Dear Jose Santos,
Thank you for your message. To my knowledge, just because we use tenses to
connect the time of happenings, writers may have to start tactically a new
paragraph for managing time better. However, it seems to me that we may not
say writers start a new context. This is why I still keep the childish term
Paragraph, rather than Context. But this is only storm in a teacup.
Shun
englishtense.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "jacarta" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 9:10 PM
Subject: Re: The main use of a tense
> Shun,
>
> I totally agree with what you've said.
>
> I'd like to add that three things are essential
> for making sense of verb tenses:
> 1. Context
> 2. Context
> 3. Context
>
> Jose Santos
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: shun Tang <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 12:05 AM
> Subject: The main use of a tense
>
>
> > Jeff,
> >
> > You wrote:
> > > A single brick is essential to a brick building, but it is not useful
> > (except for
> > > sending messages through windows or holding down tarps) unless it is
in
> > the
> > > companionship of mortar and other bricks.
> > >
> > My reply: This is a most sensible example. Likewise, a tense is
essential
> to
> > a sentence, but it is not useful unless it is in the companionship of
> other
> > tenses/sentences. Tenses are used to connect the time between sentenceS,
> > which I call paragraph. It is a fault to analyze a tense by way of a
> single
> > sentence, as most present-day grammars do.
> >
> > Present Perfect in one single sentence "I have bought many things" may
> have
> > implied a lot of meanings. We may spend days to explore its usage and
> > implications, pondering how it is different to Simple Past "I bought
many
> > things". It is, however, like counting the use of a single brick.
> > But there is no such thing in a paragraph (more than one sentence):
> > Ex: Yesterday I saw a new department store open around my home. I bought
> > many things from it.
> > == Simple Past is compulsory, used to connect to the time of the former
> > sentence. It is the true use of a tense. Likewise, the true use of a
brick
> > is seen in the companionship of other bricks. We may argue that a brick
> can
> > be sometimes used as a hammer, or sending messages through windows or
> > holding down tarps, but at least we have to state its main use first as
> you
> > do.
> >
> > Nevertheless, since using many sentences to explain a tense seems
> > troublesome, present-day grammars prefer to keep on one-sentence basis.
> This
> > is convenient, but results in more troublesome than they can imagine.
They
> > obviously miss the true use of tense.
> >
> > Shun
> > englishtense.com
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Glauner, Jeff" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2001 12:27 AM
> > Subject: Re: Verbs, tense, and existence
> >
> >
> > > Jennifer,
> > >
> > > When you are studying grammar in this way, it is often more useful to
> > think
> > > in terms of phrases (subject, predicate, verb phrase, complement,
> object,
> > > modifier, and others) than words. Of course, these phrases are often
> just
> > > single words; but it is the phrase, more than the word, that provides
> the
> > > force behind effective sentence building. Beyond the sentence, it is
> > often
> > > the cohesion among phrases throughout the text that makes for powerful
> > > construction. A single brick is essential to a brick building, but it
> is
> > > not useful (except for sending messages through windows or holding
down
> > > tarps) unless it is in the companionship of mortar and other bricks.
> > >
> > > And before anyone calls me heretic, let me assert that I am speaking
> > > relatively. I know the impact of the perfect word. It is second only
> to
> > > that of "the well-turned phrase."
> > >
> > > Jeff Glauner
> > > Associate Professor of English
> > > Park University, Box 1303
> > > 8700 River Park Drive
> > > Parkville MO 64152
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > http://www.park.edu/jglauner/index.htm
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Jennifer Rabinowitz [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > > Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 10:45 AM
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Subject: Re: Verbs, tense, and existence
> > >
> > >
> > > Brock,
> > > In the process of trying to learn more about English grammar, I, like
> > > you, have gravitated towards trying to discern more about how language
> > > works and why. Learning about the rules of English grammar do not, in
> > > themselves, satisfy my wish to understanding why the rules are as they
> > > are. There seems to be a larger, superimposed, organic structure or
> > > system of meaning--which your wonderings speak to directly. I really
> > > have had such a tough time trying to learn grammar from the ground up,
> > > that is, from a rule-oriented perspective! What is more to the point,
I
> > > believe, is to try to understanding the nature of the relationship
> > > between words, and between words and thought, and then again between
> > > words and physical reality--the dynamic between these things, that is.
> > > I believe your comments, which I find so imaginative, are along the
same
> > > track of thinking.
> > >
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> > >
> > >
> >
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> >
> >
>
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