Past vs. present tense when referring to a fictional characterUse of present-tense for memory-related shenanigans in a past-tense storySwitching from past to present tense?Past tense vs present tenseIs it illegal to imagine a real person for a fictional character?present tense fiction - examples of it done well and common pitfallsSwitching between past tense and historical present tenseConverting/rewriting present tense narratives to past tense gracefully. Not a question about verb conjugationConfusion about usage of present tense vs past tense vs mixedShifting from Past tense to present tenseWhat to call a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative?
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Past vs. present tense when referring to a fictional character
Use of present-tense for memory-related shenanigans in a past-tense storySwitching from past to present tense?Past tense vs present tenseIs it illegal to imagine a real person for a fictional character?present tense fiction - examples of it done well and common pitfallsSwitching between past tense and historical present tenseConverting/rewriting present tense narratives to past tense gracefully. Not a question about verb conjugationConfusion about usage of present tense vs past tense vs mixedShifting from Past tense to present tenseWhat to call a nameless character in a 3rd person narrative?
What would you write when referring to a fictional character in a non-fiction work? e.g. Tom Sawyer is a boy, he has no parents, he goes on adventures or Tom Sawyer was a boy, he had no parents, he went on adventures.
characters non-fiction tenses
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
What would you write when referring to a fictional character in a non-fiction work? e.g. Tom Sawyer is a boy, he has no parents, he goes on adventures or Tom Sawyer was a boy, he had no parents, he went on adventures.
characters non-fiction tenses
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago
add a comment |
What would you write when referring to a fictional character in a non-fiction work? e.g. Tom Sawyer is a boy, he has no parents, he goes on adventures or Tom Sawyer was a boy, he had no parents, he went on adventures.
characters non-fiction tenses
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
What would you write when referring to a fictional character in a non-fiction work? e.g. Tom Sawyer is a boy, he has no parents, he goes on adventures or Tom Sawyer was a boy, he had no parents, he went on adventures.
characters non-fiction tenses
characters non-fiction tenses
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
edited 1 hour ago
Cyn
24.3k252111
24.3k252111
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
asked 9 hours ago
codeocodeo
211
211
New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
codeo is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago
add a comment |
3
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago
3
3
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckleberry Finn represents unity between middle and lower class Americans. In the scene where Tom is painting his fence...
(I've never read the book, I just made something up for an example)
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
add a comment |
A rule-of-thumb is that characters may become part of the past only in their universe, where they are a "real" person. In this case, you can use the past-tense if you are referring to a "previous version", or "younger version" of the character. You would still use the present for the contemporaneous one.
In any other universe, e.g. in those where they are fiction, they are elevated to timeless absolutes. The use of the present-tense is preferred. This should hold true for most non-fiction works about fiction.
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
add a comment |
The book exists in the present, so the characters do as well.
The author, though, exists in the past, since he's no longer with us.
Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Tom Sawyer, who has adventures with his friends.
It would not be wrong to write about the character in past tense if describing his actions that have already happened (because you finished the book). But present tense is okay here too.
Tom Sawyer nearly spoiled his friend's plan to run away.
or
Tom Sawyer nearly spoils his friend's plan to run away.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
add a comment |
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckleberry Finn represents unity between middle and lower class Americans. In the scene where Tom is painting his fence...
(I've never read the book, I just made something up for an example)
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
add a comment |
If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckleberry Finn represents unity between middle and lower class Americans. In the scene where Tom is painting his fence...
(I've never read the book, I just made something up for an example)
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
add a comment |
If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckleberry Finn represents unity between middle and lower class Americans. In the scene where Tom is painting his fence...
(I've never read the book, I just made something up for an example)
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
If the non-fiction work is an essay or similar analysis of the literary work, I would use present tense.
Tom Sawyer's friendship with Huckleberry Finn represents unity between middle and lower class Americans. In the scene where Tom is painting his fence...
(I've never read the book, I just made something up for an example)
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
answered 8 hours ago
tryintryin
4016
4016
add a comment |
add a comment |
A rule-of-thumb is that characters may become part of the past only in their universe, where they are a "real" person. In this case, you can use the past-tense if you are referring to a "previous version", or "younger version" of the character. You would still use the present for the contemporaneous one.
In any other universe, e.g. in those where they are fiction, they are elevated to timeless absolutes. The use of the present-tense is preferred. This should hold true for most non-fiction works about fiction.
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
add a comment |
A rule-of-thumb is that characters may become part of the past only in their universe, where they are a "real" person. In this case, you can use the past-tense if you are referring to a "previous version", or "younger version" of the character. You would still use the present for the contemporaneous one.
In any other universe, e.g. in those where they are fiction, they are elevated to timeless absolutes. The use of the present-tense is preferred. This should hold true for most non-fiction works about fiction.
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
add a comment |
A rule-of-thumb is that characters may become part of the past only in their universe, where they are a "real" person. In this case, you can use the past-tense if you are referring to a "previous version", or "younger version" of the character. You would still use the present for the contemporaneous one.
In any other universe, e.g. in those where they are fiction, they are elevated to timeless absolutes. The use of the present-tense is preferred. This should hold true for most non-fiction works about fiction.
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
A rule-of-thumb is that characters may become part of the past only in their universe, where they are a "real" person. In this case, you can use the past-tense if you are referring to a "previous version", or "younger version" of the character. You would still use the present for the contemporaneous one.
In any other universe, e.g. in those where they are fiction, they are elevated to timeless absolutes. The use of the present-tense is preferred. This should hold true for most non-fiction works about fiction.
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
answered 5 hours ago
NofPNofP
3,604632
3,604632
add a comment |
add a comment |
The book exists in the present, so the characters do as well.
The author, though, exists in the past, since he's no longer with us.
Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Tom Sawyer, who has adventures with his friends.
It would not be wrong to write about the character in past tense if describing his actions that have already happened (because you finished the book). But present tense is okay here too.
Tom Sawyer nearly spoiled his friend's plan to run away.
or
Tom Sawyer nearly spoils his friend's plan to run away.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
add a comment |
The book exists in the present, so the characters do as well.
The author, though, exists in the past, since he's no longer with us.
Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Tom Sawyer, who has adventures with his friends.
It would not be wrong to write about the character in past tense if describing his actions that have already happened (because you finished the book). But present tense is okay here too.
Tom Sawyer nearly spoiled his friend's plan to run away.
or
Tom Sawyer nearly spoils his friend's plan to run away.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
add a comment |
The book exists in the present, so the characters do as well.
The author, though, exists in the past, since he's no longer with us.
Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Tom Sawyer, who has adventures with his friends.
It would not be wrong to write about the character in past tense if describing his actions that have already happened (because you finished the book). But present tense is okay here too.
Tom Sawyer nearly spoiled his friend's plan to run away.
or
Tom Sawyer nearly spoils his friend's plan to run away.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
The book exists in the present, so the characters do as well.
The author, though, exists in the past, since he's no longer with us.
Mark Twain wrote about a boy, Tom Sawyer, who has adventures with his friends.
It would not be wrong to write about the character in past tense if describing his actions that have already happened (because you finished the book). But present tense is okay here too.
Tom Sawyer nearly spoiled his friend's plan to run away.
or
Tom Sawyer nearly spoils his friend's plan to run away.
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
answered 1 hour ago
CynCyn
24.3k252111
24.3k252111
add a comment |
add a comment |
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3
What are you writing that would require you to reference a fiction character in a non-fiction work? How you would use the answer seems likely to influence the answer, here. Please Edit your question to clarify.
– a CVn♦
8 hours ago