The past static and definiteness of verbal processes in time

In about 87% of its uses the Past Static is combined with no indi­cators of time whatever, as in the following two sentences which open one of H. G. Wells' stories:

The lieutenant stood in front of the steel sphere and gnawed a piece of pine splinter. "What do you think of it, Steve?" he asked (H. G. Wells).

The use of time indicators with the Past Static is, however, quite common, as in:

One winter day a young porcupine lay on a branch of a big spruce tree (W. S. Gray).

The time of a verbal process denoted by a verb in the Past Static can be known to both speaker and listener (a), to the speaker only (b), just to the listener (c), to neither (d), for example:

1. 1. "I don't know." —"But you lived in Cape Town." — "I still don't know, mother" (P. Abrahams); 2. "I suppose you might as well meet my daughter. Come along, Sheila. This is Sheila." — "We met, remember?" (A. Kingsley); 3. "Daddy!" I called. "Your gloves are gone!"— "Huh? Did that bastard take them?" — "He must have. They're not there" (J. Updike) (Peter and his father had given a man a lift in their car. They had dropped him at the bridge);

2. "Have you got a radio?" Lee asked.—"Yes, sir." — "Where'd you get it?"—"I bought it" (E. Caldwell); 2. "That reminds me," said Alexander, chattily, "of a story I heard" (P. Wodehouse); 3. "That phone call wasn't from my mother. It was from a girl I used to know" (A. King­sley); 4. "I know, I worked in a hospital once" (A. Maltz);

3. 1. "He had a scar on his left hand. "How did you come by that?" (D. H. Lawrence); 2. "Oh, that's a fine thought, and cleverly expressed. You made it up?" — "Well, not exactly" (S. Lewis); 3. "You're scared, aren't you?" the constable said. "What scared you?" (G. Greene); 4. There were many pages. "Golly!" said Jeremy. "Did you write all this?" (H. Walpole);

4. 1. "The Press boys are after us; everything from the 'Dalton Echo' to the national dailies. God knows how it leaked out" (H. Smith); 2. Everybody listened. Distantly a siren wailed. "Somebody phoned for an ambulance" (R. Bradbury); 3. Judy followed the footprints to the huge oak tree by the fence. "The animal went up this tree," she said, pointing to tracks on the snowy tree trunk. "I guess a squirrel made these tracks." — "Right!" said George (W. S. Gray).

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In accordance with its temporal meaning, tjie Past Static is used when the speaker associates verbal processes with particular circum­stances in the past, when he reproduces the past itself. Temporal asso­ciations may be, and often are, among such circumstances, but they may also have been obliterated in the speaker's memory.

Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases of Time Frequently Combined with the Past Static

The following adverbs and adverbial phrases of time are frequently combined with the Past Static: ago (since); all night, etc.; already; always; constantly, incessantly, etc.; as yet, yet; at ten o'clock, etc.; by now, by ten o'clock, etc.; ever, never, before; for two hours, etc.; in 1950, etc.; in the morning, etc.; in my time, etc.; in the past; just; just now; last night, etc.; long ago (since); then, just then; one day, etc.; once; the other day; now; still; suddenly; this morning, this week, this summer, etc.; till ten o'clock, etc.; today, tonight, etc.; yesterday.

The adverbs and the adverbial phrases ago, in 1950, last night, the other day, yesterday are well known to every student of elementary English.

Already, as yet, yet, by now, now, in my time, in the morning, in the past, just, just now, long ago (since), once, this week, today and some others, in situations where the Beforepresent Static can also be used, are treated of in the Beforepresent section.

The section below illustrates the use of the Past Static with adverbs and adverbial phrases listed above only in cases where the Beforepres­ent Static is impossible.

Already: 1. Now that they were on land the heat, though it was so early in the morning, was already oppressive (W. S. Maugham); 2. Al­ready every second this blazing mass flew a hundred miles, and every second its terrific velocity increased (H. G. Wells); 3. He could not tell her what she already knew, that she and Steve were the stumbling-stones (G. Gordon).

Always. In accordance with its variant lexical meanings (all the time, uninterruptedly and on every occasion) the adverb always is used with verbs in the Past Static to refer to both single-act and repeat­ed processes, the ratio between the frequencies of combination with each of the two kinds of processes being 1 to 15 (sentences 1—2 and 3—4, respectively):

1. "She was crazy with hatred, and the heat of the Amazon was always in her blood" (A. C. Doyle); 2. They struck northward and north­ward (in the boat), and were carried always south (R. Macaulay) 3. He always found an excuse for not accompanying her into the streets (G. Gor­don); 4. She always picked things up by the wrong end, and put her clothes on back to front (E. Delafield).

Constantly, Incessantly, etc.: 1. She went constantly to the doc­tors for treatment and advice (Th. Wolfe); 2. Sullen clouds hid con­stantly the vault of heaven (Ch. Dickens); 3. But though he heard a great

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deal about Verner, there was one thing that continually eluded him (A. C. Doyle); 4. The cicadas sang ceaselessly, a droning hum that domi­nated the morning (G. Gordon); 5. It was a time of great perplexity. Lucy cried incessantly, bursting out at every trifle (Miss Yonge); 6. She talked real estate unendingly (Th. Wolfe).

Relative frequency of the adverbs: constantly — 63%; incessantly— 19%; ceaselessly, continually, unendingly — 6% each.

As Yet, Yet: 1. They were as yet unaware of the subtlety of his mind (Th. Dreiser); 2. He did not understand as yet the significance of the fire (Th. Dreiser); 3. Lunch was over and Soames mounted to the pic­ture-gallery in his house. Fleur was not yet home (J. Galsworthy).

At Ten O'clock, etc. The Past Static when combined with these adverbial phrases represents verbal processes with (a) or without any (b) emphasis on their limits:

1. 1. I awoke at three (J. Braine); 2. At that moment the postman came in with the mail (K. Mansfield); 3. At eight the gong sounded for supper (K- Mansfield); 4. At twelve o'clock I told Teddy that I was sick (J. Braine);

2. 1. Through the massive skylight the July sunlight at five o'clock fell just where the broad stairway turned; and in that radiant streak Jon Forsyte stood (J. Galsworthy); 2. At eight o'clock in the morning Miss Ada Moss lay in a black iron bedstead, staring up at the ceiling (K- Mansfield); 3. At that moment Susan looked no more than fourteen (J. Braine); 4. At three-thirty in the morning with his loaded bag beside him, he sat with other route boys in a lunch room (Th. Wolfe); 5. It was after lunch and the servants slept (W. S. Maugham); 6. The rain which threatened at twelve began at one (Th. Dreiser).

By Now, By Ten O'clock, etc.: 1. By now it was quite dark (F. Norris);

2. She knew by now that the Indian night comes quickly (Th. Dreiser);

3. By four o'clock it was apparent that death was near (Th. Wolfe);

4. By nine o'clock snow lay deep in the streets (Sh. Anderson); 5. By the middle of January I had a beard (E. Hemingway); 6. Toward two o'clock he reached Hooven's place (F. Norris).

One Day, That Night, etc.: 1. One silent winter afternoon a small shock-headed boy sat crouching under a sheep-pen (H. E. Bates); 2. That night the three young Englishmen and Dicker played till ten o'clock (E. Wallace); 3. "I am surprized that I did not hear him myself, for I slept badly that night" (M. Mitchell); 4. It rained so hard that Saturday that only Barry and Gerda went for a walk (R. Macaulay); 5. That day her bones ached and she felt frightened (Th. Dreiser).

Now: 1. When she heard Hundt's stealthy entrance through the backdoor, she did not pause in her brushing, but now a welcomirfg smile lit up her eyes and lips (G. Gordon); 2. I didn't really enjoy making love to Susan now (J. Braine); 3. She had stopped playing and now Steve moved towards the piano and pressed one of the keys (G. Gordon).

Never: 1. She was shy. She never spoke unless she was spoken to (Th. Wolfe); 2. She never stuttered with other people but only with father (K. Mansfield); 3. His big brother never took him anywhere (G. Gordon).

