Grammar help! Elementary grammar....?

Both are correct. It entirely depends on whether or not you are speaking in the present tense, past tense, or merely making a declarative statement. If you are giving a prediction you are making presently or made in the past, but you are referencing events presently happening, you can say, "It looks like my prediction is not that far off."

However, if you are discussing a prediction you made in the past in reference to events that happened in the past or at least started in the past, then you could say, "It looks like my prediction was not that far off." Also, even if it is regarding events related to your prediction that are only coming to pass right now in the present, if you want to highlight that you predicted this before, in the past, you could also say, "It looks like my prediction was not that far off." While it's going on now, you are pointing out that you told them BEFORE all this happened.

Finally, the present indicative can be used to declare the general state or quality of things. If you have a prediction that exists, no matter when it was made, it exists now, AND if have an event, no matter when it happened, it exists now as on object or idea that relates to the prediction as being "not far off," then you can make use the present indicative to describe the nature of "my prediction" as "not that far off" using the present indicative "is" in a declarative statement that speaks to the general condition of your prediction: "...my prediction is not that far off.

It looks like . . .

" is in the present tense, so I would say "my prediction is . . .", because it still IS your prediction, isn't it?

It has not ceased to exist just because whatever it was predicting has actually come to pass. You could probably argue that "my prediction was . .

." is OK, because it was made at some past time. I think that you have to differentiate between the ACT of making the prediction, and the prediction itself. So you could say "It is nearly what I predicted " - past tense, because this refers to the act of prediction, but "my prediction is not far off" is talking about the prediction itself, which still exists.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.