[Grammar] By the time

[Maybo]

She sinks. By the time they drag her out the second time, her lips are the blue of a bruise, and her breath is gone for good.


1. Why present tense? When do we use 'by the time' for present tense?

2. Why is there an article before blue?

 

[Rover_KE]

Always tell us the source and author of any quoted text, please.

 

[Maybo]

Always tell us the source and author of any quoted text, please.

Into_the_Water_Paula_Hawkins_first_chapter
https://www.google.com.hk/url?sa=t&...k7IDEEkZo9mJfDvNQ&sig2=6WOZKC-VyVWshH6VoA508g

 

[GoesStation]

1. The passage is written in the historical present, which is sometimes used in narratives to convey a sense of immediacy.

2. Her lips are blue. What kind of blue? The blue of a bruise. The first "blue" is an adjective; the second is a noun.

 

[Maybo]

1. The passage is written in the historical present, which is sometimes used in narratives to convey a sense of immediacy.

2. Her lips are blue. What kind of blue? The blue of a bruise. The first "blue" is an adjective; the second is a noun.

Does "by the time" mean 'when',so we don't need to use present perfect?

 

[Rover_KE]

The writer has chosen to use the historical present.

 

[GoesStation]

Does "by the time" mean 'when',so we don't need to use present perfect?

Yes. It's more a matter of style than necessity, though. The passage could have used past tenses.

 

[Maybo]

Yes. It's more a matter of style than necessity, though. The passage could have used past tenses.

I saw many examples of"by the time" use different tense for different clauses in a sentence,like"Simon will have perfected his English by the time he comes back from the U.S.",so ,is it ok to use same tense in two clauses?e.g. By the time I sleep,she goes out.