Use literary present for analysis and controlled past-tense shifts for plot summary (L.5.1.b-d review)

Apply the literary-analysis convention: PRESENT TENSE for analyzing what an author DOES ('The author uses ___ to show ___') AND PAST TENSE for plot summary ('When Esperanza arrived ___'). Control the shift purposefully — when analyzing, use present; when retelling plot, use past. Recognize inappropriate shifts (drifting between past and present mid-paragraph).

Mastery threshold

85%

Min instances

Typical minutes

Spaced intervals (days)

1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60

Prereqs

Successors

eng.g6.s.gr.tense_in_argumentation
(not yet loaded)

Common misconceptions

Uses past tense for analytical claims ('The author used metaphor to show resilience' — should be 'The author USES metaphor to show resilience' — literary present).
Drifts between past and present without controlling the shift; mid-paragraph tense changes confuse the reader.

Exercise pool (2)

Diff	Stem	Type
3	Fix 5 provided sentences for literary-analysis tense control. Mark each: ANALYSIS (should be present) or PLOT (should be past). Rewrite...	tense fix 5 sentences
4	Audit 1 paragraph of YOUR draft for tense control. Mark each verb: ANALYSIS = present (green underline) or PLOT = past (blue underline)....	tense audit paragraph