of Creative Arts, Griffith University

PhD candidate in Digital Cultures, University of Sydney

Conjoint Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle

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Department of English

M.f.a. creative writing.

English Department

Physical Address: 200 Brink Hall

Mailing Address: English Department University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1102 Moscow, Idaho 83844-1102

Phone: 208-885-6156

Email: [email protected]

Web: English

Thank you for your interest in the Creative Writing MFA Program at University of Idaho: the premier fully funded, three-year MFA program in the Northwest. Situated in the panhandle of Northern Idaho in the foothills of Moscow Mountain, we offer the time and support to train in the traditions, techniques, and practice of nonfiction, poetry, and fiction. Each student graduates as the author of a manuscript of publishable quality after undertaking a rigorous process of thesis preparation and a public defense. Spring in Moscow has come to mean cherry blossoms, snowmelt in Paradise Creek, and the head-turning accomplishments of our thesis-year students. Ours is a faculty of active, working writers who relish teaching and mentorship. We invite you in the following pages to learn about us, our curriculum, our community, and the town of Moscow. If the prospect of giving yourself three years with us to develop as a writer, teacher, and editor is appealing, we look forward to reading your application.

Pure Poetry

A Decade Working in a Smelter Is Topic of Alumnus Zach Eddy’s Poems

Ancestral Recognition

The region surrounding the University of Idaho is the ancestral land of both the Coeur d’Alene and Nez Perce peoples, and its campus in Moscow sits on unceded lands guaranteed to the Nez Perce people in the 1855 Treaty with the Nez Perce. As a land grant university, the University of Idaho also benefits from endowment lands that are the ancestral homes to many of the West’s Native peoples. The Department of English and Creative Writing Program acknowledge this history and share in the communal effort to ensure that the complexities and atrocities of the past remain in our discourse and are never lost to time. We invite you to think of the traditional “land acknowledgment” statement through our MFA alum CMarie Fuhrman’s words .

Degree Requirements

Three years to write.

Regardless of where you are in your artistic career, there is nothing more precious than time. A three-year program gives you time to generate, refine, and edit a body of original work. Typically, students have a light third year, which allows for dedicated time to complete and revise the Creative Thesis. (48 manuscript pages for those working in poetry, 100 pages for those working in prose.)

Our degree requirements are designed to reflect the real-world interests of a writer. Students are encouraged to focus their studies in ways that best reflect their artistic obsessions as well as their lines of intellectual and critical inquiry. In effect, students may be as genre-focused or as multi-genre as they please. Students must remain in-residence during their degrees. Typically, one class earns you 3 credits. The MFA requires a total of 54 earned credits in the following categories.

12 Credits : Graduate-level Workshop courses in Fiction, Poetry, and/or Nonfiction. 9 Credits: Techniques and Traditions courses in Fiction, Poetry, and/or Nonfiction 3 Credits : Internships: Fugue, Confluence Lab, and/or Pedagogy 9 Credits: Literature courses 12 Credits: Elective courses 10 Credits: Thesis

Flexible Degree Path

Students are admitted to our program in one of three genres, Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction. By design, our degree path offers ample opportunity to take Workshop, Techniques, Traditions, and Literature courses in any genre. Our faculty work and publish in multiple genres and value the slipperiness of categorization. We encourage students to write in as broad or focused a manner as they see fit. We are not at all interested in making writers “stay in their lanes,” and we encourage students to shape their degree paths in accordance with their passions. 

What You Study

During your degree, you will take Workshop, Techniques, Traditions, and Literature courses.

Our workshop classes are small by design (typically twelve students or fewer) and taught by core and visiting MFA faculty. No two workshop experiences look alike, but what they share are faculty members committed to the artistic and intellectual passions of their workshop participants.

Techniques studios are developed and taught by core and visiting MFA faculty. These popular courses are dedicated to the granular aspects of writing, from deep study of the poetic image to the cultivation of independent inquiry in nonfiction to the raptures of research in fiction. Such courses are heavy on generative writing and experimentation, offering students a dedicated space to hone their craft in a way that is complementary to their primary work.

