Present Tenses for Narration

Present simple makes stories vivid.

Examples

• So I walk in and he says hello.

Key rules

• Present simple can narrate past events for effect (So I walk in and he says hello)
• Common in jokes, anecdotes and sports commentary
• Also in headlines and plots of films and books
• Time markers can be dropped

Common mistakes

• Then I am walking in → Then I walk in
• He says and then he said → He says and then he walks