This month we’re starting a new feature in the “Ask An Editor” column at Romance University. We’ll continue to answer your questions as they come in. (The address for questions is askaneditor@romanceuniversity.org .)
Present Tense
Definition: Present tense verbs indicate that action is taking place right now.
Example: The baby sleeps through the night.
We’re not talking about last night or tomorrow night. We’re talking about this night right now.
Literary Present: Here’s where things get interesting. Literary convention says that the “now” of the story is related with past tense verbs. In other words,
In life: Present time = present tense
In books: Present time = past tense
So how do fiction writers use the present tense? When is it appropriate? (We’re not talking about fiction that experiments with tense or deconstructs the convention. We’re talking about typical books.) You can safely use present tense in dialogue. You can also use it in italicized interior monologue, but with a light touch, please. You can, with some clever phrasing and very careful writing, use it in non-italicized interior monologue, but it’s not an easy thing to pull off. Use extreme caution.
Common error: Using a present tense contraction. “That’s when she realized the baby was sleeping.” (That’s = That is)
Past Tense
Definition: Past tense verbs indicate that the action took place in the past.
Example: The baby slept through the night.
Literary Past: As we’ve already mentioned, in fiction, the past is the present. The vast bulk of your story should be written in the simple past tense. Any time you stray from the simple past tense, stop and ask why. Why are you shifting out of the scene moment? Staying in scene is a good thing. Try to do it. J
Common Error: Sticking to the simple past when the time sequencing doesn’t permit it. “The baby slept through tomorrow night.” The simple past should be your default, but it’s not foolproof.
Future Tense
Definition: Future tense verbs indicate something that will happen in the future.
Example: The baby will sleep through the night.
Literary future: If the past is the present, then when does the future arrive? That sounds like a philosophy riddle. Rather than meditating on this one, let’s just remember the general rule that the simple future tense is safe to use in dialogue when the characters are discussing things which might happen in future scenes. As with the present tense, infrequent uses of the future tense in italicized interior monologue will be okay, too. Most other uses will sound awkward.
As with all general rules, there are exceptions. But please do flag any outside-the-quotation-marks usages of future tense and scrutinize them carefully.
Common error: Using the future tense in action sentences to impart a casual or conversational feel. “Marie poured a large cup of coffee before heading into her morning meeting. She’ll feel a lot better if the baby will sleep through the night.” (Second sentence is future tense. See how awkward that is?)
Present Perfect Tense
Now comes the tricky part. Perfect tenses can give even the best writers a migraine.
Definition: The present perfect tense connects the present and the past, but sometimes those connections are indefinite or intangible.
Example: The baby has slept through the night for some time now. (It happened on past nights. It happens on the current night. We connect those past nights with the present night in a single verb, “has slept.”)
We’re not going to worry about defining the three specific usages of the present perfect tense, though, because–
Literary Present Perfect: Almost never occurs outside of dialogue. Even interior monologue, whether italicized or non-italicized, will almost always be less awkward in past perfect than in present perfect.
Why is this? Well, if you think the “future of the past” question sounded like an unsolveable zen koan, try this one. If the literary present is expressed in past tense, and if you want a verb tense to connect that literary past tense to the past of that literary past, how can you do that in present terms? Is it even possible to connect the past to the past in the present?
Confused? You should be. It’s awkward and non-intuitive to try to shoehorn this tense into a typical story. So if you can’t wrap your mind around all this riddle stuff, just remember the general rule: In fiction, the present progressive almost never occurs outside of dialogue. Forget about the present perfect and stick with progressive conjugations for ongoing actions (“has been sleeping”) or the past perfect for completed action (“had slept”).
Common error: Using this tense in a present participial phrase. “Mary often found herself wondering if her baby has slept through the night.” I think the -ing participle throws people off tense sometimes.
Past Perfect Tense
Definition: The past perfect tense indicates an action completed in the past before some other past action or event. (The past of the past is the past perfect.)
Example: The baby had slept through the night.
Literary Past Perfect: Indicates actions or events that precede the current scene. The “now” of the story is told in past tense. Anything that happens before that “now” story moment will generally need the past perfect tense — the dreaded had.
