gpsm

I am writing a short story. The story takes place in the past and everything is in past tense. But the problem is there is a scene where my main character goes into a flashback and tells his friends about his past.

For example:

"I remembered what I did last year. I had gone to skating that day. Then I had encountered a bear. The bear had been five foot tall and the baby bear had accompanied the large bear. I had been scared."

So I'm wondering if I have to make everything past perfect during flashback like in the example I gave you. I'm really confused with the grammar business. Help?

***You could also help me by correcting the grammar mistake in the example.

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Answer:" I remembered what I did last year. I had gone skating that day. Then I encountered a bear. The bear was five feet tall and the was accompanied by a baby bear. I was scared."

Hope this helps!

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Answer:Sarah is right But If I could give you some advice? Spruce it up a little, make it more Interesting!

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Answer:I was always advised to write how you speak. I don't think a person having an everyday conversation would talk like that. I 'd think about how I would tell the story … 'I remember this one night last year: I was coming back from skating when I saw this bear. It must have been five- feet tall, and there was a baby with it. Man, was I scared!'

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Answer:First of all, simple past tense is used when a definite time frame is given.

I took cereal this morning.

Past perfect is used when:

(A) you are mentioning the first of 2 past actions.

The patient HAD DIED (1st past action) when the doctors ARRIVED (2nd past action).

I WASHED (2nd past action) the dished after the guests HAD LEFT (1st past action).

Before I COULD scream (2nd past action), the man HAD CLAMPED his hand over my mouth (1st past)

I had been scared (1st past action), but I told myself I had to fight it down (2nd past action).

(B) When reporting from direct to indirect speech.

"I WENT to the beach today," Sarah said. (Direct speech)

Sarah said that she HAD GONE to the beach. (Indirect/ Reported speech)

The simple past tense (I remembered what I did) is correct as a definite time-frame is given (last year). The past perfect (I had gone to skating) is not necessary because you have a definite time-frame (that day).

It will be necessary if you are referring to the first of 2 past actions. E.g. I had gone to skating (first past action — past perfect) when I encountered a bear (2nd past action — simple past).

If the character is in the first-person and he was doing a direct recount of what happened 'last year', there's no need to change everything to past perfect.

Hope it helps.

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