Transition of tenses in English. Time after if and when: Present or future? Sequence of tenses: exceptions to the rules

The English language is characterized by specific features of tense agreement. For beginners, some points may be incomprehensible, since the use of tenses in English differs from those rules that are appropriate for the Russian language. Let's look at tense agreement in English , basic rules, and also provide a list of examples with translation.

Tense agreement in English

Speaking about the coordination of tenses, it should be remembered that the tense of the main clause dictates the tense of the verb the subordinate clause. The basic rule for agreeing tenses is -> in what tense the verb is used in the main part of the sentence, the verb in the subordinate clause will also be in the same tense.

When the verb of the main clause is in the past tense, the verb of the subordinate clause must also be used in the past tense. This case allows the use three main options =>

1. The action of the subordinate clause occurs simultaneously with the action of the main clause (we use Past Continuous/Past Simple) ->

• Mary explained us, ''They were trying to catch the bird''. “Mary explained to us: “They were trying to catch a bird.”
• Children told us they saw a man walking downtown. — The children told us that they saw a man walking into the city center.

1. The action of the subordinate clause precedes the action of the main clause (we use Past Perfe ct Continuous/Past Perfectt) ->

• The scientists were told that it had been snowing a lot these days. — The researchers were told that a lot of snow fell these days.
• I told my sister I had cut her dress — I told my sister that I cut her dress.

1. The action of the subordinate clause follows after the action of the main one (we use one of the tense forms Future in the Past)

• He said he would try to explain the rule in all the details. “He said he would try to explain the rule in detail.
• He said:''I will try to explain the rule in all the details’’ - He said: “I will try to explain the rule in all the details.”

Below is a table of tense agreement in English:

But! Please note that the tense in subordinate clauses may remain unchanged. This is possible if:

1. Specified exact time =>

• She explained us, ''They took part in those competitions in 1995.’’ - She explained to us: “They took part in those competitions in 1995.”
• She explained us they took part in those competitions in 1995. - She explained to us that in 1995 they took part in those competitions.

1. We are talking about well known fact(in most cases these are laws) =>

• Newton proved that the bodies attract each other. — Newton proved that bodies attract each other.

To make it easier to understand the above table, consider another one that shows the features of use verbs in direct and indirect speech:

A few examples:

• She said she was a lawyer. — She said that she was a lawyer(she is a lawyer).
• Maria asked if I could help her. —Maria asked if I could help her(if I can help her).
• The girl said she was going to school. — The girl said that she was going to school(that she is going to school).
• The teacher said he was not happy with the results. — The teacher said that he didn't like the results(he doesn't like the results).

From the examples it is clear that indirect speech in English differs from direct speech, both in the structure of sentences and in translation.

Let's look at some more sentences that clearly show how verbs change in different tenses:

• I don't know what to do -> She said that she didn't know what to do (Present Indefinite -> Past Indefinite).
• I am studying hard -> She said she was studying hard (Present Continuous -> Past Continuous).
• The girls have been waiting for their mother since early morning -> The girls said that they had been waiting for their mother since early morning (Present Perfect Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous).
• The cat has eaten the sausage -> She told us that the cat had eaten the sausage (Present Perfect -> Past Perfect).
• We cut the branches last month -> They told us that they had cut the branches the previous month (Past Indefinite -> Past Perfect)
• You shall do it in the other way -> She said she would do it in the other way (Future Indefinite -> Future Indefinite in the Past)
• She was baking the cake when I saw her -> She said she had been baking the cake when I had seen her (Past Continuous -> Past Perfect Continuous).

Note! When agreeing on tenses, not only tenses (verbs) change, but also adverbs with prepositions:

Here are some examples:

• We made the cake last week-> They told us they had made the cake the previous week.
• Yesterday I told you not to follow me -> She said that the day before she had told you not to follow her.
• I saw him several weeks ago-> He said that he had seen him several weeks before.

Let's sum it up

Tense agreement in English is a rather complex and important topic. Knowing the basics of tense agreement, you will be able to communicate correctly with foreigners, creating for yourself the image of a literate and well-read person. The topic is quite complex, but you can study it if you take one point (time) every day, gradually studying new times (but at the same time repeating those already studied). It is also important to repeat the material you have covered, since the accumulated knowledge, especially over a short period of time, can turn into a kind of mush in your head.

Don't try to take in everything at once. Start with simple times, gradually moving on to more difficult ones. If you need not one, but two or three days to learn time coordination, then give yourself as much time as you need. Remember: the main thing is to achieve a result (complete study of the topic), and how long it took you to learn it - in three days or in a week, is the second question. Good luck and patience! Fortune smiles on those who persistently move forward and do not give up their positions! And don’t forget to do the exercises in English with translation. This will help you better understand the intricacies of the topic and expand your vocabulary.