Have you been warned not tooveruse the word had? This might mean that you’re slipping out of the scene “now” and using too many past perfect moments. Try to stay in scene. It’s a good thing. J
Common error: Using past perfect to describe sequential events in the current scene. “Mary had heard the baby crying and she got out of bed.” Hearing comes before getting up, but you’re in linear scene time, so no past perfect usage is necessary.
Future Perfect Tense
Definition: The future perfect tense indicates a future action or event that will be completed before some other future action or event.
Example: By the time he’s in kindergarten, the baby will have slept through the night. (The baby has not yet slept through the night. In the future, the baby will be in kindergarten. Before that future scholastic event, another future event — sleeping through the night — will be a done deal.) (Yes, the adverbial clause contains a present tense verb that snuck in via a conjuction. Good on you for spotting it!)
Literary Future Perfect: Follows basically the same rules as defined above. Does this surprise you? Think of it this way. The future happens after the past and after the present. Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the real past or the literary “now.”
Common error: Substituting the future tense for the future perfect. “By the time he was in kindergarten, the baby will sleep through the night.”
Congratulations to all of you who have managed to read this far. Ask your questions in the comments, and everyone who comments will be entered in a drawing to win a download of Nathalie Gray’s steampunk novel, “Full Steam Ahead,” where the past and the present mingle freely in that way familiar to fans of the subgenre.
* * *
A huge thanks to Theresa for providing such an amazing resource on verb tense! This lecture is going in my keeper file.
Join us on Monday when Tracey chats with author Marjorie Liu about her new romance-themed video game.
Theresa’s Bio:
After earning degrees in creative writing and law, Theresa Stevens worked as a literary attorney agent for a boutique firm based in Indianapolis where she represented a range of fiction and nonfiction authors. The lure of the courtroom led to a nine-year hiatus from the publishing industry, but now Theresa is back as Managing Editor for Red Sage Publishing, a highly acclaimed small press. Her articles on writing and editing have appeared in numerous publications for writers. Visit her blog at http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/ where she and her co-blogger share their knowledge and hardly ever argue about punctuation.
Similar Posts:
- Ask An Editor: Problem With Tense?
- Wandering body parts, oh my!
- Ask an Editor: Passive and Literary Writing
- Ask an Editor: Two Types of Action
- Theresa Stevens On Habits and Processes
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for this in depth look at verb tenses. You know how much I love this topic. LOL
I’m off to read your post again and again and again!
Tracey
Posted by TraceyDevlyn | April 16, 2010, 5:36 amLOL! Don’t worry too much about your verbs. You’re better than you realize.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:03 amHi, Theresa. Fantastic post. This one went right into the “Grammar” file.
Thanks for the examples, too!
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | April 16, 2010, 7:33 amThanks for suggesting this! I really like the idea of addressing common questions this way. We might be able to help a lot of writers.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:04 amMorning Theresa!!
Wow. I’m going to have to print that off and study it. A lot of valuable information in there. Unfortunately the way I write appears to be mostly listed under your common errors. =)
I’m with Tracey, off to read the post again!
Thanks for the great info!
carrie
Posted by Carrie | April 16, 2010, 7:34 amCarrie, congrats on joining the RU team! You’re in great company with these ladies!
You know, the great thing about these little common errors is that, once you know how to spot them, you’re probably close to a permanent cure. They’ll still slip in from time to time, but you’ll know what to look for and how to fix them.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:07 amThanks Theresa! It’s nice to know there’s a cure! =)
And you are so right – great group of ladies!
Thanks!
carrie
Posted by Carrie | April 16, 2010, 2:13 pmGood explanation of the perfect tenses.
What do you think about authors using the simple past tense instead of progressive tenses for ongoing or interrupted action? For example, “She still tried to get in” vs. “She was still trying to get in”?
Posted by Deborah | April 16, 2010, 9:04 amDeborah, that’s a great question. The answer depends in part on the context. If there’s a companion action in the sentence, and if you’re trying to signal a temporal relationship between the two actions, you might need the past progressive.
For example:
She was still trying to get in when the locksmith arrived.
