Sequence of tenses in English. Video bonus: Coordination of tenses from English language coordination of tenses when

Please note that there is a rule according to which times are agreed upon in English language in complex sentences with additional clauses. It lies in the fact that the use of the tense of the predicate verb in the subordinate clause depends on the tense of the predicate verb of the main sentence.

This rule is subject to additional subordinate clauses, that is, those sentences that answer the question What? What ? Most often they are introduced using the conjunction that — What, which is often omitted altogether.

General rule

This rule is strictly observed in cases of replacing direct speech with indirect speech, when in the main sentence the predicate is expressed by one of the verbs introducing indirect speech: to say to tell talk, say , to ask ask, to answer reply , to declare declare etc.; and also when the main clause contains verbs: to know know, to think think, believe , to believe believe, believe , to expect expect, count , to promise promise and so on.

If the predicate verb of the main sentence is in one of the forms or, then the predicate verb of the subordinate clause can be in any tense that is required by the meaning. In this case, the time coordination rule does not apply.

Rules for agreeing times

If the predicate verb of the main sentence is in one of the past tense forms, then the predicate verb of the subordinate clause must be in one of the past tenses or in the future from the point of view of the past (Future in the Past).

In this case, the following three rules are observed:

1 . If in the main sentence the predicate verb expresses a past action, and the action of the subordinate clause occurs in the same period of time as the action of the main one, then in the subordinate clause we use Past Simple or Past Continuous. Translated into Russian by the present tense:

2 . If in the main sentence the predicate verb expresses a past action, and the action of the subordinate clause occurred before the action of the main one, then in the subordinate clause we use Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous. Translated into Russian using the past tense:

If the subordinate clause indicates the time of action (in 1998, yesterday), then it is used Past Simple, not Past Perfect:

3 . If in the main sentence the predicate verb expresses a past action, and the action of the subordinate clause is future from the point of view of the action of the main one, then in the subordinate clause we use Future in the Past. Translated into Russian by the future tense.

In a complex sentence with several subordinate clauses, the rule of tense agreement is observed in all subordinate clauses:

Exceptions

The rule for coordinating times is not respected.

1 . If an additional subordinate clause expresses a well-known position, fact, judgment, etc.:

2 . With modal verbs must must, should, ought to should and need necessary , which do not have past tense forms:

Modal verbs can And may have past tense forms could And might, which are used in additional subordinate clauses if the main verb is in the past tense.

3 . In subordinate clauses of attribute, manner of action, cause and effect, where any temporary forms required by meaning can be used:

Changing words in indirect speech

When agreeing on tenses, the adverbs change depending on the context:

Tense agreement is one of the most important topics in the English language. In order to construct your narrative correctly and beautifully, you need to be able to use tenses correctly. This article will help you understand these subtleties of English grammar.

What is tense coordination?

The sequence of tenses, or in other words, agreement (sequence of tenses) is the dependence of the form of the predicate verb in the subordinate clause on the tense of the verb in the main clause.

In oral or written speech, it is often necessary to limit oneself to various temporary events to describe the events that occurred. Changing the form of verbs just helps the reader or listener to give a clear idea of ​​the sequence of all actions in the story. To avoid confusion, the author must use all time transitions competently and clearly.

The principle of coordinating times applies when two important conditions are met:

1. The selected sentence has a complex structure (consists of a main and dependent clause).
2. The predicate verb in the main clause is in the past tense.

If these conditions are present, the verb in the subordinate clause must also take the past tense form. But which of the past tenses? After all, there are many forms of it in English. To choose the desired type of past tense, you need to combine the action of the verb in the subordinate clause with the action of the verb in the main one.

Coordination of past tense and present

If the action of a verb in the present tense expresses the simultaneity of the actions of the predicate of the main clause, then the verb in the subordinate clause takes the form or.

The choice of the past tense will depend on what the action itself was: an action-fact requires the Past Simple, and a long-term action in development requires the Past Continuous.

He said he worked(was working) in America. - He said that works in America.

The word "works" refers to the present tense, that is, to the moment when he spoke. The tenses are consistent in that a verb in the present tense is expressed through the Past Simple / Past Continuous.

Mary explained us they were trying to light a fire. – Mary explained to us that they were trying to light a fire (action in progress).

