Lesson Transcript

Hey everybody, welcome back to Ask Alisha, the weekly series where you ask me questions and I answer them. Maybe! Let's get to your first question this week.
First question this week comes from Jovi Chavez. Hi Jovi. Jovi says, "Hello Alisha, about storytelling. What is the best tense I should use when writing a novel, short story, or feature story? Because I usually notice authors tend to use past tense, mostly in novels. But others say it's better to use present tense because it's more powerful for readers. So I'm kind of torn. Thanks in advance. I enjoy watching you. Take care."
Good question. So, with storytelling, it's kind of tricky because, as you suggested, there's no perfect answer for every story. Right? For every story you want to tell, if it's a news story or a novel or a short story or a poem, maybe. Right, so there's no one perfect answer here.
But what you really need to think about is the reader's experience, right? What do you want the reader to feel? So, for example, a general kind of guide you can follow is that if you are reporting something like a news story, for example, just use past tense, right? So, you need to report the facts of a story. It's past tense generally when we watch the news on TV or on the internet, and it's generally past tense when we read articles written about the news. But you might have noticed that occasionally there are parts of the story that are written in present tense, right? It'll be simple present tense, something like a schedule maybe, and then there'll be a part that's like a progressive tense section as well.
So, there are some choices that writers make to choose a different feel, just for a moment in the story. We do this a lot in just everyday, very casual storytelling in our speech, and this also kind of goes into our writing as well. If there's a moment that you really want the reader to feel, like you want them to feel a moment of action, for example, or like they're really in the moment in that story, feeling something that the character is feeling in the story, the writer might choose to shift to a present tense grammar structure. They do this because it sounds like it's happening right now. When we use past tense, it tends to feel like just a report of something that happened. When we use that present tense grammar structure, we can create a feeling of something happening right now.
So, this is the reason that you might notice that there tend to be a few different tenses that we use generally for storytelling. But generally, yeah, we choose to focus mainly on a past tense way of telling the story or, in some cases, a present tense way of telling the story. You might see, for example, something called "choose your own adventure" stories. If you have read any kind of English book that's intended for young people, usually like teenagers, you might see a lot of those "choose your own adventure" stories, which are books where you can change the storyline depending on which page you turn to. You have to make decisions as a reader. Those books are usually written in a present tense grammar structure because they want the reader to feel that they are experiencing the story and making decisions for themselves that change the story.
So that's an example, an extreme example, of when we might use a present tense grammar structure to tell the story. But generally, I would say, when I read novels and when I read, of course, news articles, short stories, essays, and so on, they tend to use more past tense, and then there are moments of present tense here and there just to maybe emphasize certain parts of the story.
So, there's not a perfect answer, "always use this tense for this situation." It's more about, like what I said at the beginning, thinking about what you want your reader to feel. So, I hope that this answers your question. I hope that this gives you a guide to think about as you continue in your writing. Thanks very much for this interesting question, and good luck with your storytelling.
Okay, let's move on to your next question. The next question comes from Shoko. Hi Shoko.
Shoko says, "I want to know the difference between 'how about you' and 'what about you?' And the difference between 'how do you think' and 'what do you think?' How should I use them?"
Okay, so 'how about you' and 'what about you?' Let's start there.
We tend to use 'how about you' and 'what about you' a lot in situations like self-introductions. For example, "This is what I do for work. What about you?" or "How about you?" So, at a surface level, during self-introduction situations where the conversation topic is very clear, you can use 'how about you' and 'what about you' in a similar way. But in deeper conversations, 'how about you' and 'what about you' can have different feels.
For instance, in a business meeting, if you say "how about you?" it can sound kind of unnatural. It feels like a very surface-level question. On the other hand, "what about you?" seems to invite the other person to share more in-depth opinions. To me, 'what about you?' feels like it's inviting more depth than 'how about you.' However, your connection with your coworkers, friends, or teammates might influence how you perceive or use these phrases.
Now, on to the next part of your question: the difference between 'how do you think' and 'what do you think?'
First, 'how do you think' is not commonly used as a standalone question. We might say, "How do you think we could solve this?" or "How do you think I should approach this situation?" But if you're asking for someone's opinion, "What do you think?" is the correct phrasing. For example, regarding dinner plans, you'd ask "What do you think?" not "How do you think?" So, to clarify, use 'how do you think' at the beginning of a more specific question, and 'what do you think' when directly asking for someone's opinion.
In summary, 'how about you' and 'what about you' are very similar, but 'what about you' tends to invite a deeper response. When asking for opinions, 'what do you think' is the correct choice, while 'how do you think' should be the start of a longer, more specific question.
Thank you for sending in this question, Shoko. I hope I've answered it.
But let's move on to our next question. The next question comes from Roman Matovski. Hi, Roman.
Roman asks, "When do I have to use 'bear' and when do I have to use 'have'?" It's an interesting question.
When contrasting 'bear' versus 'have', 'bear' might be a new verb for some people. 'Bear' (B-E-A-R) has the same spelling as the large creature that lives in the forest. However, when used as a verb, 'to bear' something typically means to carry something, often very heavy, or to shoulder something emotionally heavy. It embodies a sense of weight. For instance, bearing a burden that is tough to carry, whether emotionally or physically.
When we say someone 'bears' something, it often refers to something significant, like a physical object of great importance or value. An example is the term "ring bearer", commonly used in modern weddings to denote the person responsible for carrying the rings. These rings, being of symbolic importance, are said to be "borne" by this individual.
We also use 'bear' in the context of emotions, typically referring to negative or challenging sentiments such as grief, stress, or responsibility. An example would be, "She bears the grief of her husband's passing." Here, 'grief' is the emotion that she carries with her, associated with sadness and loss. 'Bear' often communicates a sense of enduring something challenging or weighty.
Contrastingly, 'have' is a more generic verb and doesn't always imply carrying. We use it to describe possession of everyday objects. For instance, you'd say, "I have my smartphone in my hand," not "I bear my smartphone," which would bestow undue significance on a mundane item. Using 'bear' in such a context would sound overly dramatic, whereas 'have' is more appropriate for everyday items and possessions.
To summarize, we use 'bear' for carrying physically heavy items, items of importance, or emotionally challenging states. It's often seen in poetic or creative expressions. On the other hand, 'have' is more general, signifying possession or ownership.
I hope this provides a clear distinction between the uses of 'bear' and 'have'. Thank you, Roman, for such an intriguing question. That wraps up what I have for this week. As always, I appreciate your insightful questions. Thank you for tuning into this episode of 'Ask Alisha'. I look forward to our next session. Bye.

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