Ce n’est pas que au petit matin

Question

‘Ce n’est que au petit matin’ : pourquoi pas ‘ce n’était  que au petit matin’?

Cécile Janty-Davies · Accepted Answer

Hi Ian, 
Oops! 
In French we would use the present de narration, this is often different in English, as in this case.
Bonne Continuation !

Cécile Janty-Davies · Answer

Hi Ian,
Please take a look at the following page on which words can be elided, que being one of them.
https://french.kwiziq.com/revision/glossary/contraction/l-elision-elision
Bonne Continuation !

ian eyre-brook · Answer

Hi CécileThanks for spotting my error but my questions related to the test of être: why is it the present and no the imperfect ie c’est rather that c’étaitThanks

Alan Graham · Answer

Since the rest of the story is not in the present tense, I don't think this can be the présent de narration.

I answered a similar question here:

https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/questions/view/use-of-the-present-when-it-is-actually-the-past

I also found an explanation in a book, online. Here is a link to Google books, but I don't know if it will work for you:

https://tinyurl.com/yzr2cjmb