There are two actions, her trying and the locksmith’s arriving. The adverb “when” is a big flag that signals a time connection between between the two events. The events span different time periods — one (trying) is of much longer duration than the other (arriving). So using the present progressive clarifies the timeline.
We sometimes describe this as, “One event is ongoing when the other occurs.” That’s an easy way to shorthand the dynamic. If your sentence reads in that sequence, you’re good with the progressive. So let’s check our sample:
One event (trying) is ongoing (check, it happens over a span of time) when (check, we even use this exact adverb) the other event (arriving) occurs (check, it’s a single occurrence).
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:15 amWow! This actually makes sense the way you explain it! I’m definitely saving this.
My question relates to interior monologue. When do you use italicized interior monologue and when do you use non-italicized interior monologue? And how does that relate to which verb tenses are appropriate in each?
Thanks!
Sally
Posted by Sally Bayless | April 16, 2010, 9:07 amGreat question, Sally, and yes, the italics and the verb tenses often go together.
My general rule, and the rule in Red Sage’s style guide, is that interior monologue in the present tense is italicized. If it’s in the past tense, it’s not italicized.
Some houses and style conventions will allow for the use of italics with interior monologue in the past tense. And that’s fine — this is one of those style points where reasonable minds can disagree. My only caution is that you want to use a light touch with this kind of typography. In nonfiction, such as this blog post, typography (bold headers, italicized introductions) can help the reader track and absorb the information. But in fiction, it can disrupt the fictive dream state we all work so hard to create for our readers. I call it bling, and like a beautiful woman wearing too much jewelry, it can make our eyes a little uneasy.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:26 amThanks, Theresa!
Sally
Posted by Sally Bayless | April 16, 2010, 10:39 amThis is so good to hear. I’ve had a lot of comments from people telling me that my past tense interior monologue is “direct thought” and has to be italicized. Sigh.
Posted by Jordan | April 16, 2010, 2:16 pm
Posted by Donnell | April 16, 2010, 9:14 amDonnell, I promise that you can get the hang of this. It can be confusing, but it gets easier with practice.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:28 amI’ll be printing this off to keep close at hand. Excellent post. A definite keeper because, seriously, who can remember all that while focusing on plot and characters?
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | April 16, 2010, 9:20 amI know, right! This is why we edit.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:41 amHi Theresa!
Oh-kay, I took a fist full of aspirin after reading this post TWICE (I love that btw). And now that the pain in my head has gone from a roar – to a dull ache – I can function again.
And I’m thinking. If a typical narrative is written in past tense and character dialogue is written in present tense – what is the benefit and/or detriment to write narrative in present tense too.
One thing that occurred to me is that fiction writing requires a reader to suspend belief and if you write in present tense wouldn’t this require an extra amount of suspension to carry the believability factor of your story – as the events are unfolding in the now?
Hmm…I’m also thinking that stories that are written in the present tense narrative work better as movies somehow. I’m thinking Fight Club along with some others (mostly English films come to mind- like Hot Fuzz) Gee, I kind of felt that Time Travelers Wife worked better as a movie too.
Any way, after reading your post I’m thinking that the narrative/writing should be seamless and invisible to the reader experience and when it’s interrupted by the present tense intrusion – it diminishes the suspension of belief in the story.
So, as you can see, I found a detriment easily – but so far – I haven’t found a great benefit. Maybe I’m just old fashioned.
That’s just my .02. Great post!
Murphy
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 10:07 amMurphy, I think the past tense convention is a hangover from the novel’s origins as a fictive epistolary. (Pamela, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, etc., were all novels told as a series of “discovered” letters. “Dear Reader, I found these letters in the attic, and hoo damn, are they interesting! Check ‘em out!”)
Have you read Bright Lights, Big City? It was told in second person present tense. You can’t help admire the author for pulling it off. I didn’t much like the story, but his execution was impeccable.
Dialogue doesn’t *have* to be in present tense. You just have more leeway in dialogue to use a variety of tenses.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:39 amNo, I haven’t read that book. Second person – present tense? Interesting. Of course, I’d be inclined to give an author props for treatment and execution even if I did have to wonder if this made their particular story better for being written this way. I mean, would I be impressed with the method more than the context and body of the piece? I don’t know. I’d probably handle it better if the story started and finished this way – as opposed to having present tense left over after a run of dialogue.
