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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
English in UK
Jane Austen - II
I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear to me:
1) "Upon my word, I am not acquainted with the minutia of her principles. Ionly know that I never yet heard her admit any instance of a second attachment's being pardonable."
2) "Look at those hills! Did you ever see their equals?"
I'd have used the present perfect in both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past? I'm pretty sure the Americans usually do this, nowadays.
Bye, FB
1) "Upon my word, I am not acquainted with the minutia of her principles. Ionly know that I never yet heard her admit any instance of a second attachment's being pardonable."
2) "Look at those hills! Did you ever see their equals?"
I'd have used the present perfect in both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past? I'm pretty sure the Americans usually do this, nowadays.
Bye, FB
Top answer
[nq:1]I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear ... perfect in both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past?
- [nq:1]I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear ...
- perfect in both sentences.
- Why did she choose the simple past?
- [/nq] Most texts seem to print "minutiae of her principles".
- She is reproducing rather formal speech, for which I sippose the simple past was commoner then than now.
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2 Answers
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[nq:1]I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear ... perfect in both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past? I'm pretty sure the Americans usually do this, nowadays.[/nq]
Most texts seem to print "minutiae of her principles".
She is reproducing rather formal speech, for which I sippose the simple past was commoner t
Most texts seem to print "minutiae of her principles".
She is reproducing rather formal speech, for which I sippose the simple past was commoner t
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[nq:1]I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear ... both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past? I'm pretty sure the Americans usually do this, nowadays. Bye, FB[/nq]
I would have too, but I don't see anything wrong with the simple past. And I would have said, "... their equal."
Vanya (an american)
[nq:1]I have found two sentences in "Sense and Sensibility" in which the choice of the tense is not quite clear ... both sentences. Why did she choose the simple past? I'm pretty sure the Americans usually do this, nowadays. Bye, FB[/nq]
I would have too, but I don't see anything wrong with the simple past. And I would have said, "... their equal."
Vanya (an american)
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