choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

Dear teachers,

This is the last part of the passage :

“Does she write?”
“Yes; and keeps up all her interest about politics. I have already told her that you are to stand for Tankerville. No one, no other human being in the world, 10 (will be) / WOULD BE / IS (?) so interested for you as she is. If any friend ever felt an interest almost selfish for a friend’s welfare, she 11 (will feel) / WOULD FEEL such an interest for you. If you were to succeed it would give her a hope in life.” Phineas 12 (sat) / WAS SITTING silent, drinking in the words that were said to him. If they were true, or at least meant to be true, they were full of flattery. Why should this woman of whom they were speaking love him so dearly? She was nothing 13 (to) / FOR him. She was highly born, greatly gifted, wealthy, and a married woman, whose character, as he well knew, was beyond the taint of suspicion, though she had been driven by the hard sullenness of her husband to refuse to live under his roof. Phineas Finn and Lady Laura Kennedy had not seen each other for two years, and when they 14 (had parted) / PARTED, though they 15 (had lived) / HAD BEEN LIVING / LIVED as friends, there 16 (had been) / WERE no signs of still living friendship. […] Now he 17 (was told) / WAS BEING TOLD by this woman’s dearest friend that his welfare was closer to her heart than any other interest!

“I dare say you always think of her?” said Lady Chiltern.
“Indeed, I do.”

“What virtues she used to ascribe to you! What sins she forgave you! How hard she fought for you! Now, though she can fight no more, she does not think of it all the less.” (WHAT DOES “IT” REFER TO ?)

“Poor Lady Laura!”
“Poor Laura, indeed! When one sees such shipwreck it makes a woman doubt 18 (whether) / IF she 19 (ought to marry) / SHOULD / MUST / HAD TO MARRY at all.”

Thank you for your help,
Hela

Re: choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

19- Has to marry
;-)

Re: choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

Do you mean that all the other alternatives are also correct ?

See you,
Hela

Re: choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

Dear teachers,

If ones chooses the progressive form in (12) should it be:

1) Phineas WAS SITTING silent, drinking in the words that were said to him. (12)
or
2) Phineas WAS SITTING silentLY, drinking in the words that were said to him.

By the way, how do you pronounce "Phineas Redux"?

Thanks a lot,
Hela

Re: choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

Silently

Fineeus Reducks

;-)

Re: choice of tenses (phineas) 2
 

Thank you, tdol. :-)