Writing:Tenses

[LadyLeviticus]

Hello


I am creating this thread because I need a lot of help and advice for writing.I am very bad at when to use tenses. Could some please give me severe help on how to use tenses properly. Also I have a massive issue with grammer because I am terrible at grammer as well. Could some one severely help me.


Thanks

[berry]

hello Lady,
I have been struggling with this very issue and was lucky enough to get some good feedback from the guys. You might want to check the advice they gave me in the Critique and advice section. See the Grammar bit. Other than that I have spent much time researching grammar help sites on the net and have found a few that give you exercises and quiz type things to do. They have been a great help and I have spent more time learning about grammar and trying to apply it than I have writing stories lately. It is getting easier though and I may even get back to my story soon.
It might help if you know exactly which parts you have most trouble with. For me it was punctuation and passive sentences.
You did mention trouble with tenses.
Anyway I am not the person to advise you as I am a novice in this area but I expect there wil be some advice heading your way soon.
Berry

[aldan]

I would suggest that you try posting some bit of a story and simply say that you would like for us to critique it. If you tell us why you are posting it (for help with grammar, tenses and whatnot), then we will know what to concentrate our efforts on. Really, though, it doesn't need to be anything that is outstanding as far as the storyline and such, especially if you be sure to say in the introduction to the story why you wrote it. That way, if you simply created it for the grammar critique, then we can know that you aren't trying to necessarily publish that story and so can avoid all of the questions and comments regarding, for example, why you didn't develop a certain secondary character, why you chose to kill off another one, and why you chose to end the story where you did, since those things would be less important to know about if we're concentrating on grammar and tenses.

[Magus]

Tenses:

Past: I wrote these words.

Present: I am writing these words.

Future: I am going to write more words.

Then there are others of varying complexity as well. Was this what you were asking?

[Neurolanis]

I frequently have problems with things like "laid" and "lay".

[aldan]

Those two are a bit complex...
Laid - well, we won't speak on the sexual side of things, but for the rest, the times that I use "laid" is when I will say such things as the following...

I have laid my motorcycle down twice while riding it.
*past*
The hen laid an egg. *past*

He laid down on his bed to rest for an hour. *past*

They laid down their arms and went home. *past* (wish it was present, if by them doing so we'd still be able to remain safe)

------

"As I lay me down to sleep, I bid the Lord my soul to keep..." *present*

The hen will lay an egg tomorrow morning. *future*

I lay on my bed for about five hours before falling asleep. *past or a form of present/future, saying that I did it before or that I normally do it*

[Bmat]

He laid down on his bed to rest for an hour. *past*

I believe this would be "He lay down on his bed to rest for an hour. (past)

Lie lay lain (to recline)

lay laid laid (to set something down)

[Neurolanis]

How about: I laid on my bed. The cat laid on the floor.

[Magus]

It's an improper term, though. Just because it's used commonly make it any more right, it simply makes it colloquial.

[Neurolanis]

So even in past tense it should be: I lay on my bed (?)