Murphy (who’s going to chew some more aspirin
).
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 4:49 pmThe language/grammar geek in me enjoyed your wisdom, Theresa.
The writer in me despaired of the errors I’ve made…thank goodness for you and my critique partners who keep me on the straight and narrow.
Posted by Chris Foutris | April 16, 2010, 10:27 amBonjour, Chris! I can’t help but believe that your facility with languages will give you an edge in the technical aspects of writing, though.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 10:41 amToo true…but sometimes it crosses me up with what’s “normal” in today’s fiction and what’s correct grammatically.
…and don’t get me started about the need to prune out my insistence on using “that” in my writing.
“Il dit qu’elle est parfaite.” doesn’t do as well in English….so…the key is SHOW not tell and use direct dialogue…”She’s perfect!”
Posted by Chris Foutris | April 16, 2010, 10:52 amI know! I want those “that” words, too. English isn’t the easy language to learn that everyone seems to think. Not when you learn it as an adult.
*notice my use of “that”… *evil grin*
Thank you, Theresa, for saying my Full Steam Ahead is a fun book. And somday, we’ll have to share the goodness about the pirate insults, eh.
Bonne chance tout le monde!
Posted by Nat | April 16, 2010, 12:01 pmHow do you think they’ll translate Steampunk into French?
Yup, just showing my geekiness!
Merci, et bonne chance à toi, Nathalie!
Posted by Chris Foutris | April 16, 2010, 12:15 pmDude, that would be MESSY.
Literally, it’d be something like “punkvapeur” although it doesn’t sound half as cool as the English version.
Posted by Nat | April 16, 2010, 12:18 pmI like that…will pass it on to my fellow francophiles.
Posted by Chris Foutris | April 16, 2010, 12:22 pmIt’s not even easy for those of us born speaking it. Et vraiment, Nathalie, tu parle l’anglais avec la grâce et la puissance. Ce’st mieux que mon français!
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 12:28 pmI’m currently editing a friend’s book and am taking her to task for overusing literary past perfect. HAD HAD HAD! Urrrrrgh!
*I’m also commenting because I really want the steampunk book. Why lie? Lol
Posted by Ian | April 16, 2010, 11:10 am
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 11:22 amOuch. I may have to re-edit my edits LOL. Trying hard to write too many books. One spans a 22 year time span. But I don’t get the had had had comment from earlier poster.
Don’t you need had to write in the past? I’m the first to admit, I am having more trouble absorbing this than some (like, say, MURPHY
) and need clarifiers. I’ve already added it to my favorites under grammar. Yes, I really do have a grammar favorites. Right now, they are all either edittorent in origin, or suggested by them.
I think I need to re-read all of them. Sigh.
Editor: Am I going mad, or did the word “think” escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass.
Writer: I’ll never survive.
Editor: Nonsense, you’re only saying that because no one ever has.
Yeah, I cut and spliced here, but that’s about how I feel every time I read one of their grammar posts.
*groan *sigh
Back to the 200 page manuscript to edit before mailing GRRR
Thanks Theresa!
Posted by Leona Bushman | April 16, 2010, 11:52 amLeona, you will survive! Your editor sounds as though she’s very crabby. Give her a cookie and let her take a nap so you can get some work done.
Past and past perfect are two separate tenses. The past perfect (with “had”) signals something even earlier in time than the past. So the timeline for verb tenses would be something like:
past perfect –> past –> present –> future perfect –> future
In ordinary communication, we stick in the center with the present tense for the most part. (Note that most of this comment is in the present tense.) But in fiction writing, we shift our center back one step. It skews the verb tense progression and leads to lots of little errors, most of which are easy to avoid once you get the hang of it.
You can use past perfect for backstory, for example, as long as it’s in tiny snips. If you have a big block of backstory, there are other ways to handle it so that the hads don’t mount up.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 12:37 pm
Posted by Kathy Crouch | April 16, 2010, 11:53 amLOL. I think most of us feel that way!
