I learned simple present tense is used for universal truths or facts. If I'm telling the story in past tense, and I have to say a fact, should I use simple present tense?
Example:
They ran from the tiger. Tigers are (or were?) fast animals.
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You have to use the present because general truths are formulated using that tense; in this particular context of permanently valid truth, the use of the present tense is called STATE PRESENT.
timeless statements or eternal truths: proverbial, scientific, mathematical statements
- Honesty is the best policy.
- Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
- Two and three makes five.
Statements assimilated to timeless statements
1 not such an extreme of temporal universality: geographical statements and others of similar nature
- The Nile is the longest river in Africa.
- Tigers are fast animals.
2 restricted time span
- Margaret is tall.
(This answer is based on CoGEL, Quirk et al, 1985, § 4.5)
LPH
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Also, saying tigers were fast would hurt their feelings. – Yosef Baskin Mar 17 '22 at 19:19
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@YosefBaskin Not if they are an extinct species, and what's more, if there were not a single tiger left, the tense would be correct then! – LPH Mar 17 '22 at 20:23