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Still: 1. The flower still clung with the grimmest tenacity to its victim (H. G. Wells); 2. She agreed again, but the smile still lingered round her lips (M. Mitchell); 3. She always took her son with her. They still slept together (Th. Wolfe); 4. When she came to the smooth oak of the staircase she still walked very quietly (E. Delafield).

Suddenly: 1. And suddenly, without warning, Fleur's heart ached. It ached definitely, rather horribly (J. Galsworthy); 2. He took her hand and held it for a little while, and then suddenly she was in his arms (W. S. Maugham); 3. Dipping long strokes and strong, the girl suddenly whirled the canoe about against the current and brought it gently to the shore (J. London).

Today, Tonight: 1. Today she felt on a sudden desperately sick (W. S. Maugham); 2. Now, today, however, he had her all to him­self (F. Norris); 3. Tonight she was as silent as he was (G. Gordon).

All Night, All Day, etc. The relative frequency of the adverbial modifiers)all night, all day, and the like when combined with verbs in the Past Static is as follows:

all night—22%; all day, etc.—20%; all through the afternoon, etc.—18%; all the time — 14%; the whole night, etc. — 10%; all day long—6%; all the evening—6%; all (that) morning — 2%; all night long—[2%.

All Night: 1. All night the wheels played the song he had known since he was a child (D. Cusack); 2. It rained all night (E. Hemingway); 3. I rowed ail night (E. Hemingway); 4. Victoria, more tired than ever before, slept all night, far into the next day (E. Delafield); 5. I thought about them all night (E. Hemingway); 6. All night they walked and never changed their pace (W. Faulkner).

All Day, etc.: 1. All day the plump fellow slept in the cool frosty air (W. S. Gray); 2. All day he paddled down the river (D. Russell); 3. All day Oliver rode westward (Th. Wolfe); 4. They sat silently all day long in the darkness of the house. (W. Faulkner); 5. It stormed all that day (E. Hemingway); 6. All the next day Kitty thought of the Con­vent (W. S. Maugham).

All through the Afternoon, etc.: 1. All through the afternoon she thought of Charlie (W. S. Maugham); 2. All through the waning summer he walked with Irene Mallard (Th. Wolfe); 2. Through the sleepless night the mosquitoes droned their angry chant (W. S. Maugham); 4. But he lay awake the whole night through (E. Voynich); 5. With keen admira­tion she covertly studied him through the meal (M. Mitchell); 6. Through all the drive he never relaxed, but only waited for the end of this ordeal (S. Lewis).

All the Time, All the Time (that) ... etc.: 1. His legs ached all the time

(E. Hemingway); 2. Simon hardly spoke to her at all. He talked to Vic­toria all the time (E. Delafield); 3. "To make matters worse I could in addition eat nothing, but vomited all the time" (A. Cronin); 4. All this time the writer sat there with a sort of stupid look on his face (E. Heming­way); 5. All the time that she spoke, his eyes were on her (E. Dela­field); 6. He swore at me all the time he held my leg (J. Conrad).

The Whole Night, etc.: 1.1 sat up with him the whole night (A. Munthe);

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2. John slept peacefully the whole night (A. Munthe); 3. She slept the whole afternoon (D. Cusack); 4. It rained torrents the whole day and the following night (A. Munthe).

All Day Long, All the Evening, etc.: 1. And all day long the stern-paddles churned the yellow paint of the water (S. Lewis); 2. Her mind ran over the picture all the day long (Th. Dreiser); 3. He rode all the evening (D. H. Lawrence); 4. It rained on all morning (E. Hemingway); 5. Automobiles roared and rattled over the rough country all night long (E. Caldwell); 6. All night long the grass waved in the courtyard below (E. Voynich).

For Two Hours, etc.: 1. For more than two hours she drove, hardly knowing where (J. Galsworthy); 2. For a year I lived a gay and a glori­ous life (Ch. Dickens); 3. It rained for three days (E. Hemingway); 4. I slept four hours and went out, staggering with weariness (S. Lewis); 5. For two or three minutes they did not speak (W. S. Maugham).

The Past Static in Sentences with an After-, As-soon-as-, Before and when-clause. The use of the Past Static with these clauses is treated of in the Beforepast section.