0
Angel girl1 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Using Simple Present with literary works.

Hi

Could you please explain to me why the simple present is used with past events while analysing literature?

For example: " It occurs to hamlet that if he kills Claudius while he is praying, he will send Claudius’s soul to heaven."

THanks in advance.
  

Top answer

Hi, It makes the reader/listener feel more like the action is happening right now, ie more part of the action and events. Look here for details. org/wiki/Historical_present Clive

  • Hi, It makes the reader/listener feel more like the action is happening right now, ie more part of the action and events.
  • Look here for details.
  • org/wiki/Historical_present Clive
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

8 Answers
0
Hi,

It makes the reader/listener feel more like the action is happening right now, ie more part of the action and events.

Look here for details.
http://
0
Thanks Clive, I understand.
Would it be gramatically correct if i turned the verbs into past tense?
0
Hi,

Yes, it would.
Would you like to try, with your Hamlet sentence?


Clive
0
Thanks a lot Mr Clive.
I appreciate your help.

This is the sentence, is it correct?
"It occured to hamlet that if he had killed Claudius while he was praying, he would have sent Claudius’s soul to heaven."
0
Hi,

This is the sentence, is it correct?
"It occured to hamlet that if he had killed Claudius while he was praying, he would have sent Claudius’s soul to heaven."

No. At that time, it was to Hamlet a future possibility, not a past one.

"It occurred to Hamlet that if he killed Claudius while he wa
0
Thanks but i didn't understand the difference, here, between using conditional type 2 and type 3.
Could you please explain more?
0
Hi,

Thanks but i didn't understand the difference, here, between using conditional type 2 and type 3.
Could you please explain more?

Let's assume Hamlet was thinking about this matter at 4 pm yesterday

At 4 pm, it occurred to Hamlet that if he killed Claudius while he was praying, he would send Clau
0
Thank you a lot, i understand now.

Related Questions