Again, about tense...
The episode: "They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon.It is,in fact,a primitive type of calendar.It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression.They had a definite meaning,for they were as near as early man could get to writing.It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany then."
Why are there both present tense and past tense at the same time? To be specific, can I change it to "They have found that it was connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon.It was,in fact,a primitive type of calendar."? Why not? Thanks a lot~
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 5
2
"It is, in fact, ..." indicates you're taking about it now, and that it was AND is a primitive type of calendar.
1
In this passage, we are talking about paintings. This passage is a little confusing! Some of the passage occurs in the past tense, because the discoveries ("they have found") and meanings ("they had a definite meaning") already happened. The paintings are not still happening now, and the meanings in the paintings are no longer understood today. However, present tense is used because now, in present day, we can still use the paintings and markings to try to understand the past. We are still using the paintings as a calendar for the past. I would suggest keeping the passage the same, because the calendar still exists today.
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