Agreement between past tense and past tense

In cases where the verb in the subordinate clause is in the past tense and precedes the action of the predicate of the main clause, the verb of the main clause takes the form Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

He said he had worked in America. - He said that have worked in America.

The word "worked" is used in the past tense, preceding the moment when he spoke. “Worked” expresses precedence of the action of the main word (said) and is constructed using the Past Perfect (had worked).

Not said he had been working in America for 20 years. – He said that he worked in America for ten years (preceding the action in the trial).

I told my sister I had cut my hair “I told my sister that I cut my hair.

Coordination of past tense and future

When the predicate in a subordinate clause is in the future tense, then Future in the Past is used.

He said he would work in America. – He said that he would work in America.

“Will work” refers to the future tense form of the main clause predicate (said).

He said he would try to help us to decorate the office. “He said he would try to help us decorate the office.”

Agreement between past tense and modal verbs

They agree with the tenses as follows:

• Must in the subordinate clause does not change, but in the meaning of necessity the expression is used haveto (hadto for past tense).

He said I must do homework every day. He said that I should do my homework every day.

He said I had to see the dentist. – He said that I should go to the dentist.

• Can obeys the rule of tense agreement and has the form of the past tense ( could).

I knew he could speak Spanish well. “I knew he could speak Spanish well.”

I didn't know he could play hockey “I didn’t know he could play hockey.”

General time coordination table

Exceptions

Despite the above cases of time coordination, in some situations they are not required at all. There are several such points, but they are important to remember in order to avoid confusing Sequence of Tenses with exceptions:

1. Well-known truths. When we are talking about established concepts or situations that no one will challenge. Often these are laws of nature and phenomena:

He didn’t try to persuade her that the Earth is round. “He didn’t try to convince her that the Earth was round.”

1. News reports and reviews. Coordination is not required in political reviews and texts written in a business style:

The vice-president mentioned that the level of economy is rising. – The Vice President mentioned that the economic level is increasing.

1. Repetitive actions. What happens on a regular basis:

John asked his colleague what time the bus usually arrives. John asked his colleague what time the bus usually arrives.

1. Some modal verbs.Shouldneed And oughtto will not agree because they do not have the past tense form:

Mother said that I should return by 3 p.m. “Mom said I should be back by three.”

1. In cases where exact time is specified. When there is a clear reference to time in a sentence, the Sequence of Tenses is not required:

She said to her friend that she was born in 1980. - She told her friend that she was born in 1980.

It is important to know

Not only times are subject to change, but also the circumstances of place and time:

• demonstrative pronouns this/that, indicating the distance of objects, turn into these/those;
• here And over change to over here And over there;
• words yesterday And tomorrow become the day before And next day;
• will changes to would.

That's basically it. Pretty simple, right?

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

The rule of tense agreement is one of the basic laws of the English language, on which all indirect speech is based.

It is as follows:

If in a complex sentence the verb in the main clause is in one of the past tenses, then in the subordinate clause the verb must be in one of the past tenses (Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous) or in one of the Future in the Past forms .

There are 3 cases:

• • The action in the subordinate clause occurred simultaneously with the action in the main clause. In this case, tenses are used in the subordinate clause Past Simple And Past Continuous.For example:She said, “I travel a lot.” ⇒ She said she travelled a lot.

    He said, “I 'm reading an amazing book.” ⇒ He said he was reading an amazing book.

  • The action in the subordinate clause preceded the action in the main clause. In this case, the tense is used in the subordinate clause Past Perfect.For example:They said, “We watched a movie yesterday.” ⇒ They said they had watched a movie the day before.
  • The action in the subordinate clause will occur later than the action in the main clause. In this case, one of the forms is used Future in the Past.For example:We said, “OK, we’ll go to the cinema on Saturday” ⇒ We said we would go to the cinema on Saturday.

The table below shows how tenses change when moving from direct to indirect speech.

Note 1

There are, however, cases when the time coordination rule does not apply:

• If a subordinate clause states a well-known fact.

For example:

Everyone except Michael knew that the author of “Animal Farm” is George Orwell. Following the rule of tense agreement, we would have to use the Past Simple in the subordinate clause. But since it is known that the author of the story “Animal Farm” is George Orwell (this is a fact), the Present Simple tense in the subordinate clause does not change to Past Simple.

