Does the subject of sentence dictate verb tense?

Answer 1

I wouldn't say that the subject dictates the verb tense, but the verb must agree in number with the subject. I would say that the writer dictates the tense.

ALSO

What you are writing about dictates the verb tense.

If you are writing about something that happened in the past and is now finished then you would use past simple:

I ran to school.

If you are writing about something you do again and again ( a habit ) then you would use present simple:

I run to school.

If you are writing about something that happened for a length of time in the past you could use past continuous:

I was running to school.

And if something else happened while you were running to school you would use past simple:

I was running to school and I saw a car crash.

Notice all these sentences have the same subject "I".

Answer 2

Yes, the subject of a sentence helps determine the correct verb tense to use. In English, the verb tense needs to agree with the subject, whether it's in past, present, or future form. Adapting the verb tense correctly ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning.