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Sequence of tenses : The Student and the Rose (3)

WHAT TENSES TO PUT IN A WHOLE TEXT ? 

Be careful ! Such a title obviously announces all kinds of traps ... Once again, you won't only have to use 'the right tenses', but also the right voice or form (active or passive), to pay attention to the context, to the sequence of tenses and also to the form of the speech which is used (direct or reported), so as to make the necessary adjustments ! 

This part 3 is the end of the story together with a few questions and reflections 'to go further' ... The story is logical, the text and tenses must be coherent, and to be so with the first two parts of the story.Take advantage of all the clues which are given to you, the milestones which are indicated, the words playing the role of time-markers ( given or just alluded to). All these elements will help you find THE right verbal form!

                               THE STUDENT AND THE ROSE. (Part 3)

The Nightingale had been willing to help the poor Student in Love find a red rose for his Beloved Lady. The white rose-tree had suggested a very efficient WAY of getting a red rose : The bird should sing her sweetest song to the tree, (piercing her heart while her blood would get into the tree,) and earn one rose of the most marvellous crimson colour.

The Nightingale had sung, and sung, given her blood and died ... but the rose was magnificent !

The following morning, the Student caught sight of the reddest rose he had ever seen ... A marvel ! He didn't try to find an explanation for the surprising colour of the rose .... as nothing mattered to him but the red rose (nothing ...but = only) which had mysteriously appeared overnight ...

This story was adapted from The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde. I couldn't betray the author and give it a happy ending ! Sorry !

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(Continued...)

Light-heartedly, the Student would headwas headinghad been headingheardheadedI don't know for the ball.
When he offered the crimson rose to his Love, he beamshas been beamingwas beamingbeamed's beamingI don't know. To his surprise, the girl looked at him, then, at the most beautiful rose he had ever seen, and scoffed... :-( She said : 'It didn't match eveneven doesn't matchdidn't match evendoesn't even matchI don't know the colour of my dress... and I 'd rather having'd rather to have'd rather have'd better havingI don't know the pearls and jewels offered by the young Nobles !'
The rose was threw awaywas thrown awaywas threwed away'd thrown awayI don't know, fell into the gutter, and was run over by a rushing cart...
And what of the Nightingale ? What of Her sacrifice ? What of the magnificent rose which has been crushedhad been crushingwas crushinghad been crushedI don't know to pieces and treadedtroddentroddedtroddenedI don't know by the passers-by.
Disgusted and ashamed, the Student was going backwent backgone backhas gone backI don't know to his books of Philosophy and promised to think more. The beautiful but superficial girl was resuming's resumingresumehad resumedresumedI don't know her hunt for material values ! Her heart wasn't (and has never beenwould never bewill be neverwould be neverwill never beI don't know) ready for True Love !
For the gentle and generous bird, Love was a value worth makingworth to makeworthed makingworthing makeI don't know sacrifices for ! Even the Utmost sacrifice... The Nightingale gave her Life for what she thought was True Love... She never could have ignoringcould never have ignorednever could have ignoredcould never have ignoringI don't know the Student's sorrow ! If she so had doneso diddid sohad so donedoes sohad done soI don't know, she wouldn't have lostcouldn't have lostcould have lostwould have lostI don't know her life, but her soul ! She had faced a real dilemma and she had madehad makingwas makingmadeused to makeI don't know a thoughtful and selfless choice !
Some might say she was naive and really stupid... Then, I'd answer that she believed in Ideals, Values and Absolute ! 'One of those idealists...', you'd say ! I'd reply: 'One of the most generous beings in the world... looking for Reasons to Hope ! People commonly used to callused to callingare used to callcallcalledI don't know them : HEROES !