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Tarirotari Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Alice in Wonderland

"Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw."

I don't quite get why the author uses past tense in this clause. It doesn't make sense, or does it?
  

Top answer

To me that means that was the loveliest garden "your ever saw in your life" If i'm wrong feel free to tell me Byebye

— Tinker Val

  • To me that means that was the loveliest garden "your ever saw in your life" If i'm wrong feel free to tell me Byebye
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6 Answers
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To me that means that was the loveliest garden "your ever saw in your life"
If i'm wrong feel free to tell me Emotion: nodding

Bye
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Well, but you'd need a verb in perfect aspect: "you have ever seen (in your life)". Otherwise that would mean that you are dead or unable to see any more.

I still don't get it.
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Hi,

It is right to use simple past when narrating a story. It was better if the bolded part was as 'that she had ever seen'. I think in the story it is not rat hole...but a small window...(I am not sure....because I have read it a long back).

Thanks.
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sorry----while narrating
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Well, the narrator uses "you" instead od "she" because I think he's addressing the reader, or he refers to a generic you (meaning 'one').

Anyway, you also say that perfect aspect would be better, and my question is, wouldn't it rather than better be required?

Why past simple? Is it like a literary licence?
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I am quite sure the past simple is used here for literary effect, possibly to place emphasis on the fact that it is the loveliest you ever saw. This is just conjecture, however.
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