Traditions seminars are developed and taught by core and visiting MFA faculty. These generative writing courses bring student writing into conversation with a specific trajectory or “tradition” of literature, from life writing to outlaw literature to the history of the short story, from prosody to postwar surrealism to genre-fluidity and beyond. These seminars offer students a dynamic space to position their work within the vast and varied trajectories of literature.

Literature courses are taught by core Literature and MFA faculty. Our department boasts field-leading scholars, interdisciplinary writers and thinkers, and theory-driven practitioners who value the intersection of scholarly study, research, humanism, and creative writing.

Award-Winning Faculty

We teach our classes first and foremost as practitioners of the art. Full stop. Though our styles and interests lie at divergent points on the literary landscape, our common pursuit is to foster the artistic and intellectual growth of our students, regardless of how or why they write. We value individual talent and challenge all students to write deep into their unique passions, identities, histories, aesthetics, and intellects. We view writing not as a marketplace endeavor but as an act of human subjectivity. We’ve authored or edited several books across the genres.

Learn more about Our People .

Thesis Defense

The MFA experience culminates with each student writing and defending a creative thesis. For prose writers, theses are 100 pages of creative work; for poets, 48 pages. Though theses often take the form of an excerpt from a book-in-progress, students have flexibility when it comes to determining the shape, form, and content of their creative projects. In their final year, each student works on envisioning and revising their thesis with three committee members, a Major Professor (core MFA faculty) and two additional Readers (core UI faculty). All students offer a public thesis defense. These events are attended by MFA students, faculty, community members, and other invitees. During a thesis defense, a candidate reads from their work for thirty minutes, answers artistic and critical questions from their Major Professor and two Readers for forty-five minutes, and then answer audience questions for thirty minutes. Though formally structured and rigorous, the thesis defense is ultimately a celebration of each student’s individual talent.

The Symposium Reading Series is a longstanding student-run initiative that offers every second-year MFA candidate an opportunity to read their works-in-progress in front of peers, colleagues, and community members. This reading and Q & A event prepares students for the third-year public thesis defense. These off-campus events are fun and casual, exemplifying our community centered culture and what matters most: the work we’re all here to do.

Teaching Assistantships

All students admitted to the MFA program are fully funded through Teaching Assistantships. All Assistantships come with a full tuition waiver and a stipend, which for the current academic year is roughly $15,000. Over the course of three years, MFA students teach a mix of composition courses, sections of Introduction to Creative Writing (ENGL 290), and additional writing courses, as departmental needs arise. Students may also apply to work in the Writing Center as positions become available. When you join the MFA program at Idaho, you receive teacher training prior to the beginning of your first semester. We value the role MFA students serve within the department and consider each graduate student as a working artist and colleague. Current teaching loads for Teaching Assistants are two courses per semester. Some members of the Fugue editorial staff receive course reductions to offset the demands of editorial work. We also award a variety of competitive and need-based scholarships to help offset general living costs. In addition, we offer three outstanding graduate student fellowships: The Hemingway Fellowship, Centrum Fellowship, and Writing in the Wild Fellowship. Finally, our Graduate and Professional Student Association offers extra-departmental funding in the form of research and travel grants to qualifying students throughout the academic year.

Distinguished Visiting Writers Series

Each year, we bring a Distinguished Visiting Writer to campus. DVWs interface with our writing community through public readings, on-stage craft conversations hosted by core MFA faculty, and small seminars geared toward MFA candidates. Recent DVWs include Maggie Nelson, Roger Reeves, Luis Alberto Urrea, Brian Evenson, Kate Zambreno, Dorianne Laux, Teju Cole, Tyehimba Jess, Claire Vaye Watkins, Naomi Shihab Nye, David Shields, Rebecca Solnit, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Susan Orlean, Natasha Tretheway, Jo Ann Beard, William Logan, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, Gabino Iglesias, and Marcus Jackson, among several others.

