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GoshaF Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
present/past in direct speech
Here is an excerpt from Galsworthy:
"He was debating, and he argued like this: Jolyon drinks* a glass or two, he's so careful of himself. James, he *can't take his wine nowadays. Nicholas -- he and Fanny would swill water he shouldn't wonder. Soames didn't count: these young nophews -- Soames was tirty-one -- couldn't drink!"
Why does the tense here change from present to past? Is it an indication that the beginning is a direct speech and the end isn't? Or is it just carelessness on the part of the author?
"He was debating, and he argued like this: Jolyon drinks* a glass or two, he's so careful of himself. James, he *can't take his wine nowadays. Nicholas -- he and Fanny would swill water he shouldn't wonder. Soames didn't count: these young nophews -- Soames was tirty-one -- couldn't drink!"
Why does the tense here change from present to past? Is it an indication that the beginning is a direct speech and the end isn't? Or is it just carelessness on the part of the author?
Top answer
BTW, why does boldening work in this strange way? I wanted to make only certain verbs bold, not the entire phrase.
- BTW, why does boldening work in this strange way?
- I wanted to make only certain verbs bold, not the entire phrase.
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BTW, why does boldening work in this strange way? I wanted to make only certain verbs bold, not the entire phrase.
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