…that’s the reaction a writer can evoke from a reader when
they mix tenses, numbers, pronouns, or point-of-view.
It is possible to do some legitimate “time travel” in a story
such as flashbacks or theoretical time machines, however when you begin a
sentence in the present, speak in the past and end in the future it gets
confusing. Confusing examples: I’m
going downstairs and saw the fire licking the wallpaper; I was sitting while I eat;
I am coming to the house and caught
the babysitter talking on the phone. Better examples would be: I went downstairs and saw the
fire… or I’m going downstairs
and see the fire; I was sitting
while I ate or I’m sitting
while I eat; I’m coming to the
house to catch… or I went
to the house and caught.
If the events are happening at the same time, use the same
tense (past, present, future). It is possible to mix tenses such as I am lucky I won the contest;
in this example I am lucky (present) because of something that has
already happened in the past. Present tense: I am, he is, they are; past tense:
I was, he was, they were; future tense: I will, he will, they will. Different
verbs have different tenses; come, came; going, went; dancing, danced; eat,
ate; these are just a few samples.
Mixing pronouns and quantity is a very common mistake: Everyone (singular) thought they (multiple) should
be invited should have been Everyone
thought he. Some items sound confusing such as The Bill of Rights (a singular document) is important; The car’s tires (multiple items) are round; Bob and Andy are coming or Bob or Andy is coming; A student enters the classroom, but students enter the classroom;
The police officer asked each driver
to stay in his car, but The
police officer asked all the drivers to stay in their cars. The
words everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone, a person,
etc. are singular and take singular pronouns (refer to Owl English).
Make sure that the number refers to the actual subject and not the description:
in car’s tires, “car’s” merely helps to describe what the tires belong to, test
the sentence by taking out the description.
Another way to confuse a reader, a DO-NOT-DO, is switch the
point of view in a sentence: A gardener
should sow seeds early in the season, it’s best if you start the seeds
indoors… (incorrect) —gardener is 3rd person, you
is 2nd person; instead say A gardener
should sow seeds early in the season, it’s best if he starts the seeds
indoors… 1st person: I, we, us; 2nd person: you; 3rd
person: he, she, they, them.
When you have multiple nouns in a sentence, be clear which
item is the subject: I hit the window with the ball and it broke (the
window or the ball? Substitute “it” with the correct noun); I hit the window
with the ball and the window broke.
Writing Exercise: Write the past tense for each: jump,
run, fall, tell, sleep, marry, think, feel, cry. Write the present tense for
each: watched, bought, came, left, touched, bathed, kept.
Writing Prompt: Print your complete name vertically.
Write one verb starting with each letter of your name.
Writing Challenge: Write a few paragraphs about any
memorable event in your life, since it already happened, it should be written
in PAST TENSE. Now rewrite it as if was happening NOW in PRESENT TENSE.