Posted by AdrienneGiordano | April 16, 2010, 12:08 pmI know. I’m sorry. It’s hard to confront verb tenses first thing in the morning.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 12:30 pmI really wish I’d paid more attention in high school English! I’ve dreamed about telling Mrs. Skolnick I was working to become a published author, and her laughing so hard she collapsed to the ground at my feet. And I swear I’d never heard the word predicate until my oldest daughter (now 18) brought home an elementary school assignment where we had to pick them out of a sentance. Thank heavens for Google! (I’m guessing you can identify a couple of tense issues…..and I tried so hard!)
Posted by Wendy Marcus | April 16, 2010, 12:37 pmNext time Mrs. Skolnick pops into your dreams, you can tell her that she wouldn’t have taught you what you need to know to write fiction. So there!
But really, it’s okay not to know everything about grammar. You only need to know the things that help you write an authentic-sounding book. Verb tenses help readers track the action, so they’re important, but I seriously doubt too many readers are picking apart your predicates. (Well, I might, but I’m weird that way. Just ignore me, lol)
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 12:45 pmTruly, Theresa, although their English may be better than your French, your French is just fine.
I am fluent in reading French! I have a minute problem recalling it all on my own, however.
But I’m fascinated to learn that you are quite literate in French 
Posted by Leona Bushman | April 16, 2010, 12:38 pmNice article, Theresa. May I ask about one you didn’t cover? Past progressive – are those bad words? How should I respond to a critique partner who says ‘she was running’ is a passive construction (you know, that dreaded ‘was’)?
Thanks!
P.S. I didn’t ruin my chances in the drawing by bringing this up, did I?
Posted by Dave Shaw | April 16, 2010, 12:48 pmYou’re going to make me cry. lol People latch on to these pithy little rules (“Avoid was! It’s passive!”) and don’t always know the reason for the rule.
You can’t create a progressive tense without a modal auxiliary. In fact, anyone who avoids progressive tenses because of the modal is probably building errors into the text. I think your response has to be, “This is a legitimate use of the past progressive tense.” You might try to educate her because that will make her a better partner in your progress. But understand that she’s probably going to argue with you about it. (Ask me how I know. Wanna see my battle scars?
)
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 1:18 pmOMG, Theresa. I’m not even going to ask about the modal whatsicallits for fear my head truly will explode!
Can I just say I’m supposed to be on a reading deprivation program this week and get a pass? Seriously, I’m going to read this post several times. I was raving to my husband about what great stuff this was. And being an engineer, he rolled his eyes at me. Or maybe they were just rolling back in his sleep – LOL.
Happy Friday!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | April 16, 2010, 1:39 pmKelsey, did you learn about “linking verbs” in school? That’s the kid name for modal auxiliaries. You know, if the tiny verb (was, can, might, had) “links” to another verb (was walking, can walk, might walk, had walked), then you treat the two words together as a single verb.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 2:13 pmThanks, Theresa! Now I have something to point at during the next discussion, to demonstrate that someone who knows what she’s talking about says I’m not completely wrong.
Posted by Dave Shaw | April 16, 2010, 1:55 pmJust putting in two more cents…what a great bunch of posts today…Theresa, you’re one of the best… even though the day is only half over, thanks for sharing your expertise and time. Merci.
Posted by Chris Foutris | April 16, 2010, 12:57 pmHi Theresa,
Great stuff here! Thanks to the RU Ladies for having you do this!
I’ll admit that one “common error” threw me.
I thought that *technically* a contraction like ‘that’s’ could also stand for ‘that was’. (I’m fairly certain I looked this up at one point in time.) I usually avoid it, just because *reads* like present tense, but I thought it wasn’t always incorrect. Yes/no?
Thanks!
Jami G.
Posted by Jami G | April 16, 2010, 4:02 pmNo, sorry. After I read your comment, I did a quick check of my sources, and none of them allow “that was” to be contracted to “that’s.” If you have authority that allows it, though, I would like to see it. Do you remember where you might have seen it? I’m very curious now.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 4:11 pmHa! Right. Nope, sorry, I can’t remember, as this was probably from a year ago.
