Chapter 8

Comparisons of thought presentation in PREST and PAST

This chapter compares thought presentation in PREST and PAST, category by category on the cline from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. In present-tense narrative, FDT is the primary means to present character thought, and its unique role in this context will be brought out not only by comparing FDT in both corpora but also by comparing FDT in PREST with FIT in PAST. After discussing the direct forms, the usage of indirect forms will also be examined in the contexts in which they occur and be compared. NI, which is often regarded as intermediate between thought presentation and narration, will be examined independently, excluding it from the indirect forms. At the end of the chapter, we will review the issue of what are the norms for speech and thought presentation.