香港市場的英文故事書為何是 present tense

happyvalley

原帖由 stccmc 於 10-2-8 23:48 發表
I think it was not in quotation marks.  Even if it is in quotation marks, it is not right to use "Why do you ...":

"Why did you turn the ......?" is right because when you say this, the "turning" hap ...

研究下、大家研究下…

咁即是 why do you turn OR why did you turn 都得，只不過 why did 就已經變完， why do 就未 sure 完全搞掂晒，可能會繼續變。

睇睇下幾得意，睇書都會睇真 d，嘻嬉。

papa_pop

stccmc rightly pointed out the differences in past and present tenses.  

I'm no English expert but an ordinary reader.  I don't tend to jump to the sweeping conclusion that story books written in present tense are odd or bad.  It really depends on the context, and in some cases, style.  Andre Agassi recently penned an autobiography "Open" and he intentionally used present tense extensively to describe his boyhood.  There are also some good story books where present tense is used - some for the sake of level, and some simply the author's very intention.

Sidetrack a bit: Open is quite a good book especially for those parents who are tempted to train up their kids - hell-like - for 'achievement' - be it in sports or else. An enlightening read.

ViviSporty

雖然一般用 past tense 寫故事，但以下情況可改用 present tense：

1) 初小未教 past tense

2) 描述一連串動作時會臨時改用現在式 e.g. The bell finally rang at three sharp.  The boys snatch their backpacks; squeeze out of the classroom; rush along the corridor; tumble down the stairs and trip over one another right in front of the headmaster.

3) The past tense 表示過去了的事情，跟現在沒有大關係，所以有作者改用 the present tense，意欲加強現場感，減少陳年往事的感覺

對於老師的不合理批改，可能源於老師工作量大所致，建議你先跟老師反映；若不得要領，可向家教會求助。

希望以上幾點可幫你減少一些疑慮，Tks.

happyvalley

原帖由 papa_pop 於 10-2-9 15:09 發表
stccmc rightly pointed out the differences in past and present tenses.  

I'm no English expert but an ordinary reader.  I don't tend to jump to the sweeping conclusion that story books written in pre ...

唔係好明你寫緊乜，不過我睇返 d 小朋友故事書，談話裹面有時用 present，有時用 past，呢 d 當然唔係一朝一夕用得好，如果睇得書多，自然都會寫得意思好點。

happyvalley

原帖由 ViviSporty 於 10-2-9 16:32 發表
雖然一般用 past tense 寫故事，但以下情況可改用 present tense：

1) 初小未教 past tense

2) 描述一連串動作時會臨時改用現在式 e.g. The bell finally rang at three sharp.  The boys snatch their backpacks; squ ...

對了，我正是這個意思，表示未完或者未過去。

所以其實呢片係寫緊乜野文章，定係寫緊故事。

ViviSporty

Why?  There r ways to describe the same thing.  You don't stick to the past tense and got stuck with it.

The publisher chose the present tense for a reason, commercial or educational.  The school chose that particular book for a reason, level of difficulty maybe.  You choose your own, schools and books.  The world is as diverse as can be.

Why don't u just sit back n relax.  Ask ur kid for her opinion in using the past and the present in writing stories.  Tell her, later on, the difference.  And don't forget to let her know she is now among the better readers/writers in her class.  She now knows more about storywriting while the other kids don't.  Encourage her to read n write more.

Things don't always operate the way ur kid wants it; but u help change the way she looks at them.

happyvalley

原帖由 stccmc 於 10-2-10 09:01 發表
I don't want to discuss writing style and how many ways to describe a thing.  It is too big a topic for me. I seek to understand, not to change, the rationale behind choosing present tense over past t ...

我覺得要寫，就乜野 tense 都可以運用，我係唔會理學校學左乜野 tense，我囡囡雖要表達甚麼，就用甚麼 tense，因為 Grammar 係為左表達文意，唔係雖要學好 Grammar，係雖要學好寫作，Grammar 之係其中之一。

ViviSporty

That's not quite a conclusion.  Those points in the so-called conclusion are simply ur very own pt of view.  People are apt to conclude in a way to rule out some other opinion.  

What I am saying is that u can always find a solution the other way round.  U said u didn't know how to explain to ur kid the use of the present tense and the past in storywriting.  Come on!  It's nothing advanced.  Just tell her more n more writers are using the present to give past actions liveliness.

Last but not least; it seems like u don't accept the use of the present tense.  That's why u r puzzled; probably not ur kid.  Gotta b open-minded.  That's why I'm saying - relax.  It's nothing major.

PS - U said u asked ur kid to use the present tense because u need to score marks.  I wouldn't agree to it as a parent.  U've got to talk to the teacher.  It doesn't matter whether u will arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.  U'll hv shown ur kid the right way people communicate.

原帖由 stccmc 於 10-2-10 09:01 發表
I don't want to discuss writing style and how many ways to describe a thing.  It is too big a topic for me. I seek to understand, not to change, the rationale behind choosing present tense over past t ...

ViviSporty

All right....easy....easy.  

People have kids.  U r not alone.  

Do go ahead with ur 'rt mind'.  It would do nobody no harm; and probably no change.  

Just take it easy.  Stay cool; and everything will be in place.  Put it aside for a couple of days n hv a vy happy Lunar NY holiday.

U hv my apologies if I ever hv offended u.

happyvalley

作文還雖要『Creative』 。