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One of those grammatical phenomena in the English language that is absent in Russian and therefore deserves separate consideration is the agreement of tenses in English.

The agreement of tenses in the English language (it is called Sequence of Tenses) is a situation where the direct dependence of the so-called subordinate part of a complex sentence on the main one can be traced. Provided that the tense in the main part belongs to one of the Past categories, then the subordinate part must be coordinated with it and also put in the past tense. This is how agreement works, and more detailed information with a table comparing English and Russian forms, as well as example sentences, is presented below.

Comparison of sentences with tense agreement in Russian and English

Such a concept as the Sequence of Tenses is characteristic only of the English language; Russian speakers do not observe such changes in time.

A mandatory condition on which compliance with tense agreement depends is the main part of the sentence standing in the past tense. The main part is the one that introduces the situation and usually begins with the main parts of the sentence - subject and predicate: he said, I saw, she asked, etc. If the main part is in the Present, then, naturally, no coordination is required, and the sentence is constructed in a completely normal way. Compare:

· She knows that we regularly go to school – She knows that we regularly go to school
· She knew that we regularly went to school - She knew that we regularly go to school

The translation shows that, despite the presence of the Past form in the English sentence, the present tense is preserved in the Russian language, and the main factor in the appearance of Sequence of Tenses is precisely the main part in the past form. By translation, it is important to show that no changes are taking place and there is no need to transfer the situation to the past.

English tense agreement table

with translation and examples of the same sentences in Russian, where in the first column there will be the original form of the subordinate clause, in the second - the form shifted one step back, which is what the agreement requires, and in the third - the translation.

At times, there is no time shift, since forms below them do not exist. Those. if the original form was, for example, Past Perfect, then it will remain so upon approval. The situation is similar with the Future in the Past, time for which there are all the same forms as the usual Future - Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.

Basic uses of tense agreement

In English, tense agreement is most relevant in object clauses. It looks like this:

· Johnson said he knew what kind of place I spoke about - Johnson said he knew what kind of place I was talking about
· Judy answered she wanted to see me the following week and invited to her cottage house – Judy said she wanted to see me next week and invited me to her country house

However, agreement is often found in other subordinate clauses - in subordinate clauses of the subject, predicate, attribute, etc.:

· The main thing was what he was going to do next - The main thing was what he was going to do next
· She had a feeling that Andrew wouldn’t come again - She had a feeling that Andrew wouldn’t come again

These examples show that the subordinate part is adjacent to the main part, which is in the Past Simple, and when in Russian the translation is in the present, the rule of tense agreement affects the change from Present to Past.

Sequence of Tenses is found no less often in. The coordination of tenses in indirect speech, where the meaning of the spoken words is conveyed, and not the direct speech of a person, has its own laws and rules. So, the principle of shifting times back a step is relevant here. If in direct speech there was a form of Present Simple, in indirect speech there will be Past Simple, if it is Present Continuous - Past Continuous, etc.:

· Harry: “I want to come on Monday” = Harry said he wanted to come on Monday
· Michael: “I’m working in my office now” = Michael said he was working in his office then

Cases where time coordination is not required

Despite the obvious examples described above, there are situations where the rule of tense agreement in English should be forgotten. There are several such situations, and it is important to know them so as not to confuse cases of using Sequence of Tenses with the following exceptions:

1. Well-Known Facts

Agreement of tenses is not required in those phrases that are often referred to as generally known truths, facts that no one will dispute. This usually includes natural laws and phenomena:

· Little Teddy knew that water consists of hydrogen and oxygen – Little Teddy knew that water consists of hydrogen and oxygen
· He didn’t try to persuade her that the Earth goes round the Sun – He didn’t try to convince her that the Earth revolves around the Sun

2. News reviews

Tense agreement in English is often not needed in news and political reports when the topic is something formal and expressed in a strict style:

· The vice-present mentioned that people want to leave at peace. The Vice President mentioned that people want to live in peace.
· The speaker promised that level of the country’s economy will be raised soon. The speaker promised that the level of the country's economy would soon rise.

3. Regular actions

Coordination of tenses does not apply if we are talking about a constant and habitual action performed regularly:

· Philip asked the guard what time the bus usually arrives. Philip asked the employee what time the bus usually arrives.
· He is required if the museum works every day or not. He asked whether the museum was open every day or not.

4. With some modal verbs

If the sentence uses the model verb should, ought to or need, then there will be no agreement, since they have past tense forms. Some argue that must should also be included, but sometimes the equivalent of this word in the past tense is had to:

· Father said that I should return by 3 p.m. My father said I should be back by three.
· He told a young man that he ought to suggest a place to for a pregnant woman. He told the young man that he should give way to a pregnant woman.

