Help me, Grammar-Wan-Kenobi

[astri13]

This is embarrassing but I figure better now than after the fact. I`m doing a little experiment and writing a fic in present tense so now I`m at a bit of a loss. Writing about past actions when do I use simple past and when do I use the "had done..." version? Anyone? Bueller?

Comments

[trueshellz.livejournal.com]

Ouchie, well most of the time you can use the past tense of the verb like leave, leaving and left for example
But you can also use had left
Depends on the sentence structure more than anything else I guess
But thats just me
xxx

[legoline.livejournal.com]

You know, I have no idea how quick they are but you might ask here: fandom_grammar ...

[kentawolf.livejournal.com]

Well, it's best in general, for more effective writing, to leave out the "to be" verb (is, has, had) whenever you can. Such as: rewriting the sentence. So, for example: "He had done it" can be transformed into "He did it."

Have + verb = Continuous action in the past with no definite beginning and ending. Such as: "I have skipped rope in my time."

Had + verb = One action in the past with a definite beginning and ending. Such as: "I had walked to the store, but it was closed."

Present tense writing uses the verb tense differently with different points-of-view:
If you're doing a THIRD-PERSON point of view, you are to be using past-tense verbs, such as "He walkED to the store." (That example is also a good way of fixing the "Had + verb" example for more effective writing...i.e. getting rid of the "to be" verb.)

If you're doing a FIRST-PERSON point of view, you are to be using the present-tense verb, such as "He walkS to the store," or "I walkED to the store."

SECOND-PERSON point of view would be as such, "You walk to the store."

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Much blah. It's the writing-tutor in me. ;)

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

K, I hope I'm not repeating anyone here, lol, cuz I clicked on comment without reading what had already been said, but here's my rule.

Past perfect tense (have, had, has been, blah, blah) is really awkward to read and write. If you're going to have a passage about something that happened in the past, usually just the first sentence or two is enough of a transition in past perfect tense, and then I'd use straight past. But, of course, I'm saying this without knowing the context, so I could be waaaay off base.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

Lately, I've been writing my stories in present time only. I find it easier since all the English past tenses are kinda confusing ;P For some reason, my beta finds it incredibly funny XD I usually use only "I sit down" and "I sat down" in fics with the occasional "I'm sitting" :)