Fugue Journal

Established in 1990 at the University of Idaho, Fugue publishes poetry, fiction, essays, hybrid work, and visual art from established and emerging writers and artists. Fugue is managed and edited entirely by University of Idaho graduate students, with help from graduate and undergraduate readers. We take pride in the work we print, the writers we publish, and the presentation of both print and digital content. We hold an annual contest in both prose and poetry, judged by two nationally recognized writers. Past judges include Pam Houston, Dorianne Laux, Rodney Jones, Mark Doty, Rick Moody, Ellen Bryant Voigt, Jo Ann Beard, Rebecca McClanahan, Patricia Hampl, Traci Brimhall, Edan Lepucki, Tony Hoagland, Chen Chen, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, sam sax, and Leni Zumas. The journal boasts a remarkable list of past contributors, including Steve Almond, Charles Baxter, Stephen Dobyns, Denise Duhamel, Stephen Dunn, B.H. Fairchild, Nick Flynn, Terrance Hayes, Campbell McGrath, W.S. Merwin, Sharon Olds, Jim Shepard, RT Smith, Virgil Suarez, Melanie Rae Thon, Natasha Trethewey, Philip Levine, Anthony Varallo, Robert Wrigley, and Dean Young, among many others.

Academy of American Poets University Prize

The Creative Writing Program is proud to partner with the Academy of American Poets to offer an annual Academy of American Poets University Prize to a student at the University of Idaho. The prize results in a small honorarium through the Academy as well as publication of the winning poem on the Academy website. The Prize was established in 2009 with a generous grant from Karen Trujillo and Don Burnett. Many of our nation’s most esteemed and celebrated poets won their first recognition through an Academy of American Poets Prize, including Diane Ackerman, Toi Derricotte, Mark Doty, Tess Gallagher, Louise Glück, Jorie Graham, Kimiko Hahn, Joy Harjo, Robert Hass, Li-Young Lee, Gregory Orr, Sylvia Plath, Mark Strand, and Charles Wright.

Fellowships

Centrum fellowships.

Those selected as Centrum Fellows attend the summer Port Townsend Writers’ Conference free of charge. Housed in Fort Worden (which is also home to Copper Canyon Press), Centrum is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering several artistic programs throughout the year. With a focus on rigorous attention to craft, the Writers’ Conference offers five full days of morning intensives, afternoon workshops, and craft lectures to eighty participants from across the nation. The cost of the conference, which includes tuition, lodging, and meals, is covered by the scholarship. These annual scholarship are open to all MFA candidates in all genres.

Hemingway Fellowships

This fellowship offers an MFA Fiction student full course releases in their final year. The selection of the Hemingway Fellow is based solely on the quality of an applicant’s writing. Each year, applicants have their work judged blind by a noted author who remains anonymous until the selection process has been completed. Through the process of blind selection, the Hemingway Fellowship Fund fulfills its mission of giving the Fellow the time they need to complete a substantial draft of a manuscript.

Writing in the Wild

This annual fellowship gives two MFA students the opportunity to work in Idaho’s iconic wilderness areas. The fellowship fully supports one week at either the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS), which borders Payette Lake and Ponderosa State Park, or the Taylor Wilderness Research Station, which lies in the heart of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. Both campuses offer year-round housing. These writing retreats allow students to concentrate solely on their writing. Because both locations often house researchers, writers will also have the opportunity to interface with foresters, geologists, biologists, and interdisciplinary scholars.

Program History

Idaho admitted its first class of seven MFA students in 1994 with a faculty of four: Mary Clearman Blew, Tina Foriyes, Ron McFarland (founder of Fugue), and Lance Olsen. From the beginning, the program was conceived as a three-year sequence of workshops and techniques classes. Along with offering concentrations in writing fiction and poetry, Idaho was one of the first in the nation to offer a full concentration in creative nonfiction. Also from its inception, Idaho not only allowed but encouraged its students to enroll in workshops outside their primary genres. Idaho has become one of the nation’s most respected three-year MFA programs, attracting both field-leading faculty and students. In addition to the founders of this program, notable distinguished faculty have included Kim Barnes, Robert Wrigley, Daniel Orozco, Joy Passanante, Tobias Wray, Brian Blanchfield, and Scott Slovic, whose collective vision, rigor, grit, and care have paved the way for future generations committed to the art of writing.

