Tense Question

Forums: English, Grammar
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My story is in 1st person, present tense, but I'm wondering if it is okay to throw in past tense for emphasis. Here's the sentence in question (remember, it's surrounded by present-tense sentences):

...standing before me was the epitome of a tall, dark stranger indeed.

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Type: Question • Score: 0 • Views: 678 • Replies: 14

[+4] - roger - 01/06/2017I think the op just didn't want to burden us with the entire sentence.

@krsrwriter,

Sure

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@krsrwriter,

Indeed, I'm not that familiar with sentences that start with an ellipsis followed by lower case but it occurs to be that your sentence that commences with "standing" sounds horribly like present tense.

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@nacredambition,

I think the op just didn't want to burden us with the entire sentence.

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@roger,

Notwithstanding.

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@nacredambition,

Didn't you mean ". . . notwithstanding"?

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@roger,

Still Rog everything seems to get more involved and complex
Krs you need a clearer q and mebbe also some context
...for the Average a2k Fussbudget and Ignoramus (me)

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@krsrwriter,

Krs I'm tense for a resspomnse

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@dalehileman,

Sure. The following is more complete:

"Startled, I look over. Standing before me was the epitome of a tall, dark stranger indeed. He takes my hand and gives it a firm shake."

I feel I've heard past tense thrown into a sentence like this for emphasis, but I can't recall where specifically and wanted to get some opinions/thoughts.

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"The epitome of" and "indeed" are saying the same thing and one of them needs to go. Otherwise you have redundancy and the sentence is over-written.

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@centrox,

Quote:

are saying the same thing

No offense but I'd disagree, Cen; there's a subtle factor depending upon context. If earlier someone had asserted that he had only supposed that tall, dark fella to have appeared, then the "indeed" confirms his supposition The a2k Hopeless Fussbudgets (of whom I'm the leader) will agree most wholeheartedly

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Dale, you are getting worse. Big time.

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@centrox,

Cen I've no excuse whatever

Writer (whom I'd always thought myself also, with only the most recent of doubts): Would you agree

...'nutherwds, did I make any sense at all that time...

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@centrox,

"are saying the same thing" "you have redundancy" "the sentence is over-written"

LOL, I see what you did there. Funny.

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@krsrwriter,

Quote:

LOL, I see what you did there. Funny.

He's our best straight man.

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