It seems like it was a grammar book that listed all the contractions and the words that could result in that contraction:
– she’d (she had, she would)
etc…
Not to worry. I’m sure you’re right. After all, the other way *does* sound wrong.
Posted by Jami G | April 16, 2010, 4:36 pmJami, if you ever happen to stumble across that, send it my way, okay?
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 4:41 pmWill do… But promise not to lose sleep over it, okay?
Posted by Jami G | April 16, 2010, 4:53 pmBut promise not to lose sleep over it? Ha! We all know who’ll be losing sleep over it and it ain’t T! Sheesh! JG? You got a set of big ones!
I confidently put down this snarky comment as I’m sure you’re currently too busy with your research and won’t see it until tomorrow. LOL!
Murphy
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 5:14 pmWell, Murphy, there’s your problem. You’re not supposed to chew aspirin like a dog to bone, you’re supposed to swallow them. Although, after reading this post, I was seriously tempted to chew on some myself.
Jami, I can’t find any one else who references it that way. Maybe they were wrong??
*timidly inserts opinion since actually clueless
Posted by Leona Bushman | April 16, 2010, 4:54 pmLeona,
Chewing on aspirin gets it into the bloodstream quicker. Also, the taste is so horrific that it distracts you from the less offensive problem you had before you started. Don’t tell anyone. It will be our little secret.
Murphy
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 5:20 pmLeona,
I think you’re right, actually.
I think the reference was wrong.
Murphy,
Nope, I ‘m not going to lose sleep over it. The person in charge of editing that reference might have lost sleep over it after discovering their mistake.
But not me.
Posted by Jami G | April 16, 2010, 5:48 pmAs the go-to person for my friends and a lot of fellow writers, I have a question.
When I read “When did he find the answer?” I see past tense, not future. I correct it with “When could he find the answer?” or “When would he find the answer?” Am, I right?
A lot of writers are afraid to use future tenses.
Posted by Mary Marvella | April 16, 2010, 6:46 pmI’m not sure I understand the question perfectly, but that’s never stopped me from trying to answer before.
“Could” and “would” both signal the conditional mood. It’s not a tense — tenses indicate time of occurrence. Verb moods indicate a degree of probability or a state of reality. Verbs have both mood and tense. (Pass the aspirin, right?)
So, the verb, “he did find” is in the past tense, but it’s also in the indicative mood. Changing “did” to “would” won’t affect the tense, but it shifts the verb to the conditional mood.
He did find — past tense, indicative mood
Did he find — past tense, interrogative mood
He could/would find — past tense, conditional mood
(There’s also an imperative mood for commands, usually in present tense. “Pick up your socks!”)
So, to change the your verb tense (from past to future) without changing the mood (interrogative), you would need to change this:
Did he find…?
to this:
Will he find…?
I worry I’m misreading your question, though. Please ask any follow-ups if this isn’t what you were looking for.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 7:06 pmWait. “He could/would find” is present tense. Not past tense. But still conditional mood. Sorry about that. The past conditional would be, “He could/would have found.” My bad.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 7:10 pmHoly crapatola! This pushes me beyond plain old aspirin. Can someone pass me a dirty martini, please? Um, on second thought, can you make it two, and then I won’t care what the hell you just said. Sheesh! Was that English?
Murphy *insert head shake here*
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 7:31 pmKinda, sorta. I aught his stuff more than 20 years ago! The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
No way will I give my CPs your answer. If I start talking moods, they will hit me. Too complicated for most people. (FRAGMENT ALERT!)
I should have used will instead of could or would as examples.
When they say ‘When did he find the answers?” they mean “When will he find the answers?”
Posted by Mary Marvella | April 16, 2010, 7:34 pm” OOPS! taught tis stuff” I’m a bad typist!
Posted by Mary Marvella | April 16, 2010, 7:45 pmThank you for all the great information. It’s been many years since I’ve had a class in grammar and tenses. I’ve joined the rest and printed out your great advice.
Posted by Paisley Kirkpatrick | April 16, 2010, 6:59 pmMy ear is reasonably good and keeps me out of most trouble, this reference can help with questions, but if I tried to think about this consciously while I wrote, I’d get even less done every day than I already do.
