Lets Hear A Little Respect for the Pluperfect

Lets Hear A Little Respect for the Pluperfect Lets Hear A Little Respect for the Pluperfect Lets Hear A Little Respect for the Pluperfect By Maeve Maddox Television writers have little respect for standard English grammar. I know that. I also know that American writers in general have little use for the pluperfect (past perfect) tense, preferring instead to use the simple past with adverbial modifiers. Nevertheless, I was astonished by an exchange between a judge and a lawyer on an episode of the The Good Wife: The lawyer is trying to impugn a witness who has testified that a young man arrested at the scene of a murder did not have time to construct a story to conceal his involvement. The lawyer points out that, according to the police report, the man did have time. The lawyer says that by the time the suspect had reached the police station, †¦he had had time to construct a story. When the lawyer requests that his client be released on bail, the judge fixes him with a disapproving frown and says, Request denied. If for no other reason than that you used the pluperfect tense. Apparently TV writers are at war with more than pronouns. The pluperfect, also called the past perfect, is a verb tense used to indicate that an action took place before some other past action. It is formed with the auxiliary verb had and a past participle: When I arrived, the dog had gone. The word pluperfect derives from the Latin phrase tempus praeteritum plus quam perfectum, meaning past tense more than perfect. The word perfect comes from Latin perfectus, meaning completed. An action in the pluperfect is over, done, finished. Heres an example of a novelists use of the pluperfect when writing a third person narrative in the past tense. Its from Death in Holy Orders by English writer P. D. James. The ash, with its heavy cladding of ivy, was unmissable, but as they turned into the road, which was little more than a lane, one glance showed clearly what had happened. A large bough of the tree had been torn from the trunk and now lay along the grass verge, looking in the growing light as bleached and smooth as a bone. From it sprouted dead branches like gnarled fingers. The main trunk showed the great wound where the branch had been torn away, and the road, now passable, was still strewn with the debris of the fall: curls of ivy, twigs and a scatter of green and yellow leaves. The earliest example of the term pluperfect in the OED is dated 1500. The latest illustration of the term, dated 1995, reflects the modern disdain for this tense: 1995 Church Times 17 Nov. 17/3 They each gave us a few paragraphs of Mills Boon prose which were rather hard going, being over-full of pluperfect verbs. NOTE: Mills Boon is a British romance publisher founded in 1908 and sold to Harlequin Enterprises in 1971. American writers, perhaps aiming for a breezy style, avoid the pluperfect as much as possible, but they do use it. The following extracts from Tunnel Vision show how Sara Paretsky deals with it. Sometimes she disguises it with contractions: Id had my office there for ten years, so long Id come to overlook its litany of ills. Sometimes she introduces the pluperfect with a had, then switches to simple past: The building had already been one-third empty when the Culpeppers handed out their notice at New Years. They tried first to bribe, then to force, the rest of us into leaving. And sometimes she stays with the pluperfect throughout a paragraph: In a seconds unthinking revulsion I had thrust the bat back behind the radiator. I wanted to protect Emily and I didnt want anyone to know the weapon was there. But I would have to tell the police. Staring sightlessly into the mist, I saw it had been foolish to think otherwise. And my first impulse, to make an anonymous call, was also foolish: my prints were on the bat. At least I hadnt been so stupid as to wipe them clean. Any writing device can become an obstacle to reading comfort, for example: sentences all the same length, numerous characters whose names all begin with the same sound, an unusual word used numerous times. And yes, over-use of the pluperfect. However, just because the use of the pluperfect in narrative writing has its pitfalls, dont fall for advice that tells you to avoid the clumsy pluperfect altogether. The pluperfect is a useful narrative tense. Its up to the writer to keep it from becoming clumsy. The next time you read over your work and feel yourself becoming bogged down in hads, you might question the way you are presenting your story. The fault may lie with an over-reliance on flashbacks. You may need to figure out some other way to lay in your back story. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)15 Great Word GamesDozen: Singular or Plural?

