Narrative tense
The tense system used in narration, most commonly past tense (third-person narrative) or present tense (immediate narration), creating different temporal relationships between narrator and events.
Real World
Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' uses present tense and close third person to place readers inside Thomas Cromwell's decisions as they unfold, creating tension because neither character nor reader can foresee outcomes.
Exam Focus
Always link tense to narrator knowledge and reader experience — examiners expect you to explain how tense constructs temporal distance or urgency, not just name it.
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