Present tense

[TinaRM]

Which is correct:

MARGARET, 30, in the passenger seat, is holding a map and glancing from side to side.

OR

MARGARET, 30, in the passenger seat, holds and map and glances from side to side.

Thanks

Tina

[Joe Average]

I like...

MARGARGET, 30, in the passenger seat, holds A map and glances from side-to-side.

Joe Average.

[Meltdown]

#2 is correct to my knowledge.

My agent hammers me any time I use past/passive voice.

[Cornell]

I agree with Melt-guy.

[GirlinGray]

Um, they are both correct. They are both present tense. One of them just uses a form of being and the other doesn't. Neither is passive voice. Passive voice would be, "the map is held," with no active subject doing the holding.

[lilybet]

Side-note, signifying nothing. I have noticed in my own work, I tend to start a scene with the "is" stuff, then it doesn't happen again as the scene gets going. I tried changing it a couple of times but it just didn't sound right to me. Agreeing with Gig, neither one is passive.

lil

[Baby Niblet]

The are both wrong. The passage should read:

ROBERT, 65, in the driver's seat, sleeps while the car veers into incoming traffic.

[Cornell]

Yes, yes--both are present, but I guess I like #2 better. Wait, I think I like BNib's better.

Robert snores, and Mary takes no notice that the car went right through a busy intersection and is veering right into a lake while she fumbles with her Geritol bottle. Oops, the map goes flying out the window...

[GirlinGray]

Nib, that cracked me up.