[Grammar] The report expresses/recommended

[kadioguy]

[From a news]

EU group advances Taiwan proposal

The European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday approved proposals that urge the EU to bolster political ties with Taiwan and rename its European Economic and Trade Office the “EU Office in Taiwan.”

EU lawmakers passed the EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report and related proposals in a 60-4 vote, with six members abstaining.

The report is to be brought to the floor of the European Parliament next month. It expresses concern over China’s saber-rattling, and calls on Beijing to cease any action that jeopardizes peace in the Taiwan Strait and not to upset the “status quo” without Taipei’s consent.

The report recommended that the EU initiate work on a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan and hold talks with the country at the highest official levels.

The EU should play a larger role in international initiatives that maintain peace across the Strait and improve Taiwan’s democracy, while making it a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.

The report condemned China’s trade embargo on Lithuania and recommended that the EU support the Baltic state in the dispute.

[...]

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2021/09/03/2003763712

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The blue text is in the present simple while the green text in past simple. Why? Shouldn't they be consistent?

A friend told me, "I think it’s more proper to use the present tense if the source still exists. It sounds more timeless and academic that way. If you were just telling someone about what you read, it’s natural to use the past tense - that kinda makes it more personal; I've read it and this is what it said."

I agree with the friend. However, I would also like to hear your opinions.

 

[5jj]

Don't try to read too much into this. The writer has simply been inconsistent in their use of tenses.

 

[kadioguy]

Don't try to read too much into this. The writer has simply been inconsistent in their use of tenses.

Is that common in native speakers' writing? Does that sound OK to native speakers? :-?

 

[5jj]

We often don't even notice it. We are more concerned with the message than the grammar.

 

[jutfrank]

I wouldn't call this an 'inconsistency' exactly, which suggests there was some kind of error or lack of care in the writing. It was a quite well-justified stylistic change of narrative, in my opinion.

 

[kadioguy]

It was a quite well-justified stylistic change of narrative, in my opinion.

Could you please tell me more about that?

 

[kadioguy]

It was a quite well-justified stylistic change of narrative, in my opinion.

I assume:

In the first paragraph I highlighted, it is like a summary, so the present simple is used. In the following paragraphs, they are like the main body, so the past simple is used -- the writer is writing them as things really happening in the past.

What do you think? :roll:

 

[tedmc]

I assume:

In the first paragraph I highlighted, it is like a summary, so the present simple is used. In the following paragraphs, they are like the main body, so the past simple is used -- the writer is writing them as things really happening in the past.

What do you think? :roll:

I see six paragraphs with only the third in the simple present tense.

 

[kadioguy]

I see six paragraphs with only the third in the simple present tense.

Yeah, so that's the problem.

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, only the third paragraph is in the present tense. Lets take another look.

The report is to be brought to the floor of the European Parliament next month. It expresses concern over China’s saber-rattling, and calls on Beijing to cease any action that jeopardizes peace in the Taiwan Strait and not to upset the “status quo” without Taipei’s consent.

The first sentence is in the present tense (with reference to future time). The following verbs follow suit accordingly.

I think you could bear in mind that tense consistency is sometimes deliberately avoided in writing. By using a variety of different narrative tenses, a writer can make his text a bit more interesting.