Why do people use present tense when they are quoting someone? [duplicate]
Solution 1:
Progressive is not a tense, it is an aspect. Whether you are writing in past tense or in present tense, the rules for choosing between progressive and non-progressive are essentially the same. Example:
- In summer 1684 the Brobdingnagian army was laying siege to the capital of Liliput [past progressive], when suddenly Count Gulliver swiftly appeared out of nowhere [simple past].
- In summer 1684 the Brobdingnagian army is laying siege to the capital of Liliput [present progressive], when suddenly Count Gulliver swiftly appears out of nowhere [simple present].