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Anonymous Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Tense is confusing

I am working on a short story. I am confused by past tense writing (which is common in fiction), whether it is acceptable to introduce present tense once in a while.

For instance: My lover adored me even though I was broken and hideous. Love is blind.

The first sentence is past tense. But the second sentence is present tense. Is that acceptable? Because the past tense would read: Love was blind. But the past tense format would restrict the saying to just the past, whereas 'love is blind' applies to all times, not just the past.

So in cases where a concept may apply to all time periods, can we use present tense even if the rest of the story is in past narrative?

Am I even making sense?

Thanks so much.
  

Top answer

Anonymous in cases where a concept may apply to all time periods, can we use present tense even if the rest of the story is in past narrative? Yes. CJ

— CalifJim

  • Anonymous in cases where a concept may apply to all time periods, can we use present tense even if the rest of the story is in past narrative?
  • Yes.
  • CJ
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3 Answers
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Anonymousin cases where a concept may apply to all time periods, can we use present tense even if the rest of the story is in past narrative?
Yes.

CJ
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Thanks. Out of curiosity, is it also OK to maintain the same past tense throughout?
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AnonymousThanks. Out of curiosity, is it also OK to maintain the same past tense throughout?
Yes, but with a general maxim like "Love is blind" the nuance will change.

In the given context, "Love is blind" comes across as a general principle (which is usually is).
In that same context, "Love was blind" comes across as "Love was blind in the case I
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