: Re: Should I use "could be" or "could have been" in past-tense narration? Examples: Using "could": I looked at the flyer again, and then back at Mark. Very strange---meeting someone who didn't

"Could" in the first one is just the past tense of "can," as you correctly note.

In the second example, you are referring to a possibility in the "farther back" past. "Could Tom's mother have been right?" means that you have the present when the story is taking place (even though it's in the past tense) and some incident in the past (Tom's mother accused the narrator of being responsible for Tom's death).

If Tom's mother is standing in front of the narrator right now, then it would be "Could Tom's mother be right? Could I be the one responsible?"

So both your examples are correct, if the incident with Tom's mother happened at a previous point from the existing scene.

Load Full (0)

: What is the best publisher for a computer science book I'm a newbie... I've some material I want to submit to an editor for evaluation feedback about content relevance and quality and the possibility

@Debbie451

Load Full 1 Comments

: Scene order: is this order of scenes confusing? Okay so say is my story scene order is in this order in the book. Future scene (insight) --> past scene (flashback) --> present day. What

@Debbie451

Load Full 2 Comments

:

@Debbie451

Load Full 0 Comments

: Questions about how to publicize and promote your work. Can cover what makes something marketable, distribution, price, agents, genre, popularity, publishing, and content.

: Re: Should I use "could be" or "could have been" in past-tense narration? Examples: Using "could": I looked at the flyer again, and then back at Mark. Very strange---meeting someone who didn't

More posts by @Debbie451

: What is the best publisher for a computer science book I'm a newbie... I've some material I want to submit to an editor for evaluation feedback about content relevance and quality and the possibility

: Scene order: is this order of scenes confusing? Okay so say is my story scene order is in this order in the book. Future scene (insight) --> past scene (flashback) --> present day. What

:

: Questions about how to publicize and promote your work. Can cover what makes something marketable, distribution, price, agents, genre, popularity, publishing, and content.

Login to post a comment!

0 Comments

Back to top