Final answer:
The past tense is used to describe past physical or mental states. It helps convey actions or states that occurred in the past and are no longer happening, ensuring clarity and consistency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tense that is typically used to describe a past physical or mental state is the past tense. When indicating an action or a state that occurred in the past and is no longer occurring, the past tense is the correct choice. This is evident when we talk about feelings or states of mind that have already been felt or experienced.
For example, the transition from 'feel' in the present to 'felt' in the past demonstrates this change in tense (e.g., 'I feel good now, but yesterday I felt pretty bad.').
In narrative writing, such as literacy narratives or memoirs, the most natural way to convey past experiences is often through the use of the past tense. This allows readers to understand that the events or states being described have already occurred.
For instance, 'His ordinary manner had vanished' is a clear example of past tense describing a mental state that is no longer present.
Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain verb tense consistency in writing. While you may need to shift tenses to reflect changes in time within a narrative, the governing tense should remain constant to avoid confusion.