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Chapter 1. Narrative tense

Theory and practice
  • Reiko Ikeo , Eri Shigematsu and Masayuki Nakao
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A Corpus Stylistics Approach to Contemporary Present-tense Narrative
This chapter is in the book A Corpus Stylistics Approach to Contemporary Present-tense Narrative

Abstract

One of the curious and most striking features of the contemporary English language novel is the prominent shift to present-tense narrative, in which the present tense, instead of the conventional past tense, is consistently used to tell story events. In present-tense narrative, it often appears that events are being narrated as they occur, and this apparent temporal overlap between events and narrating can obscure the distinction between the time of telling the story and the time of the story events. However, the stylistic effects generated by the use of the present tense for the base narrative mode have yet to be explored systematically. In this book, we employ a corpus stylistic method to make comparative analyses of present- and past-tense narrative in order to identify the distinctive linguistic and stylistic features of contemporary present-tense novels, focusing on speech, writing and thought presentation in each of the two narrative modes. This opening chapter provides a brief overview of the theoretical issues surrounding present-tense narrative, exploring the relationship between time and tense in narrative.

Abstract

One of the curious and most striking features of the contemporary English language novel is the prominent shift to present-tense narrative, in which the present tense, instead of the conventional past tense, is consistently used to tell story events. In present-tense narrative, it often appears that events are being narrated as they occur, and this apparent temporal overlap between events and narrating can obscure the distinction between the time of telling the story and the time of the story events. However, the stylistic effects generated by the use of the present tense for the base narrative mode have yet to be explored systematically. In this book, we employ a corpus stylistic method to make comparative analyses of present- and past-tense narrative in order to identify the distinctive linguistic and stylistic features of contemporary present-tense novels, focusing on speech, writing and thought presentation in each of the two narrative modes. This opening chapter provides a brief overview of the theoretical issues surrounding present-tense narrative, exploring the relationship between time and tense in narrative.

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. List of tables xi
  5. List of figures xvii
  6. List of abbreviations xix
  7. Chapter 1. Narrative tense 1
  8. Chapter 2. Present tense in fiction 16
  9. Chapter 3. Corpus stylistics and our corpora 34
  10. Chapter 4. The Semino and Short model and the annotation of PREST and PAST 47
  11. Chapter 5. Comparisons of lexis and grammatical structures in PREST and PAST 71
  12. Chapter 6. Comparisons of speech presentation in PREST and PAST 97
  13. Chapter 7. Comparisons of writing presentation in PREST and PAST 144
  14. Chapter 8. Comparisons of thought presentation in PREST and PAST 156
  15. Chapter 9. Comparisons of narration in PREST and PAST 210
  16. Chapter 10. Conclusion 245
  17. Titles of novels and short stories in the corpora 257
  18. References 260
  19. Index 267
https://doi.org/10.1075/lal.43.c1

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. List of tables xi
  5. List of figures xvii
  6. List of abbreviations xix
  7. Chapter 1. Narrative tense 1
  8. Chapter 2. Present tense in fiction 16
  9. Chapter 3. Corpus stylistics and our corpora 34
  10. Chapter 4. The Semino and Short model and the annotation of PREST and PAST 47
  11. Chapter 5. Comparisons of lexis and grammatical structures in PREST and PAST 71
  12. Chapter 6. Comparisons of speech presentation in PREST and PAST 97
  13. Chapter 7. Comparisons of writing presentation in PREST and PAST 144
  14. Chapter 8. Comparisons of thought presentation in PREST and PAST 156
  15. Chapter 9. Comparisons of narration in PREST and PAST 210
  16. Chapter 10. Conclusion 245
  17. Titles of novels and short stories in the corpora 257
  18. References 260
  19. Index 267
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