Donjeta
Adji Desir, missing from Florida
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
- Messages
- 19,246
- Reaction score
- 630
He made that comment after her body was found when speaking of the whole experience. I don't think the verbiage JM used should be interpreted as past tense. I doubt if he even knows correct tense. sorry. I am not sure if under those circumstances I would have perfect grammar either. Also if he was thinking of an instance in the past where she exibited those behaviours it would be natural to use past tense. e.g. she was wise the day she did not take candy from a stranger. If he was remembering past occasions. jmo
Just a sweet little girl, 6 years old, you know, all the ambition in the world, she could do whatever she wanted, uh, didn't really like strangers or anything like that, so very close knitted and just, very wise."
He doesn't really use any tense with the word wise since it's a separate addition in the end of the sentence but IMO there is no other way to understand "could do", "wanted" and "didn't like" except past tense. These aren't really events in the past imo, they are more general qualities that would go on and be present tense unless the child died or her personality changed, or the speaker hasn't seen her in a long time and doesn't really know what she's like nowadays.