Set II, 4a 


              Some time-related words to watch when 
                you write in the past tense (rww)

present tense

     now
x--I knew I was going to rest, but I didn't want to rest--not    now!
x--The date was set for May 5, and now that it was March . . . .
 --Now fourteen and a freshman in high school [October, 1967],      Jeff learned his lesson well from
this experience.  
     [written October, 1967]
x--Now fourteen and a freshman in high school [October, 1967],      Jeff learned his lesson well from
this experience.  
     [written April, 1973]

     this 
x--Then fourteen and a freshman in high school, Jeff learned his 
     lesson well from this experience [November, 1967].
     [written April, 1973]
 --This morning was quite memorable.  [written on the same day]
x--This was in the past, and tomorrow was the first day of    school.

     tomorrow
x--That was in the past, and tomorrow was the first day of    school.
x--It was May 10, 1942.  They were to sail tomorrow.

     today
 --The sun broke through the clouds [this morning].  We knew that      today [May 10, 1942] the rain
would cease.  
     [written May 10, 1942]
x--The sun broke through the clouds [this morning].  We knew that      today [May 10, 1942] the rain
would cease.  
     [written October, 1964]

     yesterday
--Here we were, ready to sail within an hour [May 10, 1942]      (yesterday we hadn't even thought
about sailing to England),      and they suddenly cancelled our orders.  [written May 10, 1942]
x-- Here we were, ready to sail within an hour [May 10, 1942]      (yesterday we hadn't even thought
about sailing to England),      and they suddenly cancelled our orders.  [written October, 1964]

     here
x--Here we were, ready to sail within an hour [May 10, 1942] (the      day before we hadn't even
thought about sailing to England, and they suddenly cancelled our orders.  [written October, 1964] 
                                                 II, 4a--2

     recently
--The girls are excited.  Recently, they received that special      invitation they had wished for.
x--The girls were excited.  Recently, they had received that 
     special invitation they had wished for.

     past tense
c--I knew I was going to rest, but I didn't want to rest--not then (not just then).
x--The date was set for May 5, and since it was March . . . .
c--Then fourteen and a freshman in high school [October, 1967],      Jeff learned his lesson well from
this experience.  
     [written April, 1973]

     that
c--Then fourteen and a freshman in high school, Jeff learned his 
     lesson well from that experience.  
 --That morning was quite memorable.  [written on a different day]
x--That was in the past, and tomorrow was the first day of school.

     the next day   
c--That was in the past, and the next day was the first day of 
   school.
c--It was May 10, 1942.  They were to sail the next day.

     that day
c--The sun broke through the clouds [that morning].  We knew that      that day [May 10, 1942] the
rain would cease.  
     [written October, 1964]

     the day before
c--Here we were, ready to sail within an hour [May 10, 1942] (the      day before we hadn't even
thought about sailing to England, and they suddenly cancelled our orders.  [written October, 1964]

     there
c--There we were, ready to sail within an hour [May 10, 1942] (the day before we hadn't even thought
about sailing to England), and they suddenly cancelled our orders.  [written October, 1964]

     a short time/few minutes before
c--The girls were excited.  A short time/few minutes before they      had received that special invitation
they had wished for.


     Watch for other such time-related words as you write, especially as you write in the past
temse--particularly from a distance of time.  Learning to use language precisely results in great
personal satisfaction.