Seriously, I’m glad to have this great reference. I’m also glad I’m not an English teacher at this point.
Posted by Kelle Z. Riley | April 16, 2010, 8:02 pmHi, Kelle! A good ear for language is a wonderful tool. People can run into trouble when they develop ear from dialect or too-casual speech patterns, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you. I’ve heard you speak often enough to know your not a victim of weak ear.
So much of this grammar stuff can be safely ignored after your ear is developed. But if your ear isn’t quite up to standards, that’s when you have to start diving into the grammar books.
I’m amazed by the response to this post. I thought it would send people right into a coma.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 8:44 pm–>you’re not a victim.
Sheesh. Editor, edit thyself. And someone pass the martinis! Clearly, my brain is done for the day.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 16, 2010, 8:46 pmTheresa says:I’m amazed by the response to this post. I thought it would send people right into a coma.
Murphy says: Hey, I’m working on the coma. Aspirin and dirty martinis? At this point, my liver is ducking for cover.
Murphy
Posted by Murphy | April 16, 2010, 8:52 pmMurphy and other headache-prone people,
The aspirins and dirty martinis are the wrong choice for headaches brought on by grammar and syntax discussions. Any computer programmer (such as moi) can tell you that what you need is a 32 ounce Mountain Dew and your choice of junk food from a vending machine. That’s what gets us through everything from Fortran to Java to C-Sharp. Theresa’s post didn’t even give me a twinge!
Posted by Dave Shaw | April 16, 2010, 9:55 pmMurphy, I’m going to have to put my IWM stamp here. I know I’ve been needling you lately
but this one….
I’m not sure what a dirty martini is but I think this post may drive me to drink my way through a bottle of gin. lol
I’m glad I have posts like these to refer to, but I think I need me a good editor
Posted by Leona Bushman | April 16, 2010, 8:32 pmThis was fabulous information! Definitely a keeper.
Question though: I have been told “never” use gerunds. I find some of the constructions I make to avoid them very artificial, and they seem fairly thick on the ground in books I read. What’s your take on them?
Posted by Arabella | April 17, 2010, 7:17 amIf you need to use a gerund, use a gerund.
Gerunds are participles used as nouns. Example:
Walking is good exercise.
“Walking” is the present participial form of the verb “to walk.” Here, it’s being used as a noun, as the subject of a sentence. It’s fine.
Don’t confuse this usage with present participles used as modifiers in present participial phrases. Example:
Walking to the store, she tried to remember her shopping list.
“Walking to the store” is a present participial phrase modifying the pronoun “she.” This particular construction is a booby trap. There are far too many ways that trap can be sprung on unwary or new writers. It’s best to avoid them.
Posted by Theresa Stevens | April 18, 2010, 10:11 amI’m curious what you think of a book like Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon, which alternates between present tense (oddly enough, for the parts of the story that happened long ago) and past tense (for the contemporary part of the story). (At least, I think I’m remembering exactly the way the tenses were used!) Here’s an example of his use of present tense:
*****
“Well, slap this on him first,” Ethridge says, and hands over a wristwatch. Shaftoe hefts it and whistles. It’s a beaut…
“Nice,” Shaftoe says, “but it doesn’t tell time too good.”
“In the time zone where we are going,” Ethridge says, “it does.”
*****
Stephenson pulls this off really well, and the present tense feels more active, somehow, than the past. After reading this book I often start writing in present tense without even realizing it, and have to consciously think about whether that’s what I want.
Do you have any thoughts about this style?
Thanks–I love your column at edittorrent!
Posted by dnaknitter | April 22, 2010, 11:13 amI never read novels written in the present tense, regardless who wrote them.
In my humble opinion, present tense writing should only be used when writing screenplay or a synopsis.
I have written a screenplay and found nothing more challenging as regards brevity.
The tense was no problem, the problem was the genre, the fifth episode of “Aliens – The final solution”.
Fox put me wise.
Now I (try to) write novels, third person, past perfect.
Still a well-written article, Theresa.
Keep up the good work.
Thomas.
Posted by Thomas Sharkey | June 7, 2010, 3:09 am