How to Choose the Right Extracurriculars for You

When it comes to your high school experience, academics and standardized testing are usually clearly mapped out for you. There are paths leading through course loads of varying difficulty; there are required standardized tests and well-known study tools to prepare for them; and your GPA is a clear indication of your success in your academic work. The academic side of things might be pretty clear, but the same can’t be said for extracurriculars. It’s hard to know exactly what role extracurricular activities should play in your high school experience, let alone on your college applications. Extracurriculars are a broad category to begin with — they seem to encompass everything from starting your own dog-walking business to participating in groundbreaking scientific research projects. So you might be wondering, what’s the deal? Are some extracurriculars more important than others? Which will be most heavily weighted on your college application? And how do you know which are worth pursuing? In this post, we’ll give an outline of how to choose extracurriculars that not only are personally fulfilling but also augment your profile as a college applicant. Read on for the five standards you should keep in mind when selecting an extracurricular activity. A little bit of insight can go a long way. Here at , we have a team of experts who have been in your shoes. Read through this guide on high school extracurriculars, and then check out our Near Peer Mentorship Program . You’ll have access to the insights of peer mentors who have been through this process and are ready to share with you all the ins and outs of choosing the right extracurricular activities. There is no simple answer to how important extracurriculars are on your college applications. There are definitely some schools to which you may apply that will admit you based off of your academic record and your essays and recommendations alone. Your extracurriculars might get little to no weight. More selective schools, though, tend to place a heavier weight on extracurriculars. Most of the students who apply to the most selective schools will be academically qualified. These students will have strong GPAs and great test scores. So what will set apart the elite 5-10% who ultimately get accepted to these schools? Many times extracurriculars mark the difference between a successful and unsuccessful application, so it’s worth knowing that they can play a big role in college admissions in some cases. The line between activities that you have participated in and activities that you can consider extracurriculars is somewhat blurry. In general, though, an extracurricular activity is one that you participate in regularly outside of your required academic work.

How can tax cuts help revive the economy Explain Essay

How can tax cuts help revive the economy Explain - Essay Example Pertaining to the reduction of the gap and to take the economy out of the crisis, the package of fiscal stimulus was observed as an effective way-out for the economy. The planning of the government within the economy was not held effective enough in mitigating the problem of economic crisis. According to the plan of the US government, the amount of public spending consisted in the policy towards enhancing multiplier effect through discretionary fiscal policy was merely about 480 billion Dollars. This amount has a multiplier of about 1.5 which means government spending of each Dollar would increase the GDP of the economy by 1.5 Dollar (Shostak, 2009). With regard to the less reliance on the natural forces in the economy, successful management of the government is essential in line with the inducement of individuals’ spending within the economy. Tax cuts act as an economic booster during the times of recession when generally people decrease their level of spending in order to fi ght with the economic crisis. Tax cuts can be termed as an important aspect of the expansionary fiscal policy of the government and it helps to a greater extent in strengthening the aggregate demand within the economy and thus eliminate the slump resulted due to the economic crisis.

Men, Friendship and Companionship in Moby Dick by Herman Melville Essay

Men, Friendship and Companionship in Moby Dick by Herman Melville - Essay Example It is difficult to sympathize with a man who is so engrossed in his own ego and is so taken by its irrational impulses. Moby Dick is the story of the mammoth ego of a relatively much smaller man! Its ending does not invoke tragedy, but only a sense of sheer futility of all ego-ridden endeavor undertaken by men. Ego and friendship are antitheses. We cannot imagine an Adolf Hitler having a bosom friend nor can we think of Ahab relaxing in the company of his near and dear ones. Such people are lone souls, which is not necessarily bad in itself, but often they happen to be lost souls too: they are not only cut off from their fellow human beings, they are also cut off from the vast natural world that sustains our existence. The ego as such, whether big or small, is a statement of our separation with the natural world. It is very useful, in the sense that it forms the basis on which we have built the great modern civilization and conquered nature, at least to a significant extent. Polynesians and other natives do not have much of an individuated ego, they live in exquisite harmony with nature and in harmony with each other; however, they do not have a civilization. Because the ego is needed for that: a crystallized sense of self against the world. Ego thrives on this opposition. But when this eg o gets totally caught up in the web of its own conceit and deceit, it is then that the road leads to perdition. We do need to assert ourselves, but not to the extent of positing ourselves at the very center of the world. Friendship and love happen only when we succeed in putting the others before ourselves, to whatever extent possible. But if we become all important to ourselves, then only death can release us from the big lie that we have become prisoners to. Friendship, love, and this feeling of oneness between ourselves and the greater whole - this is the truth. Ego is merely an illusion, albeit a very necessary one. We need to learn to lose our ego sometimes. At other times, we need to learn to use our ego, but still not be used and consumed by its megalomaniacal tendencies. Friendship is a beautiful experience, one of the most precious that is possible in human life. All that it needs is for us to put the weight of our egos aside and try to relate to the people and the world we see around ourselves in a more meaningful and deeper way - which is exactly the kind of thing that is impossible for colossal egos like Captain Ahab. Through all its rich narrative and storytelling, the one thing that Moby Dick conveys to us in the end is the meaninglessness and pointlessness of ego-obsessesed pursuits of man. But this is not to say that all ego is bad. For example, the central character of another nearly contemporary nineteenth-century epic, which too incidentally is set in the ocean and involves a giant sea-creature - Captain Nemo of Twenty Thousand Leagues is as gigantic an ego as is Captain Ahab. But there is a crucial distinction. Captain Nemo's ego is bent upon relentless construction, whereas Captain Ahab's ego is bent upon mindless destruction. Though both of them meet their deaths equally ingloriously at the sea, Nemo stands as a fallen hero, an inspiration

