Use the right tense - Can you use the past tense when describing a person who is still alive?
- Which tense should you use when describing a person?
The answer to the first question is yes. You can say: "My father was always a
good role model for me when I was growing up." This doesn't mean that your
father is no longer alive; it just means that you are no longer growing up!
The answer to the second question is it depends. As we saw above, you can
use the past tense, but it would also be easy to add the present and/or future
tense: "My father was always kind to me when I was a child, and he still helps
me whenever I need something. I'm sure he will always be there for me."
