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(Code and Color Key)
An Exercises in Changing Tenses
From A Book of Myths,
by
Jean Lang
In Present Tense:
From his throne on Olympus, Zeus looks
down on the earth and sees, with wonder, airy columns of
blue-grey smoke that curl upwards to the sky. He watches
more closely, and realizes with terrible wrath that the moving
flowers of red and gold that he sees in that land that the
Titans share with men, come from fire, that
had hitherto been the gods' own sacred power. Speedily he assembles
a council of the gods to mete out to Prometheus a punishment fit for the
blasphemous daring of his crime. This council decides at
length to create a thing that should for evermore charm
the souls and hearts of men, and yet, for evermore, be man's undoing.
In Future Tense:
From his throne on Olympus, Zeus will look
down on the earth and see, with wonder, airy columns of blue-grey
smoke that curl upwards to the sky. He will watch
more closely, and realize with terrible wrath that the moving
flowers of red and gold that he sees in that land that the
Titans share with men, come from fire, that
had hitherto been the gods' own sacred power. Speedily he will assemble
a council of the gods to mete out to Prometheus a punishment fit for the
blasphemous daring of his crime. This council will decide
at length to create a thing that should for evermore charm the souls and
hearts of men, and yet, for evermore, be man's undoing.
Analysis Key (FYI)
{From
his throne} {on Olympus},
Zeus looked
down {on the earth}
and saw,
{with wonder}, airy
columns (DO) {of
blue-grey smoke} [Adj.
to "smoke" that
curled upwards
{to the sky}].
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He watched
more closely,
and realized
{with
terrible wrath} [DO
that the moving
flowers {of red and gold} [Adj.
to "flowers"
that he
saw {in
that land} [Adj.
to "land" that the
Titans shared
{with men}]],
came {from
fire}, [Adj.
to "fire" that
had hitherto
been the
gods' own sacred
power (PN)]].
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Speedily he
assembled a
council (DO) {of
the gods} to
mete out {to Prometheus}
a punishment fit [#1]
{for the blasphemous daring}
{of
his crime}. |
This council
decided {at
length} to create a
thing [#2] [Adj.
to
"thing" that
should {for
evermore} charm
the souls
(DO) and hearts
(DO)
{of men}, and
yet, {for
evermore}, be
man's undoing
(PN) [#3].
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Notes
1. "Fit" is a verbal (a gerundive) that functions as an
adjective to "punishment." "Punishment" is the direct object of the verbal
(infinitive) "to mete (out)." The infinitive phrase functions as an adverb
of purpose to "assembled."
2. "Thing" is the direct object of the verbal (infinitive)
"to create." The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of "decided."
3. "Undoing" is a verbal (a gerund). |