June 25, 2025
One day, I woke up. I found that I was miserable.
I grab a drink, brush my teeth, splash my face with water.
I tried to have a breakfast, but it seems like Im bout to die.
I take some caffeine, trying to sit on my desk, do my work.
Then when i blinked my eyes, i find that I just sleep on my desk for 8 hours.
P.S. I've seen some resources said that for Storytelling, people sometimes use the present tense - even that happened in the past
E.g. So yesterday I’m walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, “Hey, you dropped something!”
I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not.
One day, I woke up. I found that I was miserable.
Alternatively: "I realized that I was miserable."
I triedy to have a breakfast, but it seems like I'm about to die.
If you want to use the first person present tense, you must maintain it throughout.
I take some caffeine, trying to sit onat my desk, and do my work.
(1) "Sit on my desk" means you're literally sitting on the desktop. "Sit at my desk" instead means that you're sitting in front of it, and is probably what you meant here.
(2) I'd suggest the use of "and" here, since the sentence structure is a little more complex now, as compared to the sentence about grabbing a drink, brushing your teeth and splashing you face with water.
Then when iI blinked my eyes, iI fiound that I had just sleep onpt at my desk for 8 hours.
If you want to use the "when X, Y" structure in this context, you need to momentarily revert to the past tense.
I've seen some resources saidying that for Sstorytelling, people sometimes use the present tense - even for events that happened in the past
.¶
E.g.
"So yesterday I’m walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, “'Hey, you dropped something!”
'"¶
I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not.
Quotation marks should be used around the example sentence to differentiate it from the sentence "I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not." That will result in quotation marks embedded within quotation marks, in which case you simply alternate between the double ("...") and single ('...') quotation marks.
Feedback
Strictly speaking, I don't think the example you gave is grammatical, but in informal contexts such as when chatting with friends, it is certainly acceptable. As for your pagaraph, it is true that the present tense may be used in storytelling to create a greater sense of immediacy. The most important (and perhaps hardest) thing about writing in the first person present tense, however, is maintaining consistency.
June 25, 2025
Thank you so much for your help.
But does using both the past and present tense work in both informal/casual and formal/writing like that?
What about only using either past tense or present tense for all of this?
E.g. Yesterday I wake up, I realize that. I try, I blink etc.
Does these are acceptable in both informal and formal?
June 26, 2025
Fairly rarely will you see the present tense being used this way in formal writing; when it is used, it will almost exclusively be used to tell a story, or create a certain sense of immediacy, intimacy, or immersion in the reader.
I can see the present tense being used in certain pieces of writing such as essays or news articles, with the intention of drawing the reader in. Such pieces of writing allow for more creativity and can exist between informal and formal writing styles. However, more formal pieces of writing which don't grant as much narrative license, such as scientific articles, will strictly demand the use of the past tense. In such cases, such use of the present tense is unacceptable.
Unless the use of the present tense adds something of value to the text, in most circumstances I would suggest sticking to the past tense instead. The past tense will be acceptable regardless of context.
Also, "yesterday, I wake up" is not grammatical. "Yesterday" necessarily refers to the past, and the present tense can only be used to describe the present.
If there is anything you would like to clarify about my answer, please feel free to ask.
June 26, 2025
You've helped me a lot!
Seems like I should use the past tense for formal writing, and for not being overwhelmed by grammar for now.
Yeah i'd like to ask you someday, but I've done nothing for you.
I saw on your profile that you're trying to Japanese.
In the future, I'm going to learn Japanese too.
Perhaps someday, if you'd like to learn Vietnamese, I'll away here to help you with all I've got.
Good luck for your Japanese XD
June 26, 2025
Thank you! Best of luck for your English too. There is no need for you to do anything in return for us to help you with your writing.
Perhaps I will learn Vietnamese one day, since I do know someone who's a native speaker, though regrettably I imagine it won't be for a while.
One day, I woke up. I foun and I realized that I was miserable.
I grabbed a drink, brushed my teeth, splashed my face with water.
I tried to have a breakfast, but it seemsed like Im was about to die.
I takeook some caffeine, trying to sit onat my desk, and do my work.
Then when iI blinked my eyes, i fin, I realized that I had just sleep onpt at my desk for 8 hours.
P.S.
I've seen some resources saidy that for Sstorytelling, people sometimes use the present tense - even when that happened in the past
¶
E.g.
So yesterday I’m was walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, “Hey, you dropped something!”
¶
I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not.
June 25, 2025
I appreciate it
But in:
So yesterday I’m was walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, “Hey, you dropped something!”
Should I use either all of these verbs are past tense, or present tense?
Or using all in one like yours (was - past tense, comes - present tense)?
In both informal and formal way..
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One day, I woke up. I found that I was miserable. One day, I woke up One day, I woke up. I found that I was miserable. Alternatively: "I realized that I was miserable." |
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I grab a drink, brush my teeth, splash my face with water. I grabbed a drink, brushed my teeth, splashed my face with water. |
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I tried to have a breakfast, but it seems like Im bout to die. I tried to have I tr If you want to use the first person present tense, you must maintain it throughout. |
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I take some caffeine, trying to sit on my desk, do my work. I t I take some caffeine, trying to sit (1) "Sit on my desk" means you're literally sitting on the desktop. "Sit at my desk" instead means that you're sitting in front of it, and is probably what you meant here. (2) I'd suggest the use of "and" here, since the sentence structure is a little more complex now, as compared to the sentence about grabbing a drink, brushing your teeth and splashing you face with water. |
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Then when i blinked my eyes, i find that I just sleep on my desk for 8 hours. Then when Then when If you want to use the "when X, Y" structure in this context, you need to momentarily revert to the past tense. |
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P.S. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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I've seen some resources said that for Storytelling, people sometimes use the present tense - even that happened in the past E.g. I've seen some resources sa I've seen some resources sa |
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So yesterday I’m walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, “Hey, you dropped something!” I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not. So yesterday I "So yesterday I’m walking down the street, and this guy comes up to me and says, Quotation marks should be used around the example sentence to differentiate it from the sentence "I don't know if my paragraph is correct or not." That will result in quotation marks embedded within quotation marks, in which case you simply alternate between the double ("...") and single ('...') quotation marks. |
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