Tutor profile: Elizabeth J.

Using French, what verb tense would you use to describe non-action-related events in the past in a story?

I would use the imperfect to describe events that are not related to the action of the story and that occurred in the past, like setting the scene.

What are some ways to distinguish characters in a story that you are writing to make them unique from your other characters?

There are several ways to create unique characters that are easily distinguishable in a story, especially before even putting pen to paper. One of the best ways is to give each character their own unique backstory and set of goals so that their intentions and interests are clear and can be consistent throughout a story. Another is to give each character differing backgrounds, such as socioeconomic class, gender, appearance, etc.

What are a few different ways to ask a question in English? Please give an example of each type of question that you mention in your answer.

One way to ask a question is to use question words such as "why" or "how," which clearly signal that a phrase is interrogative. For example: "Why are you running inside the office building?" Another way to ask a question is to make a statement and then ask for affirmation at the end with the word "yes." For example: "You like chocolate with your strawberries, yes?" Finally, a third way to ask a question in spoken language is to use inflection of one's voice by heightening one's pitch at the end of a statement. For example, if I were to say, "You want to go?" I would use a higher pitch at the end of the phrase on the word "go" to indicate that I am asking a question rather than simply making a statement.