Is the following sentence grammatical? :
Jack splits a blade of grass. He won't speak up. Never does. Tom will. Always does.
For some reason it sounds weird. I was wondering shouldn't it have been "never did" instead of "never does"?
What's the difference between the sentence above and this below? :
Jack splits a blade of grass. He won't speak up. Never did. Tom will. Always did.
Best Answer
"Never does" and "Always does" in this context indicate that these are ongoing habits or traits that you have seen, continue to see, and presumably expect to continue into the future.
The past tense of "Never did"/"Always did" says that they were happening in the past, but does not necessarily mean that you expect them to continue. It may be that the person is deceased, or that you no longer know them, or that you are just not saying.