When you are writing a story of past tense, when is it ok to use present tense?

Question

I was reading a book and it was based in the 1800s but some of it had present tenses in the same sentence of past tenses.

When is this ok?

Answer 1

It sounds a little confusing and it is difficult to imagine exactly what you mean. Just because it happened in the book doesn't necessarily mean that it is considered good usage. Usually past tense is best.

If you are telling a story in the past tense, you would use present tense in dialog, or if the narrator is thinking something to himself. Sometimes present tense may be used when describing something that still exists, such as "Windsor Castle is ....", and is usually used only when the story is being told in the first person. A diary entry could be in the present tense.

When describing in an essay the action or characters in a work of literary fiction, you may use the present tense: "At the midpoint of The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus journeys to the realm of the dead." It's best in this case to use the present tense ("journeys"), because stories like Homer's epics exist in a timeless realm where they can happen over and over again each time we read them. The present tense highlights the vividness with which they re-occur whenever they pass through our minds and, because they're works of fiction, they can and do relive with every re-reading.

Sometimes however, when the tense changes in the same paragraph for example, it means that the writer is either not very skilled or not very careful or had poor editing.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

all of it kinda relies upon on your instructor, My novices and junior instructor used to pass loopy approximately this. My senior instructor does not care. even nonetheless, there's no set rule-till YOUR instructor has reported so. It should not count which stressful you utilize, as long as you're consistent, shop on with in basic terms one stressful it is not important IF it incredibly is the 1st individual OR no longer. you could in no way change TENSES interior of A PAPER. it makes you seem such as you won't be able to write, or you're in simple terms uncertain approximately what your writing. till by employing stressful you mean the story switches with the aid of fact of a flashback or something. incorrect: Sally and Jim are paying for on the mall. whilst they went they offered a ball. maximum concepts-blowing: Sally and Jim are paying for and paying for a ball.

Answer 3

Can you please give an example? It depends on how it's used. For example "I wanted a cookie but now I want cake" is acceptable whereas other uses may not be.

Answer 4

Could you provide an example? It's usually not okay.

Answer 5

i wanted to play- infinitive
or when the person is narrating-to this day i still think that i shouldnt have licked that damned frozen pole

Answer 6

during a flashback