2. Verb Tenses
_________________________
When you begin writing your story, choose which tense it's going to be written in, and then stick to that choice. Don't switch back and forth; be consistent.
When I edit and critique stories on Wattpad, I often find myself having to draw the author’s attention to their verb tenses. This is a seemingly subtle detail, but it really makes a huge difference. Aside from misused punctuation and sloppy errors, fluctuating between the past and present can be a really big distraction, and it’s a shame to see a potentially great story hindered by such errors.
The most common tenses used in fiction are the past and present.
Past tense: I was at the store.
Present tense: I am at the store.
These branch out into other “tenses” (i.e. past perfect simple, present perfect continuous, etc.). You can use these for variety as long as you remain consistent with either the past or present.
If you’re struggling to identify which tense your sentence is in, isolate the verb. For example, in the sentence, “I was at the store,” we know that ‘was’ is the past tense of ‘am,’ which is the verb ‘to be.’ This seems fairly obvious, but occasionally a wrong tense will slip into a sentence somewhere in the middle of your paragraph, and you may have difficulty detecting it—this is one reason why reading your work out loud can be useful. You will be able to focus on one sentence at a time and it will be easier to find mistakes. :-)
Tip: Most people have a preference that they stick to when it comes to writing. Personally, I prefer reading and writing fiction in the past tense—my girlfriend, on the other hand, is the opposite. So if you’re fretting over which tense you should use, try writing your first paragraph both ways and see which feels more natural to you.
That's pretty much all I have to say about tenses at the moment, so I’ve compiled a complete list of verb tenses with examples below. I hope this has been useful, and don't forget to comment and vote if this has helped. ^_^
___
Complete List of Verb Tenses
__
Past
Past Simple – I was at the store.
Past Continuous – I was shopping at the store.
Past Perfect Simple – I had been at the store.
Past Perfect Continuous – I had been shopping at the store.
Present
Present Simple – I am at the store.
Present Continuous – I am shopping at the store.
Present Perfect Simple – I have been at the store.
Present Perfect Continuous – I have been shopping at the store.
Future
Future Simple – I will be at the store.
Future Continuous – I will be shopping at the store.
Future Perfect Simple – I will have shopped at the store.
Future Perfect Continuous – I will have been shopping at the store.
_____
YOU ARE READING
Writing & Editing: A Self-Editor's Handbook
Non-FictionThis is a collection of commonly misused grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax rules with simple explanations, as well as various tips to help you improve the overall quality of your writing. ...