5. When specifying the exact time

Provided that the sentence indicates the exact time at which the action occurred, there is still no need to coordinate times:

· She informed the judge that she was born in 1980 – She informed the judge that she was born in 1980
· David answered that he graduated from the university in June, 2015 – David answered that he graduated from the university in June 2015

All these cases should be taken into account in order not to get into a stupid position and at the same time comply with all the rules of grammar associated with Sequence of Tenses. It is important to remember that not a single video lesson can teach you to speak competently if a person does not understand the rule and practice it, therefore it is better to treat such specific phenomena of the English language as the coordination of tenses with special attention.

The rule of tenses is one of the features of the English language. Tense agreement is a special dependence of the verb form of the predicate in the subordinate clause on the tense of the verb in the main clause.

Rules for agreeing times are:

If in the main clause the verb is in any of the present or future tenses, then in the subordinate clause the verb can be in any tense.

Time coordination table No. 1. 12 examples.

If the main clause contains a verb in one of the past tenses, then in the subordinate clause all verbs are also used in one of the past tenses.

Time coordination table No. 2. 8 examples

Changing times is carried out according to the following scheme.

If you need a more detailed explanation, refer to the article, in which we consider each of the cases in detail. If you need more examples, you will find them.

Thus, if in the main clause the verb is in one of the past tenses, then the tenses PastSimple andPastContinuous in the subordinate clause indicate the simultaneity of actions:

Joanna noticed suddenly that I was not listening. “Joanna suddenly noticed that I wasn’t listening.

My first thought was where they were. “My first thought was where are they now?”

He had thought it was his own son. “He thought it was his own son.”

If in the main clause the verb is in one of the past tenses, then the tenses PastPerfect and PerfectPastPerfectContinuous in a subordinate clause indicate that the action described in the subordinate clause occurred before the action in the main one:

I understood that something had happened. – I realized that something had happened.

The fact was that her sister Rose had married her boyfriend. – The fact is that her sister Rose married her boyfriend.

If in the main clause the verb is in one of the past tenses, then the tenses of the Future-in-the-Past group (would instead of will) in the subordinate clause indicate that the action described in the subordinate clause will occur later than the action in the main clause. It can also be a guess about the future from the perspective of the past.

I hoped she would soon be better. “I hoped she would feel better soon.”

The fact remained that none of us would see them till late at night. “The fact remains that none of us saw them until late at night.”

The sudden thought that Nelly would not come at all flashed through his head. “The sudden thought that Nellie wouldn’t come at all flashed through his head.

In complex sentences containing more than two main / subordinate clauses, the choice of verb tense in each of the subordinate clauses is carried out depending on the form of the verb in the main clause to which they refer.

Let's look at 2 proposals.

In the first one we see that the main part (1) has one subordinate clause (2). For parts (3) and (4), the main part is part (2), and therefore we coordinate the times of parts (3) and (4) not with part (1), but with part (2).

In the second sentence, the main part (1) has a subordinate clause (2), for part (3) the main part is part (2), and therefore agreement occurs with it.

Sequence of tenses: exceptions to the rules.

As with almost any other rule, there are also exceptions.

The timing rules are not followed in the following three cases:

• when a subordinate clause describes so-called general truths.

The other day I read in a book that everything alive consists mostly of water. The other day I read in a book that all living things are composed mainly of water.

• when a subordinate clause describes actions by referring to the actual present, future or past in dialogue or in radio or television reports.

Maggy, I was saying to you - and I beg you to listen to me - that as far as I have known Mrs. Smith, she has conducted herself well.

“Before the flier crashed,” the operator said ten minutes later, “he gave me information. He told me there are still a few men alive in these mountains.”

• when the predicate verb of the subordinate clause is one of the modal verbs that do not have past tense forms.

Mum said I must come at once.

Mum thought you should come too.

Now you can perform .

A special case of the tense agreement rule is indirect speech, so we also recommend the following article.

Lesson 9

There is no such phenomenon in Russian grammar. The tense agreement rule states that if the predicate of the main clause is in the past tense, then the predicate of the subordinate clause will always be in one of the past tenses.

From the above it follows that, firstly, the rule for coordinating tenses is observed only in subordinate clauses, and secondly, if the predicate of the main sentence is in the present or future tense, then the rule for coordinating tenses does not apply, and the predicate of the subordinate clause is used in any time required by meaning:

I think (that [the conjunction that may not be used.]) he is right. – I think (that) he's right.
I think that he was right. – I think he was right.
I think he will be right. – I think he'll be right.
I shall ask him where she is now. – I'll ask him where she is now.
I shall ask him where she was yesterday. – I'll ask him where she was yesterday.
I shall ask him where she will be at 2 o"clock. – I'll ask him where she will be at 2 o'clock.

