Question

Which parts of the story The Shot in the Dark show us that it was written in the past?

Answer 1

One clue that this story is set in the past and was written in the past is that Bertie is fishing for money and only comes up with a sixpence, which the author refers to earlier as a sixpenny. The sixpence is an outdated English coin that used to be worth six pence, or one-fortieth of a pound sterling. The pound was formerly worth 240 pence. After the United Kingdom decimalized its money system in 1971, the pound was worth 100 pence (called "new pence"). The sixpence continued to be accepted as legal tender until 1980, when it was discontinued. When the United Kingdom decimalized its currency, the 5 pence and 10 pence coins became more useful than the sixpence. Bertie's use of a sixpence coin tells the reader that this story was written and takes place in the past, as modern writers and readers would likely not recognize the sixpence coin.