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Q&A Is it OK to use "I guess" in fiction?

Example: I groaned. Why was I doing this? I guess I was afraid of losing him. Like it or not, he was my only guide right now. Does it sound strange since the tense temporarily changes to th...

2 answers  ·  posted 10y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T03:58:08Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/15886
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Alexandro Chen‭ · 2019-12-08T03:58:08Z (about 5 years ago)
Example:

> I groaned. Why was I doing this? **I guess** I was afraid of losing him. Like it or not, he was my only guide right now.

Does it sound strange since the tense temporarily changes to the present? (and _I guessed_ sounds even more weird).

Is this a common usage in fiction? If not, what's the correct alternative?

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2015-01-15T04:25:17Z (almost 10 years ago)
Original score: 1