• In colloquial speech, provided that the speaker’s words convey information that is relevant at the time of speech. For example: Sorry, I didn't know it 's your birthday today. Similarly, following the basic rule, we would have to use the Past Simple tense in the subordinate clause. However, since the speaker’s words convey the state of affairs that is real at the time of speech, Present Simple does not change to Past Simple.

Note 2

You should also know that if in the main clause the verb is in one of the forms of the present tense or future tense, then the rule for agreeing tenses in the subordinate clause does not apply. The time required is used according to the meaning.

He has said, “Well, I’ll discuss everything with my colleagues.” ⇒ He has said that he’ll discuss everything with his colleagues.

Note 3

If in a complex sentence there is a subordinate clause of condition (i.e. entered if, in case, provided, etc.) or time (i.e. entered when, as soon as, till, etc.) relating to the future (that is, one in which the future tense is usually replaced by the present), then when agreeing on tenses in a subordinate clause, the present tense is replaced by the past.

For example:

He said, “I’ll call you when I come home.” ⇒ He said that he would call me when he came home.

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.

Other English topics: Present continuous table of formation of constructions and situations of use

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).

Other English topics: How many tenses are there in English, consider time groups

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.

Tense agreement in English: this is something to remember. How to correctly coordinate Simple tenses with other tenses? You will learn the answer to this question from our article.

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Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish between the use of Perfect/Progressive and Simple tenses in a particular case. For example, the difference between Present Perfect Progressive (He has been repairing his car) and Past Simple Progressive (He was repairing his car) can be blurry.

In a single example, it is possible to distinguish between these times, but only in context will the difference between the indicated times be clear and obvious.

This is due to the fact that the use of one or another verb tense may depend on the time frame inherent in the context. Let's look at how in English.

Coordination of the simple past tense (Past Simple) with Perfect/Progressive elements

Let's look at an example:

• By the time mother came back home, Jane had already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she had been watching TV that time. Jane turned off the TV set and gaily ran to meet her mother, who was standing in the hall and carrying a beautiful book. - By the time her mother returned home, Jane had already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she was watching TV. Jane turned off the TV and joyfully ran towards her mother, who was standing in the hallway with a wonderful book in her hands.

In this example, the verbs in Progressive (had been watching, was standing and carrying) describe actions that are in progress in relation to other actions that have occurred, described with (came, turned off, ran).

The action in the Past Perfect (had finished and cleaned) shows that it happened before the main event (mother came back home).

Coordination of the Present Simple with Perfect/Progressive elements

If we consider the above example as or a movie, it will look like this with an emphasis on the present tense:

• By the time mother comes back home, Jane has already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she has been watching TV that time. Jane turns off the TV set and gaily runs to meet her mother, who is standing in the hall and carrying a beautiful book. - By the time her mother comes home, Jane has already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she is watching TV. Jane turns off the TV and joyfully runs towards her mother, who is standing in the hallway with a wonderful book in her hands.

In the present tense, verbs in the Progressive (has been watching, is standing and carrying) also indicate actions that are in progress in relation to the main actions expressed in the present tense (comes, turns off, run).

Action in the present perfect tense, (has finished and cleaned), indicates that certain events occurred before the events indicated by the main tense Present Simple (mother comes back home).

Coordination of the simple future tense (Future Simple) with Perfect/Progressive elements

Imagine that our example is a prediction of some psychic or futurist. In this case, the narrative time frame will move to , and our excerpt will look like this:

• By the time mother comes back home, Jane will have already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she will have been watching TV that time. Jane will turn off the TV set and gaily run to meet her mother, who will be standing in the hall and carrying a beautiful book. - By the time her mother comes home, Jane will have already finished her homework and cleaned her room. As usual, she will watch TV. Jane will turn off the TV and joyfully run towards her mother, who will be standing in the hallway with a wonderful book in her hands.

In this example, as in the two previous ones, the verbs in the Progressive (will have been watching, will be standing and carrying) denote ongoing events parallel to the main actions. For example, an action in the future perfect continuous, Future Perfect Progressive (will have been watching), indicates an action that will begin before the actions of the main time of the story (Future Simple) and will continue when they occur.