Sink is here indeed not a present. It is an infinitive.   
      
   Chris   
      
   "alexander koryagin -> mark lewis"  schreef in bericht news:595$   
   NGLISH_TUTOR@JamNNTPd...   
      
   From: alexander koryagin    
      
   Hi, mark lewis!   
   I read your message from 26.02.2014 14:58   
      
     ak>> -----Beginning of the citation-----   
     ak>>     Harry followed his gaze up the carefully tended front   
     ak>> path and felt his heart sink. The front door was hanging   
     ak>> off its hinges. -----The end of the citation-----   
     ml>   
     ak>> Why sink -- not sank?   
     ml>   
     ml> his heart is currently sinking... it had not sank yet and it   
     ml> was not already sunk... yes, it is a tense thing... it was   
     ml> happening in the present...   
      
   In the present? Then, IMHO, it must be "sinks".   
      
   Bye, mark!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   fido7.english-tutor 2014   
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