ABSTRACT
In order to understand the functions of tense-switching in the corpus, it is useful to take a closer look at the nature of the discourse in question. Moreover, the fact that there tend to be substantial amounts of direct speech at narrative peaks where tension is at its height increases the chances of shifting occurring in the context of evaluative or subjective sections of the discourse. In short, tense-switching with verba dicendi represents a point of convergence between structural, expressive, and metalinguistic functions. As far as the oral narrations in the corpus are concerned, the structural functions performed by tense switches between PC and NPR and vice versa within the complicating action represent probably the dominant function of tense-switching. One further structural function involves a small number of examples where a short section of a different narrative is embedded in, or added to the main narrative.
