Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 10 AIL 0947 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Tense as Evidence About Position
Captions available
The idea
Past tense throughout with occasional present-tense generalisation marks a retrospective narrator stepping out to comment. Brontë's bracket about Mrs. Reed is that step. Watching the tense is a mechanical way to find where the two time-frames divide.
In practice
A tense change marks the step out.
Where people slip
Mechanical evidence again.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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