This is because stories were traditionally told using the past tense. This made the narrator sound as if they were narrating events from a distance, instead of being 'present' amongst the action.

The past tense is used for things that have already happened. He was sticky. The present tense is used when something is happening now or when something happens regularly. He is sticky.

Present tense should still be used even if the research you ... In the methods section one would use past tense due to what they have done was in the past. It has been debated whether one should use ...

Perhaps for this reason, such critical thinking about music is sometimes perceived as difficult. Understanding Music: Past and Present creates a roadmap from some of the earliest known origins of ...