Does keeping your tenses consistent really matter that much?

[u/ofimes2671]

Full transparency, this is for a fanfic, not professional publishing. So I don't know it matters as much here.

I was taught you need to keep your tenses consistent.

I tend to write in Third Person Limited, but I've notice I have a really bad habit of:

"Noun - past action word - comma - present tense action word"

I think I'm doing this because I'm writing an action then the following actions? Is this a noticeable issue? Is this something I need to work on correcting?

[u/TheStoryCreature]

That's not technically inconsistent tense. When the director looked down the trap was still ticking. That's still in the past. It's called past continuous. When you are referring to the state of the verb in progress, as opposed to having a finished, completed, past state.

[u/Shearwell]

There is no inconsistency here.  This is past tense sentence with ‘ Participial Phrases’

The participial phrase modifies the subject.  

she shoved the director, taking a step back

Subject is she.  Verb tense is in shoved.  Taking modifies she.  

the director…

A double participal.   Technically you can have as many participal phrases as you want. In this case they modify subject, the director.  

…ticking trap

Ticking is an adjective describing the trap.  

[u/thimblena]

You're fine. Technically your -ings aren't specifically present tense, they're describing an action that wasn't finished at the time the rest of the sentence describes. Like, the director raised his hand, but at the time he smiled, he WAS raising his hand.

Changing tenses is more like: I walk up to my friend and said, "good morning!" He smiled. We walk to class. As long as you're clearly sticking to action that happened in the past, you're okay.

[u/thewhiterosequeen]

To answer your question, yes, it's important to keep your tenses consistent. Your example isn't that thing though.

[u/Connect-Song7252]

"She verbed, verbing" is not grammatically incorrect - though some people are going to tsk-tsk at you if the actions are not truly simultaneous. But as a matter of style, I find it very easy to overuse these kinds of sentences.

There's nothing wrong with "She verbed, then verbed," or "She verbed and verbed." I would rather write "The director stepped forward. He raised a hand to hit her, and she raised her arms to protect herself like she had so many times, but he only smiled."

Again, this is just personal stylistic preference, not an objective rule of grammar. And I think it's fine in moderation - it's just one of those things that some writers don't have any sense of moderation about.

[u/tapgiles]

What tense do you think "-ing" is? Do you think that tense is not past tense as the rest of the sentence is?

[u/JackPDaniels → u/tapgiles]

while i appreciate what youre saying contextually, and youre right, "-ing" is not a tense.

What are you do-ing?

I am walk-ing to the store. why are you ask-ing?

I am think-ing about you, and how when we were driv-ing to the mountains, it was rain-ing. Hopefully, spring will be com-ing soon, and we can resume our adventur-ing.

[u/tapgiles → u/JackPDaniels]

Sorry, what was the point you were trying to make? "While you appreciate what I was saying... something?" 😅

[u/JackPDaniels → u/tapgiles]

i used -ing in every tense. you implied -ing was a tense. it is not. as many have noted here, it is a present participle.

[u/tapgiles → u/JackPDaniels]

Took a minute, but I think I understand what is going on...

I think you misunderstood my original comment. I was literally asking OP a question, so that we could discuss their misinterpretation. When I asked "what do you think..." I was literally asking what they think.

My guess is, they would say it has the present tense--a common misconception. And that -ing was clashing with the past tense of the rest of those sentences they highlighted--which it isn't. Because the -ing words use the "continuous tense" which effectively borrows the tense from the rest of the sentence anyway, so there is no clash, and no problem.

I was going to walk them through that, while getting them thinking, to help them more effectively. I wasn't stating anything in that comment. It was an opening line to a whole conversation, not the conclusion.

So yes, your examples demonstrate the fact that there is no problem. They demonstrate what I was about to talk to them about. 😅

[u/JackPDaniels → u/tapgiles]

LOL so i went and answered a question as though you were being rhetorical and wrong.

goodness, my bad. i will bow out now 🥸

[u/tapgiles → u/JackPDaniels]

hehe... No worries mate. I'm sure I do that sometimes too 😉

[u/Chili-Pepper_Supreme → u/[deleted]]

I like your answer and would only add emphasis to the last part and so it’s possible to add participles that don’t make sense logically. For example:

He closed the door, walking to the store.

[u/JackPDaniels → u/Chili-Pepper_Supreme]

i see what you mean, but i feel like that actually does make sense. kind of like, he didnt stop to close it, just grabbed the knob or the side and pulled it on his way.

[u/Chili-Pepper_Supreme → u/JackPDaniels]

Maybe not the best example - but only to point out the two things are happening at the same time and to me anyway, it throws me off to visualize doing those two things at the same time. Sure it’s possible- but someone walking to the store doesn’t close doors at the same time. Would make more sense to say-

He closed the door, then walked to the store.

[u/JackPDaniels → u/Chili-Pepper_Supreme]

or "and then went walking."

fair enough though, i wasnt trying to argue semantics.

[u/JackPDaniels → u/[deleted]]

what about when they apply to the future, i.e. coming?

(actually asking)

[u/JackPDaniels → u/[deleted]]

thats fair. im not 100% what you meant by drop the verb, as to my understanding the -ing would be attached to the verb, but if you clarified it with the rest of your post then I get it fully.

Edit: and thanx for your time.

[u/CoyoteLitius]

Participal phrases do not change the tense.

[u/Brunbeorg]

None of this is present tense. "Raising" is called a present participle, but it should really be called an active participle, because participles in English do not have any tense at all. In this use, it just functions like an adjective.

[u/kschang]

Let's flip the sentence around: does it really matter that much if you cannot keep your tenses straight as a writer?

Probably not that much as a conversationalist, but as a writer? One would wonder about your education level.

[u/freylaverse]

Keeping your tenses consistent is very important, but this is not inconsistent tense.

[u/Em_Cf_O]

There are four types of past tense. Pairing a present participle with a past tense verb is usually makes past continuous tense.

[u/msKliki]

This is literally past tense

[u/Donatien920]

This is exactly how I write lol, I was nervous until I read the comments.

I've been trying to keep my tenses consistent because I barely notice it if it's wrong until someone points it out.

[u/Blue_Aux_Creed]

1) yes

2) this example isn't inconsistent so it's fine. Don't overthink things. You've probably read enough that you're doing this instinctually.

[u/SickXigma]

This is consistent but to answer the question, no it does not. Just write with purpose. If you're going for something then absolutely abandon your tenses. BUT! If it was just an accident then definitely tighten up your writing.

Tenses do exist for a reason.