The tenses in the English language unnerve many writers, especially the younger ones. They have the tendency to shift tenses for no obvious reasons. At times, the shift infects a particular sentence.
The English grammar is, however, very clear about this affliction. If there is a past tense in the principal clause, this must be followed by a past tense in the dependent clause. Ergo, there must be no conflict or incongruity. This is called “tense-attraction.”
Timothy Leary experimented with LSD and declared that the mind is as expandable as the cosmos.
The author has written the sentence in the historical past using verbs like “experimented” and “declared” with a shift to the present tense – “mind is.” As the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense, the verb in an indirect quote usually shifts to the past tense.
Such writing is a kind of disorientation. It is a dream- like state that one might find oneself in a Salvador Dali’s painting.
One exception, however, must be noted. To express some universal, habitual, or generally recognised fact, the present tense (which is the proper tense for expressing facts of this kind) may be retained in the dependent clause, though the principal clause is in the past tense.
The students were taught that the earth moves round the sun.
His illness convinced him that all men are mortal.
On the other hand, if there is a present, including the present perfect or a future tense in the principal clause, this may be followed by any tense.
I know what he did.
I shall know what he does.
Timothy has said he wrote more than 300 poems last year.
Another exception, however, must be noted. To express a purpose in the dependent clause by means of the conjunction “that” the verb in this clause must be formed with the auxiliary “may” if the verb in the principal clause is present or future. On the contrary, if the verb in the principal clause is in the past, “might” should be used.
He works or will work, that he may succeed.
He worked, that he might succeed.
Every young writer gets tense over tense at the drafting stage of a story. In most cases, a writer should stick to one tense – either to the present indefinite or to the past historic. But, then, a capable writer knows how to switch tenses to create an atmosphere. Let’s see how two genius authors have created an atmosphere in their writings.
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin muzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions …. (1984, George Orwell).
The perfect use of the past continuous tense, “and the clocks were striking thirteen,” and, then, the simple past has created the right atmosphere, connecting the two situations.
In the same way, Oscar Wilde created the atmosphere by mixing the simple past and the past continuous.
Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant’s Garden. (The Selfish Giant, Oscar Wilde).
Nevertheless, doing so is easier said than done. It is as difficult as trying to sing the late Lata Mangeskar’s Raina beeti jaye….
