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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2013-05-30 12:34 am
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[identity profile] matt-ruff.livejournal.com 2013-05-30 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
His point about jokes and anecdotes is premised on the notion that past tense is "the voice we use for truth." But solemn vows ("I do"), affirmations of faith ("I believe in one God"), and claims of identity ("I am Iron Man"), are all typically made in present tense.

[identity profile] bwross.livejournal.com 2013-05-30 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
All of which are spoken statements, not narratives, and he's admitted that the perfect tense is perfectly natural for that sort of thing.
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