28-11-2021, 07:55 PM
A big gripe for me is the use of the present tense in documentaries of historical events. It appears to be an American attempt to make an event sound more dramatic, but is creeping into British documentaries too.
An example is "When Anthony comes to the palace, Cleopatra kneels at his feet ". As it is a past event, I believe it should be "When Anthony CAME to the palace, Cleopatra KNELT at his feet. "
Are there any other pedants similarly aggrieved by this trend? Or perhaps there is a pedant who could point out why I should not be aggrieved by this trend.
Graham.
An example is "When Anthony comes to the palace, Cleopatra kneels at his feet ". As it is a past event, I believe it should be "When Anthony CAME to the palace, Cleopatra KNELT at his feet. "
Are there any other pedants similarly aggrieved by this trend? Or perhaps there is a pedant who could point out why I should not be aggrieved by this trend.
Graham.