Learn this English grammar trick to make your jokes and anecdotes more interesting by playing with tenses! The dramatic present in English can add a sense of immediacy to your story-telling to make it funnier, more engaging, or more interesting for the listener! So, yes, we can sometimes use the present to talk about the past! (No time machine needed.)
0:00 Intro
0:06 Using the present to talk about the past
1:14 The historical present
2:12 How does using past forms change the story?
2:38 Is 'will' the future and 'would' the past?
Sian explains more about using the present to talk about the past here:
https://youtu.be/WbtrD-As0Nw
Discover more grammar lessons with 6 Minute Grammar here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcetZ6gSk96_zHuVg6Ecy2F7j4Aq4valQ
Or, visit our website to discover lots more English learning content:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
0:00 Intro
0:06 Using the present to talk about the past
1:14 The historical present
2:12 How does using past forms change the story?
2:38 Is 'will' the future and 'would' the past?
Sian explains more about using the present to talk about the past here:
https://youtu.be/WbtrD-As0Nw
Discover more grammar lessons with 6 Minute Grammar here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcetZ6gSk96_zHuVg6Ecy2F7j4Aq4valQ
Or, visit our website to discover lots more English learning content:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
- Category
- Education
- Tags
- learn English, English vocabulary, speak English
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