: Re: Switching from past to present tense in fiction writing Is it acceptable to switch to present tense when writing in third person POV past tense? (Not only within dialog.) For example:

@Dunderdale623

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Like F1Krazy said, you can do it if you turn your first example into a single sentence separated by a comma.

However, the reason for this is that "Their footsteps echoing through the hall" is not present tense! "Echoing" is a participle, and the whole thing is a phrase/subclause which modifies the main sentence. (A nominative absolute including a participle, apparently, for those interested in the grammar.) This means that:

it must be attached to a main clause, and
said main clause can be past tense with no problems.

Present tense would be

Their footsteps echo through the hall

or (present progressive)

Their footsteps are echoing through the hall

and you can definitely not use either of those in combination with your first, past tense sentence.

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