Changing Face of World Missions Essay -- Analysis, Michael Pocock

In Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew records Jesus’ last words to His disciples these verses have become known as â€Å"The Great Commission.†Since, the giving of the Great Commission followers of Christ has left their own culture in order to engage another with the saving message of the Gospel. Numerous books, articles and blogs have been written on the subject of World Evangelization or Missions. One such book on missions is called, â€Å"The Changing Face of World Missions: Engaging Contemporary Issues and Trends† this book was written by Michael Pocock, Gailyn Van Rheenen, and Douglas McConnell. All three men are experts in the field of missions; the writers have served overseas and are now currently engaged in equipping the next generation through teaching at Dallas and Fuller Theological Seminary. The authors bring a wealth of personal and academic excellence to their particular chapters as well as a passion to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The balance between academia and real world application make â€Å"The Changing Face of World Missions†, an informative and exciting read. â€Å"The Changing Face of World Missions† attempts to educate readers as well as evaluate certain trends which are taking place around the world in the area of missions. The book is divided into three sections; which are the global context of missions, missional context, and strategic context. The authors describe the chapters by saying, â€Å"(t)he global context describes major trends in the world in which we minister; the missional context deals with trends internal to the body of Christ and the mission community; and the strategic context focuses on trends of a strategic or procedural nature† (14). The thesis for the book is found on page twelve where the authors e... ... book needs a chapter in which all of the arguments and information may be summed up. My eyes were open within section two to the work of the Gospel within other cultures. I would apply the lessons learned through the book by focusing on hospitality, reaching out to internationals here in America by inviting them into my house and sharing a meal with internationals. I will also apply the principles in relation to the use of money and the need to do things in ministry which are reproducible by local believers. I would recommend this book to serious students of missions stressing the importance of the case studies which allow individuals interested in missions to apply concepts within real world examples. â€Å"The Changing Face of World Missions† is an informative and educational book which should be included on the bookshelf of any serious student of missions.

Definition Essay (Definition of Good Student)

