Park sang joon Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
The analyses of a text #2
The narrator recalls his childhood.
He was forced to work for his own living for Mr. Murdstone's friend Mr. Quinion at London by his stepfather.
He lodges at Mr.Micawber's and goes to his work Murdstone and Grinby's.
..............................
Once, I remember carrying my own bread (which I had brought from home in the morning) under my arm, wrapped in a piece of paper, like a book, and going to a famous alamode beef-house near Dury Lane, and ordering a "small plate" of that delicacy to eat with it. What the waiter thought of such a strange little apparition coming in all alone, I don't know, but I can see him now, staring at me as I ate my dinner, and bringing up the other waiter to look. I gave him a halfpenny to himself, and I wish he hadn't taken it.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I was wondering why "can see" and "wish" is used in the present tense unlike the other verbs.
Thank you in advance for your help.
He was forced to work for his own living for Mr. Murdstone's friend Mr. Quinion at London by his stepfather.
He lodges at Mr.Micawber's and goes to his work Murdstone and Grinby's.
..............................
Once, I remember carrying my own bread (which I had brought from home in the morning) under my arm, wrapped in a piece of paper, like a book, and going to a famous alamode beef-house near Dury Lane, and ordering a "small plate" of that delicacy to eat with it. What the waiter thought of such a strange little apparition coming in all alone, I don't know, but I can see him now, staring at me as I ate my dinner, and bringing up the other waiter to look. I gave him a halfpenny to himself, and I wish he hadn't taken it.
[David Copperfield by Charles Dickens]
I was wondering why "can see" and "wish" is used in the present tense unlike the other verbs.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Top answer
park sang joon I was wondering why "can see" and "wish" is used in the present tense unlike the other verbs. Just like 'remember' and 'don't know'—they refer to the present.
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park sang joonI was wondering why "can see" and "wish" is used in the present tense unlike the other verbs.Just like 'remember' and 'don't know'—they refer to the present.
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Thank you, Mr.Micawber, for your so very kind answer. 
I gave him a halfpenny to himself, and I
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All of those present-tense verbs refer to feelings or actions in the present about the past situation he is describing (also 'now') in the context.
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