The Palouse

Situated in the foothills of Moscow Mountain amid the rolling terrain of the Palouse (the ancient silt beds unique to the region), our location in the vibrant community of Moscow, Idaho, boasts a lively and artistic local culture. Complete with independent bookstores, coffee shops, art galleries, restaurants and breweries, (not to mention a historic art house cinema, organic foods co-op, and renowned seasonal farmer’s market), Moscow is a friendly and affordable place to live. Outside of town, we’re lucky to have many opportunities for hiking, skiing, rafting, biking, camping, and general exploring—from nearby Idler’s Rest and Kamiak Butte to renowned destinations like Glacier National Park, the Snake River, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area, and Nelson, BC. As for more urban getaways, Spokane, Washington, is only a ninety-minute drive, and our regional airline, Alaska, makes daily flights to and from Seattle that run just under an hour.

For upcoming events and program news, please visit our calendar .

For more information about the MFA program, please contact us at:  [email protected]

Department of English University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1102 Moscow, ID 83844-1102 208-885-6156

Pat Sajak Wins First Emmy in 26 Years for Final Season as ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host & More 2024 Creative Arts Emmys Winners

The Television Academy bestowed honors on many television programs and individuals — including Pat Sajak ! — on Saturday, September 7, at the first of its two 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies.

Sajak, who retired from his job at the Wheel of Fortune podium this year, won Outstanding Host for a Game Show, a category he hadn’t won since 1998. And though Sajak wasn’t in attendance at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, he did post a brief message of thanks on X.

“Thank you all so very much,” he said.

Thank you all so very much. — Pat Sajak (@patsajak) June 7, 2024

Other big winners included Saturday Night Live with six awards; Blue Eye Samurai , Jim Henson Idea Man , and The Oscars with four apiece; and Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden and Welcome to Wrexham with three.

The second night of the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys will be held tonight, Sunday, September 8, and an edited presentation of the awards on both nights will air Saturday, September 14, at 8/7c on FXX and will stream on Hulu from Sunday, September 15, to Wednesday, October 9.

The full list of 2024 Creative Arts Emmys Night 1 winners is below:

Outstanding Animated Program

Blue Eye Samurai , “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride” — WINNER Bob’s Burgers , “The Amazing Rudy” Scavengers Reign , “The Signal” The Simpsons , “Night of the Living Wage” X-Men ‘97 , “Remember It”

Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program

The Amazing Race The Golden Bachelor Love on the Spectrum — WINNER RuPaul’s Drag Race Squid Game: The Challenge

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

The Simpsons , “Cremains of the Day” Hank Azaria as Moe Szyslak

Family Guy , “Teacher’s Heavy Pet” Alex Borstein as Lois Griffin

Invincible , “I Thought You Were Stronger” Sterling K. Brown as Angstrom Levy / Angstrom #646

Big Mouth , “The Ambition Gremlin” Maya Rudolph as Connie the Hormone Monstress — WINNER

Krapopolis , “Big Man on Hippocampus” Hannah Waddingham as Deliria

Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming

Dancing With the Stars , Routines: Moon River / La Vie En Rose Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Choreographer Jenna Johnson, Choreographer

Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic , Routine: Step in Time Alison Faulk, Choreographer Kiki Nyemchek, Choreographer

The Oscars , Routines: I’m Just Ken / in Memoriam Mandy Moore, Choreographer

RuPaul’s Drag Race , Routines: Dance! / Queen of Wind / Power Jamal Sims, Choreographer

76th Annual Tony Awards , Routines: Opening Number / Lifetime Achievement Karla Puno Garcia, Choreographer — WINNER

Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program

Beckham , “The Kick” Girls State — WINNER Jim Henson Idea Man Our Planet II , “Chapter 1: World on the Move” Planet Earth III , “Extremes”

Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program

The Amazing Race (series body of work) Life Below Zero , “Bulletproof” — WINNER Survivor (series body of work) The Traitors , “The Funeral” Welcome to Wrexham (series body of work)

Outstanding Commercial

2024 Emmy Nominations: See the Complete List

Album Cover – Apple iPhone 15 Best Friends – Uber One | Uber Eats Fuzzy Feelings – Apple – iPhone + Mac — WINNER Just Joking – Sandy Hook Promise Like a Good Neighbaaa – State Farm Michael CeraVe – CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Rob Reiner, Directed by

Beckham • What Makes David Run Fisher Stevens, Directed by

Girls State — WINNER Amanda McBaine, Directed by Jesse Moss, Directed by

The Greatest Night in Pop Bao Nguyen, Directed by

Jim Henson Idea Man Ron Howard, Directed by

Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces Morgan Neville, Directed by

Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program

Love on the Spectrum , “Episode 7” Cian O’Clery, Directed by — WINNER

RuPaul’s Drag Race , “Grand Finale” Nick Murray, Directed by

Squid Game : The Challenge, “Red Light, Green Light” Diccon Ramsay, Directed by

The Traitors , “Betrayers, Fakes and Fraudsters” Ben Archard, Directed by

Welcome to Wrexham , “Shaun’s Vacation” Bryan Rowland, Directed by

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

The Daily Show , “Jon Stewart Returns to the Daily Show” David Paul Meyer, Directed by

Jimmy Kimmel Live! , “Trump Still Mad About Oscars Joke…” Andy Fisher, Directed by

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , “December 21, 2023” Jim Hoskinson, Directed by

Saturday Night Live , “Host: Ryan Gosling” Liz Patrick, Directed by — WINNER

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer Stan Lathan, Directed by

Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic Russell Norman, Directed by

The Oscars Hamish Hamilton, Directed by — WINNER

Tig Notaro: Hello Again Stephanie Allynne, Directed by

76th Annual Tony Awards Glenn Weiss, Directed by

Trevor Noah: Where Was I David Paul Meyer, Directed by

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

Beckham — WINNER The Jinx – Part Two Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. Telemarketers

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Girls State The Greatest Night in Pop Jim Henson Idea Man — WINNER Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces

Outstanding Emerging Media Program

Emperor Fallout: Vault 33 — WINNER The Pirate Queen With Lucy Liu Red Rocks Live in VR Wallace & Gromit in the Grand Getaway

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

Beyond Utopia (Independent Lens) Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project — WINNER Stamped From the Beginning

Outstanding Game Show

Celebrity Family Feud Jeopardy! — WINNER Password The Price Is Right At Night Wheel of Fortune

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula , “Trash Can Children” Dancing With the Stars , “Finale” Saturday Night Live , “Host: Ryan Gosling” — WINNER So You Think You Can Dance , “Challenge #2: Broadway” We’re Here , “Oklahoma, Part 3”

Outstanding Host for a Game Show

Celebrity Family Feud Steve Harvey, Host

Jeopardy! Ken Jennings, Host

Weakest Link Jane Lynch, Host

Password Keke Palmer, Host

Wheel of Fortune Pat Sajak, Host — WINNER

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

RuPaul’s Drag Race RuPaul Charles, Host

Shark Tank Mark Cuban, Host Lori Greiner, Host Kevin O’Leary, Host Barbara Corcoran, Host Robert Herjavec, Host Daymond John, Host

The Traitors Alan Cumming, Host — WINNER

Top Chef Kristen Kish, Host

Survivor Jeff Probst, Host

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

What Pat Sajak Told Ryan Seacrest About 'Wheel of Fortune' During Final Days on Set

Conan O’Brien Must Go Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. How To With John Wilson My Next Guest With David Letterman and John Mulaney — WINNER The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series

America’s Got Talent , “Episode 1818” American Idol , “Top 14 Reveal” Dancing With the Stars , “Semi-Finals” The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , “May 21, 2024” Saturday Night Live , “Host: Kristen Wiig” — WINNER The Voice , “Live Finale, Part 2”

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden — WINNER 66th Grammy Awards 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 76th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula , “Terror in the Woods” Dancing With the Stars , “Monster Night” Saturday Night Live , “Host: Ryan Gosling” — WINNER Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music The Voice , “Live Finale, Part 1” and “Live Finale, Part 2” We’re Here , “Oklahoma, Part 3”

Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Beckham , “Seeing Red” Jim Henson Idea Man — WINNER Planet Earth III , “Extremes” Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed

Outstanding Music Direction

The 46th Kennedy Center Honors Late Night With Seth Meyers , “Episode 1488” The Oscars — WINNER 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Saturday Night Live , “Host: Ryan Gosling”

Outstanding Narrator

Planet Earth III , “Human” Sir David Attenborough, Narrator

Queens , “African Queens” Angela Bassett, Narrator — WINNER

Life on Our Planet , “Chapter 1: The Rules of Life” Morgan Freeman, Narrator

Secrets of the Octopus , “Masterminds” Paul Rudd, Narrator

Lost Women of Highway 20 , “Vanished” Octavia Spencer, Narrator

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Beckham , “Golden Balls” Escaping Twin Flames , “Up in Flames” Jim Henson Idea Man — WINNER The Jinx – Part Two , “Chapter 9: Saving My Tears Until It’s Official” Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV , “Hidden in Plain Sight” Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces , “Then”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program