What Defies Us All throughout your life you here how important it is to study hard, stay out of trouble, and to stay focused, but there is a lot more when it comes to being a good student and when the definition of good is â€Å"of a favorable character or tendency† and the definition of student is â€Å"one who attends school,† you’re going to have a wide variety of definitions for what a â€Å"good student† really is. Also, is a good student the kid that sits in the front, pays attention and works hard, but still struggles to keep a C plus average?Or is it the kid in the back texting away and still gets just as good grades if not better? Considering the perplexity of the subject it can be both and I believe it entails a deeper meaning than how intelligent you are in school. First of all, being a good student has nothing to do with how smart you are initially. There are a wide variety of personalities in today’s society which effects the way we lea rn and we find ourselves having different points of views on just about everything.Not only is that a huge factor in the way we behave towards our homework, but it also affects us in the classroom. No teacher can successfully teach a group of students to their full ability because of the fact that there are so many different ways in which people learn best. Sometimes people might have completely opposite feelings toward the teacher and or the subject. Either way people are more inclined to do better in something that interests them. Another thing I believe we can agree on is the wide variety of mental disabilities that are more and more common in today’s society. From A. D.D to Down syndrome there is an effect on your brain, but the way I look at is that someone with a severe case of autism can be a better student than someone with no mental disability. A lot of people with disabilities have to battle everyday to learn something that comes easy to most people and therefore so me people would look at them as not being a good student for their intelligence, but the way some of them excel in certain areas makes me believe differently. In my eyes that makes my lazy procrastination seem almost sinful to someone with a learning disability, even though just about everyone is guilty of procrastinating a time or two.Another quality that plays a part in defining a well-founded pupil is how much drive he or she has to complete the task at hand. No matter what you’re doing you have to remember that there is more than one way to do anything and there is a trick to even the simplest of things. It doesn’t matter if you’re digging ditches or dissecting a frog, if you pay attention and apply yourself you can learn the top secret tricks of your trade by learning how not to do it. Like when Thomas Edison mastered the light bulb he first had to find out about the thousands of filaments that didn’t work before he found the ones that did.Another th ing that makes being a â€Å"good student† so complex is when someone hears the word student they usually think of someone in a school type setting. In reality a student can be anything from a young baseball player to someone aspiring to be a famous artist to an engineer. Either way you are learning something and to learn anything well you have to be a good student. Like to go pro in baseball or any other sport you have to kick your own ass everyday to be better than the next guy and a great artist or musician has to dedicate majority of their time to master the instruments of their art.Now we all know that it’s not too much fun with your nose buried in the books all of the time, so therefore some of us tends to do some partying to meditate. A lot of the time I think it is defiantly good to party down every once and a while and have a good time, just nothing too crazy. I believe it tends to keep us sane and a little less stressed while also giving us a break from that dreaded homework. Remember, I didn’t say anything about a perfect student, so that’s another sweet reason about being a good student.Also a levelheaded scholar can be wild and courageous sometimes and it doesn’t have to be a party that he or she seeks refuge from the school work that is piling up by the second. They can go for a walk or go skydiving, but no matter what you do I believe it’s good to escape the seemingly never ending book work every once in a while, as long as you continue to be safe and stay out of trouble. It also doesn’t matter where you are, there are millions of opportunities that await us every day and being a good student doesn’t only effect how we perform in the class room.Like if you start good study ad work habits, than things will tend to be easier for you in the long run. It can help us in wanting to utilize every opportunity that could be beneficial to us, no matter if it’s hard or nerve racking. Opportunit y happens in the blink of an eye and if you don’t mentally prepare yourself to try your best no matter what the situation, than you can miss out on a lot of life changing experiences. So whether you are a genius or disabled you should tend to challenge yourself to gain a larger amount of self-respect and the respect of others which can earn you the title of a good person let alone a good student.Overall the thought of being a good student isn’t always how well you do in school and it doesn’t mean you have to be the best, but you do have to apply yourself at least enough to life so that you learn something new every day. Even though a good student has a complex meaning I believe that it can be summed up as, â€Å"anyone who tries hard to learn something new every day for the sake of learning and brightening their outlook on life. †

Buy Essay Online Comparing Homers Odyssey and Joyces...

Comparing Homers Odyssey and Joyces Ulysses This essay will analyze the style, genre and plots of the Hades episodes found in Homers Odyssey and Joyces Ulysses. Before entering this small treatise, it is important to understand the etymology of the word Hades, since it is the setting for both Joyce and Homer (of course in Homers case, he was speaking of the literal aidhs and Joyce was referring to the graveyard, where Bloom attends the funeral of Paddy Dignam and broods about the death of his only son ). Homers use of the word Hades was to refer to the abode of the dead or the unseen nether world; where we find Odysseus searching for Tiresias, to find out how to return to Ithaca safely. The Homeric Hades†¦show more content†¦With Homer, we find narration (when needed), good sentence structure, understandable plots, proverbial wisdom, Greek history, Greek mythology, and true heroines. In Joyce, we dont find an omniscient narrator; nor a consistent sentence structure but rather a stream of consciousness; we dont re ally find a clear plot; we dont have any true heroines as defined by the standards of the Western world because the two main characters (Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus) dont accomplish any feats or beat any obstacles in the nineteen hours Joyce gives them . Among the eighteen episodes in Ulysses, little happens; however, in the eighteen episodes of the Odyssey, adventure is at its best, as far as Greek literature is concerned. Its funny though, even though Joyces writing is cluttered with streams of consciousnelss there is an ironic structure that can only be understood while wearing the spectacles of Homer. In Joyces Voices, Kenner, professor of Humanities at Johns Hopkins University, writes that Joyce was Homers scrupulous apprentice. It was Homer, weve seen, who held his wild book together . If we are to find any structure whatsoever, we must look to Homer, for only in Homer will we find salvation in Joyce. Joyce, much like Hegel and Nietzsche, helped father existentialism in the literary world. Just as Picassos synthetic cubism changed the art worldso Joyce shaped the twentieth century literary world