Время и причинность в сложном рассказе

main thread → to go back a step / flashback (Past Perfect) → meanwhile (Past Continuous) → cut back to / to return to (Past Simple) → bring the strands together; leading up to, in the run-up to; одно отступление — один объявленный возврат

тогда: at the time, what I didn't know was, unbeknown to, little did I know (Past Perfect для факта); момент: only later did I realise, it was only when … that, it dawned on me, as it turned out; из сегодня: with hindsight, in retrospect, should have; сначала «тогда», потом «потом»

Past Perfect — завершилось до точки (by then, had already, up to that point); Past Perfect Continuous — длилось до точки (for some time, for an hour); Past Continuous — шло в точке (was still … when); Past Simple — точка (the moment, no sooner had … than); глаголы состояния — без Continuous; не больше двух had подряд

as if / as though + то же время — правдоподобно; + сдвиг назад (Past после Present, Past Perfect после Past, were) — нереально; look / sound / feel / act / seem as if; as if to (жест); впечатление: to all appearances, give the impression of, seemingly ↔ действительность: in reality, turn out to be

не знаю: for whatever reason, whether … or …, I can't say; намёк: it may be no coincidence that; предположение: I suspect, conceivably, or so I assume; вероятно: in all likelihood, the likeliest explanation; оговорка: I can't rule out; глаголы по силе: coincide with < prompt < contribute to < bring about < cause

возврат: to return to, which brings us back to, as I was saying, anyway, where was I?; отсылка времени: that same evening, later that day; отсылка предмета: the aforementioned, the latter (о двух); сжатие: to cut a long story short; итог: the point is; после возврата — Past Simple; отсылка на одно место