So, the rule of tense agreement comes into force only when the predicate verb of the main sentence is in the past tense. In this case, the predicate of the subordinate clause will always be in one of the past tenses.

There are three time relationships:

I. The actions expressed by the predicates of the main and subordinate clauses are simultaneous. Moreover, in an additional subordinate clause Present Simple changes to Past Simple, Present Continuous to Past Continuous.
Consider a simple declarative sentence with a verb in the form Present Simple:

Doesn't live in London.
He lives in London.

If we make this sentence a subordinate clause of the main clause, the predicate of which is in the past tense, then the predicate of the Russian subordinate clause will retain the form of the present tense, and the predicate of the English subordinate clause, subject to the rule of tense agreement, will change the form Present Simple to Past Simple:

(Past Ind.) He said(Past Ind.) that he lived in London.
(Past time) He said (Present time) that he lives in London.

A few more examples:

1. My brother is reading. (Present Continuous)
My brother is reading (now)
Ho: (Past Ind.) I saw (Past Cont.) that my brother was reading.
(Last time) I saw,(Present time) what my brother is reading.

2. She likes Moscow. (Present Simple)
She likes Moscow.
But: She said that she liked Moscow.She said that she likes Moscow.

3. She is sleeping. (Present Continuous)She is sleeping.
Ho: I knew that she was sleeping.
I knew she was sleeping.

The rule of tense agreement does not apply if the subordinate clause informs about generally known facts:

The teacher said that the sun rises in the East.
The teacher said that the sun rises in the East.

II. The action expressed by the predicate of the subordinate clause precedes the action of the main one, while in the additional subordinate clause Present Perfect And Past Simple change to Past perfect.

Didn't come on Monday.
He arrived on Monday.

But: I heard that he had come on Monday.
I heard that he arrived yesterday.

Has not bought a new flat.
He bought a new apartment.

But: Didn't say that he had bought a new flat.
He said that he bought a new apartment.

In this case, we simply follow the rule for using the Past Perfect tense: it denotes a past event that occurred earlier than another past event:

Pete said that he had already seen the film.
Peter said that he had already seen this film.

III. The action of the subordinate clause occurs later than the action in the main clause. In this case:

1. Future Simple changes to Future Simple-in-the-Past(future uncertain in the past)
2. Future Continuous – on Future Continuous-in-the-Past(future continuous in the past)
3. Future Perfect – on Future Perfect-in-the-Past(future perfect in the past)
4. Future Perfect Continuous – on Future Perfect Continuous-in-the-Past(future perfect continuous in the past).

All times Future-in-the-Past are formed by mechanically replacing auxiliary verbs:

Shall on should.
Will on would.

1. Will not write his report in the library. – I knew that he would write his report in the library.
(Future Simple) – (Future Simple-in-the-Past).
He will write a report in the library. – I knew that he would write a report in the library.

2. Will not be writing his report in the library from 10 till 12 o"clock. – I knew that he would be writing his report in the library from 10 till 12 o"clock.
(Future Continuous) – (Future Continuous-in-the-Past)
He will write a report in the library from 10 to 12 o'clock. – I knew that he would write a report in the library from 10 to 12 o’clock.

3. Will not have his report written by Monday. – He said that he would have written his report by Monday.
(Future Perfect) – (Future Perfect-in-the-Past)
He will write the report by Monday. He said he would write a report by Monday.

4. By Monday he will have been writing his report for 5 days. – I was said that by Monday he would have been writing his report for 5 days.
(Future Perfect Continuous) – (Future Perfect Continuous– in-the-Past)
By Monday it will have been 5 days since he wrote the report. – I was told that by Monday it will be 5 days since he wrote the report.

II. Test sentences

VOCABULARY FOR LESSON 9

to think –[θɪŋk] – think
to be right – – to be right
to hear – – hear
to buy – – buy
all – – all, all, everything, everything
article –["ɑːtɪkl] – article
to be sure – – sure
to promise -["promɪs] – promise
to shave –[ʃeɪv] – to shave
bathroom –["bɑːθruːm] – bathroom)
to forget - – forget
to wind – – wind (watch)
watch – – wrist watch
to freeze –["frɪ:z] – freeze
zero –["zɪərəu] – zero
degree – – degree
centigrade -["sentɪgreɪd] – centigrade divided by one hundred degrees
centigrade thermometer –["sentɪgreɪd θə"mɔmɪtə] – Celsius thermometer (thermometer with a centigrade scale)
to happen –["hæp(ə)n] – happen, occur

To deepen the topics in this section, do not skip the section.