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| Tips & Advice Share your tips, tricks and advice. |
05-17-2008, 01:17 AM
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#1
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,659
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is – was. A question of grammar. No guessing aloud.
There’s this guy, see. He’s contemplating (present tense) how a particularly clever piece of artwork may have been (past tense) created. At this point you may envisage anything you wish, as I’m not describing it. The penny drops. He’s figured it out. Does he say “Aha! There is really only one way this could have been done” or “Aha! There was really only one way this could have been done”? Or doesn’t it matter? Why?
__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb
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05-17-2008, 01:27 AM
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: South-east UK
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Backward OX
There’s this guy, see. He’s contemplating (present tense) how a particularly clever piece of artwork may have been (past tense) created. At this point you may envisage anything you wish, as I’m not describing it. The penny drops. He’s figured it out. Does he say “Aha! There is really only one way this could have been done” or “Aha! There was really only one way this could have been done”? Or doesn’t it matter? Why?
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Depends. If it's a unique process, then there is only one way. If it's a process that has since been superceded, then there was only one way, but there is now an alternative.
But really, unless you're reinforcing a point, you're probably splitting hairs. |
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05-17-2008, 01:47 AM
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#3
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 241
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I agree. For your situation, either way is correct, I believe. English language rules are very fluid and always have been throughout its history (see "The Story of English" by Robert McCrum).
Even in Mike C's illustration, saying it both ways (is and was) means the same thing because of the clause in "could have been done".
It's a good example of how weird English is and why every rule seems to have multiple exceptions.
Last edited by astralis : 05-17-2008 at 01:49 AM.
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05-17-2008, 03:13 AM
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,225
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You're way overcomplicating this, both of you. There's a perfectly clear, simple, unambiguous, succinct and incontrovertibly accurate answer.
Observe:
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Backward OX
Does he say “Aha! There is really only one way this could have been done” or “Aha! There was really only one way this could have been done”?
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Yes.
__________________
Thoughtcrime does not entail death. Thoughtcrime IS death.
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05-17-2008, 04:17 AM
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#5
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,659
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The third alternative
I suppose I could work around it by changing the setting to either two-three hundred years ago or Cornwall-Devon-Somerset today, and have my character say "Arr! There be really only one way, etc”.
just kidding.
__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb
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05-17-2008, 04:26 AM
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#6
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Best Seller
Join Date: Mar 2008
Gender: Private
Posts: 673
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“Aha! There's really only one way this could have been done”
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05-17-2008, 04:43 AM
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#7
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,659
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Surely you meant "could of been done"
bok bok
__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb
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05-17-2008, 10:34 AM
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#8
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,414
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I think the moderator should ban posters from posting more than ten threads a week.
The limit should be around five a week, so there is no possibility of spam.
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05-17-2008, 11:13 AM
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#9
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Prolific Writer
Join Date: Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 481
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Backward OX
is – was. A question of grammar. No guessing aloud.
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So it's not a problem if we guess silently?
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I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." --- Eleanor Roosevelt
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05-17-2008, 04:09 PM
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#10
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,659
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*scrolls rapidly thru recent posts by lin & Mike to see who riled TT enough for the blessed event to finally happen*
__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb
Last edited by The Backward OX : 05-17-2008 at 04:12 PM.
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05-17-2008, 04:41 PM
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#11
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Kiev, Ukraine
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,398
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I don't know Ox, but it could possibly have been a comment I made................
Probably not but go and see the thread Lin wrote about rules.......
__________________
If you aint got nuffink, you can't lose it!
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05-17-2008, 07:29 PM
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#12
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out in the bush, Queensland, Australia, far from the madding crowd
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,659
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Thanks Joanna
I put the visit to good use.
__________________
How Beautiful it is to Do Nothing, and then Rest Afterwards . . . . . Spanish proverb
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05-17-2008, 08:16 PM
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#13
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Scribe
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: N. California
Gender: Male
Posts: 91
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Backward OX
There’s this guy, see. He’s contemplating (present tense) how a particularly clever piece of artwork may have been (past tense) created. At this point you may envisage anything you wish, as I’m not describing it. The penny drops. He’s figured it out. Does he say “Aha! There is really only one way this could have been done” or “Aha! There was really only one way this could have been done”? Or doesn’t it matter? Why?
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The tense inside the quote really doesn't matter, because dialog reflects the POV of the speaker, not necessarily that of the narrator. So, suit yourself! LOL
.....NaCl |
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