Literary Present Tense vs. Past-Tense Plot Summary + Works-Cited Refresh

Teacher reads a paragraph with inappropriate tense shifts. Children identify the shifts.

• Project paragraph
• Ask 'where does the tense shift?'
• Mark shifts in red

Today you control TENSE in your literary essay AND finalize your works-cited list. LITERARY PRESENT (the convention): when ANALYZING what an author does, use PRESENT TENSE. 'Ryan USES the lullaby moment to show resilience.' Not 'Ryan USED the lullaby moment.' The author's craft is alive in the text every time it's read — so present tense. PAST TENSE for plot summary: when retelling what happened in the story, use PAST TENSE. 'Esperanza ARRIVED at the labor camp.' Not 'Esperanza ARRIVES at the labor camp.' (The events of the story already happened in the fictional past.) The SHIFT between these two tenses is purposeful — when you analyze (present), shift to past for plot, then back to present for analysis. Watch teacher revise a body paragraph for tense control. ORIGINAL (uncontrolled shifts): 'Ryan used the lullaby moment to show resilience. Esperanza arrives at the camp. She sang to the babies. This shows that she adapts.' Mixed tenses without control. REVISED (controlled): 'Ryan USES the lullaby moment to show resilience. When Esperanza ARRIVED at the camp, she LIFTED Pepe and SANG. This MOMENT REVEALS that Esperanza ADAPTS with grace.' Analysis = present (uses, moment reveals, adapts); plot = past (arrived, lifted, sang). The shift is controlled and purposeful. Now WORKS-CITED REFRESH from G5-fall. Two G5-spring entries continued from G4/G5-fall format. Ryan, Pam Munoz. Esperanza Rising. Scholastic, 2000. McKissack, Patricia. Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman? Scholastic, 1992. Alphabetize by author last name (McKissack before Ryan because M before R). Hanging indent in typed work (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).

• Notice: every analytical verb is present; every plot verb is past. The shift is purposeful, not accidental.

  model See narrative.

  prompt Teacher revises a paragraph for controlled literary-present vs. past-tense plot.

• When does a literary essay use present tense?
• When does it use past?
• What is hanging indent and where is it used?

M-5-S-GR-13-A Chart

11x17 chart: original paragraph on left with mixed tenses in red; revised paragraph on right with analytical verbs underlined green and plot verbs underlined blue. Rule strip at bottom: ANALYSIS = present; PLOT = past. Print-ready, dyslexic-friendly font.

• Audit YOUR full draft for tense control. Mark each verb: ANALYSIS (present) or PLOT (past). Flag any inappropriate shifts.

  scaffold Literary-present anchor card; verb-highlighter pencil
• Build/refresh works-cited list. At least 2 entries. Alphabetize. Italicize book titles.

  scaffold Works-cited template
• Pair-share. Partner audits for one paragraph. Partner asks: 'Are analytical verbs in present? Plot verbs in past?'

  scaffold Tense-audit sheet

M-5-S-WR-13-B Chart

11x17 chart: works-cited template with 3 worked entries (McKissack, Ryan, Woodson) alphabetized and with italicized book titles. Hanging indent shown for typed version. Print-ready.

• Show your tense-audit annotation on one paragraph (analytical verbs underlined green; plot verbs underlined blue).
• Show works-cited list with at least 2 alphabetized entries.
• Move status-tile to REVISE.

• Star one tense shift that's working well.
• Predict: tomorrow we revise with the 12 named moves.

• At home tonight, read your draft aloud one more time. Note any tense shift that feels off. Bring.