The Amazing Race (series body of work) Queer Eye , “Kiss the Sky” RuPaul’s Drag Race , “Werq the World” Top Chef (series body of work) The Voice (series body of work) — WINNER

Outstanding Picture Editing for An Unstructured Reality Program

Below Deck Down Under , “The Turnover Day” Deadliest Catch , “Nautical Deathtrap” Love on the Spectrum , “Episode 7” RuPaul’s Drag Race : Untucked, “Rate-A-Queen” Welcome to Wrexham , “Up the Town?” — WINNER

Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming

Dolly Parton’s Pet Gala John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA — WINNER Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die Ramy Youssef: More Feelings

Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment)

The Daily Show, “The Dailyshowography of Vivek Ramaswamy: Enter the RamaVerse” — WINNER Last Week Tonight With John Oliver , “Boeing” Last Week Tonight With John Oliver , “The Sad Tale of Henry the Engine” Saturday Night Live , “I’m Just Pete” Saturday Night Live , “Bowen’s Straight”

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special

Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic 66th Grammy Awards Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas The Oscars — WINNER 76th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver , “Freight Trains” The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , “February 11, 2024” RuPaul’s Drag Race , “RDR Live!” Saturday Night Live , “Host: Josh Brolin” — WINNER Squid Game: The Challenge , “War”

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

Carpool Karaoke: The Series The Eric Andre Show Late Night With Seth Meyers Corrections Only Murders in the Building: One Killer Question — WINNER Real Time With Bill Maher: Overtime

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series

After the Cut – the Daily Show The Crown: Farewell to a Royal Epic Hacks: Bit By Bit Saturday Night Live Presents: Behind the Sketch Shogun – the Making of Shōgun — WINNER

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program

The Greatest Night in Pop Jim Henson Idea Man — WINNER Planet Earth III , “Freshwater” Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces Welcome to Wrexham , “Goals”

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program

The Beach Boys — WINNER Jim Henson Idea Man Planet Earth III , “Deserts and Grasslands” STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. , “Chapter Two: Soul Man” Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program

The Amazing Race (series body of work) Deadliest Catch , “Nautical Deathtrap” RuPaul’s Drag Race (series body of work) The Voice , “Live Finale” Welcome to Wrexham , “Giant Killers” — WINNER

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special

Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden — WINNER 66th Grammy Awards The Oscars 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Saturday Night Live , “Host: Kristen Wiig”

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Love Is Blind Queer Eye Shark Tank — WINNER

Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series

America’s Got Talent , “Finale Performances” Dancing With the Stars , “Finale” Last Week Tonight With John Oliver , “Elon Musk” The Late Show With Stephen Colbert , “April 8, 2024” Saturday Night Live, “Host: Timothée Chalamet” — WINNER

Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden — WINNER The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse – Moscow Tools 66th Grammy Awards Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Below Deck Down Under Love on the Spectrum RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked Vanderpump Rules Welcome to Wrexham — WINNER

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher 66th Grammy Awards The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady The Oscars — WINNER 76th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Billy Joel: The 100th – Live At Madison Square Garden Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic — WINNER Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die Trevor Noah: Where Was I

Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program

Conan O’Brien Must Go, “Ireland” — WINNER Jessie Gaskell, Written by Conan O’Brien, Written by Matt O’Brien, Written by Mike Sweeney, Written by

How To With John Wilson , “How to Watch the Game” John Wilson, Written by Michael Koman, Written by Allie Viti, Written by

Jim Henson Idea Man Mark Monroe, Written by

The Jinx – Part Two , “Chapter 7: Why Are You Still Here?” Andrew Jarecki, Written by Sam Neave, Written by Zac Stuart-Pontier, Written by

The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy, “Scotland: My Mother’s Country” Alan Connor, Written by David Reilly, Written by Christine Rose, Written by

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

The Daily Show Last Week Tonight With John Oliver — WINNER Saturday Night Live

Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Wheel of fortune.

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