Subj : A question about tenses
To   : Anton Shepelev
From : Alexander Koryagin
Date : Thu May 21 2020 22:39:38

Hi, Anton Shepelev - Dallas Hinton!
I read your message from 20.05.2020 22:59

 DH>> In any case, to suddenly shift from past to present would be quite
 DH>> jarring to the reader. And also, the ring is (or seems to be from
 DH>> this fragment) a very minor part of the story so who really cares
 DH>> about it's current location?

 AS> I see. It reminds me of a dialog line from a British horror story,
 AS> where a woman excalims "I forgot he was vegeterinan!", when she
 AS> realies she has prepared no vegetaranian meal for her new
 AS> acquaintance, who, by all means, is vegetarian still.

A story can be told in the present or in the past. But you should
choose. If you put "It reminds me of..." you imply past events and you
should continue:

.....a dialog line from a British horror story, where a woman exclaimed,
"I forgot he IS a vegeterinan!" when she realised she had prepared no
vegetaranian meal for her new acquaintance...

(IS because it is the direct speech).

Bye, Anton!
Alexander Koryagin
english_tutor 2020

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