In this task you are given a sentence. You must judge whether the main verb of the sentence is in present or past tense. Label the instances as "Present" or "Past" based on your judgment. If there is no verb in the given text, answer "Present".

[Q]: He stiffened his shoulders and began to back away, but the taunting inner demon rose up and whispered its warning.
[A]: Past


[Q]: she exclaimed before shaking our hands.
[A]: Past


[Q]: My finger caressed my precious gift in my pocket, and I felt tears prickle at the corners of my eyes.
[A]:
Past