For composition, how do I avoid grammar mistakes and check for tenses? Also, what tense do you recommend for writing any story?

What tense should I write my story in?

Write your story in the simple past tense (e.g. walked, saw, was, ran). Almost all narrative compositions are told this way because the events have already happened. Stay in past tense from start to finish.

There are three exceptions where switching tense is correct:

• Dialogue: Speech inside quotation marks uses whatever tense the speaker would naturally use. "I am so scared," Mei Ling whispered. The speech is present tense, but the narration around it stays in past tense.
• Flashbacks: For something that happened before the main events, use the past perfect (had + past participle). I had forgotten my keys that morning, so I was locked out.
• Ongoing actions: Use the past continuous for something happening when another action interrupted it. I was walking home when I heard a scream.

How do I check my tenses?

Read your composition one paragraph at a time and focus on the verbs. For each verb, ask whether the action has already happened. If it has, the verb should be in past tense, unless it's inside dialogue or a flashback.

Watch for tense "slips," which often happen during exciting moments:

• ❌ I ran to the door and open it.
• ✅ I ran to the door and opened it.

Common grammar mistakes to look out for

• Irregular verbs: catch → caught, bring → brought, teach → taught, drive → drove
• After "did" or "didn't," use the base verb: She didn't knew ❌ → She didn't know ✅
• Subject-verb agreement: Each of the boys were ❌ → Each of the boys was ✅. Everyone was is correct.
• Run-on sentences: Don't join two complete sentences with just a comma. It was late, we rushed home ❌ → It was late, so we rushed home ✅
• Wrong words: then/than, lose/loose, their/there/they're, affect/effect

Tips to avoid mistakes in the first place

• Write sentences you're confident about. A clear, correct sentence scores better than a fancy one with errors.
• Plan your story before writing (about 5 minutes) so you can concentrate on language rather than working out the plot as you go.
• Keep a mental list of the grammar mistakes you tend to make, and check for those specifically.

With English Paper 1 happening tomorrow, focus tonight on reviewing your common errors and having a good night's rest. All the best!