Can i use present tense verbs in my narration which is in past

Question

Here i'm trying to explain something which happened in past to my friend

My narration in past: I stayed in an apartment before, it was/is a six floored building and it has/had a park nearby,And my neighbours are/were really good people,One of my neighbour name is/was Adam.

Even if we are talking in past if we know the state of the object (or) if it is unchanged still now from past to present can we use present verbs??

Answer 1

You could use present-tense verbs for the continuing conditions of things that you first mention in the past, but I wouldn’t bother unless there’s also something you want to communicate about the present condition of those people, places, or things. A common such difference is when you go back as a teen or adult to someplace you knew as a child. A six-floor apartment building might seem like a skyscraper to a young child and pretty shrimpy to that same person when they’re older. Another reason would be if you’re going to talk about staying in touch with Adam since that visit, or meeting him again later and not recognizing the more grown up person. Complicate your writing only when it makes a point.

Answer 2

I believe that your tenses should be the same, unless you are quoting someone was speaking about something that happened in the present. Even though the park and the floors are still the same, you experienced them in the past. Also, to me, the text reads more smoothly if you don't change tenses back and forth. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

One way to think of this: It often depends on what you know about the past vs. the present. Suppose the King of your country is currently alive and in power. You might say: "We visited the King's castle......he is a good person.". Keeping everything in the past can often be correct, but not necessarily the best.

"We visited the Smith's in New York. They were very nice." This would almost always be appropriate, since noone knows whether the Smith's are STILL nice---or even alive. This sentence also carries the connotation that they were nice to you, but you are not in a position to say if they are typically nice to other people.

Another thought problem:

"I just stopped by Walmart to buy some soap, and the checker was African-American." Someone might logically say: "I'll bet she still is"

Answer 4

You can still refer to those places and people in past tense. Since at one time the building had certain features (i.e. the park nearby, etc.) and you characterized your neighbors as "good people" at a period of time that you lived next to them, then you can use the past tense to describe that holistic experience. Part of a present tense narrative is relating your past to what is actually happening to you in the present. You can use the past tense, but make sure you are consistent when you do. Also, think about rephrasing if you find that switching between tenses is confusing.

For example, you could say, "My neighbors were good people. One of my neighbors, Adam..."

then you do not have to worry about the state of true "being" of Adam, but instead you can show reference to the past to describe "who" he was in terms of his state per your narrative. Hope that helps!