Creation of a tense agreement system in English. Sequence of Tenses in English

Tense agreement is one of the most important topics in English grammar. To make your story, essay or composition clear and consistent, you need to learn how to properly coordinate English times. Shall we learn the rules?

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In written language it is often necessary to describe, that is, to tell a story. Competent and consistent storytelling is an important point in creating any written work.

Here are some tips for agreeing verb tenses in English that will help you in your writing:

• The past tense is perfect for describing events and referring to an author, his ideas, which are historical realities. An example is a biography of a famous person or a story about an event that happened.
• The present tense should be used not only to state facts, describe constant and familiar phenomena in life, but also for your own reasoning in the essay.

Rule 1. If the verb of the main clause has the form of the present or future tense, then the verb of the subordinate clause will have any form that is required by the meaning of the sentence. That is no changes will happen, the agreement of times does not come into force here.

Rule 2. However, if the verb of the main clause is in the past tense form (usually Past Simple), then the verb of the subordinate clause must be in the form one of the past times. That is, in this case the tense of the subordinate clause will change. All these changes are reflected in the table below (the most common times are shown).

Table 1.Coordination of times.

However, in some cases, tense agreement is not used.

Table 2. Cases when tense agreement is not used.

It should be remembered that when times are coordinated, some words (circumstances of time and place) also change.

Table 3. Changes in the circumstances of time and place when agreeing on times.

A characteristic feature of the English language is the so-called coordination of times: The tense of the verb of the subordinate clause depends on the tense of the main clause.

The rule of tense agreement is particularly difficult when the predicate of the main sentence is expressed by a verb in one of the past tense forms.

In this case, the forms of the present and future tenses of verbs cannot be used in subordinate clauses, although we are talking about actions that are performed in the present or will be performed in the future.

If the verb in the main clause is in one of the past tenses, then the verb of the subordinate clause must be in one of the past tenses.

In such cases, the rule for coordinating times allows for three main options:

If the action is subordinate clause occurs simultaneously with the action in the main clause, then you need to use Past Simple or Past Continuous:

They told us, “We are going to the library.” They told us: “We are going to the library.” They told us they were going to the library. They told us they were going to the library.

If the action in the subordinate clause precedes the action in the main clause, then the verb in the subordinate clause is used in the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous:

We were told, “It was raining a lot.” They told us: “It rained a lot.” We were told that it had been raining a lot. We were told that it had rained a lot.

If the action in the subordinate clause follows the action in the main clause, then you need to use one of the Future-in the-Past tenses:

She said: “I will try to get the highest mark on the exam.” She said, “I will try to get the best grade in the exam.” She said she would try to get the highest mark on the exam. She said that she would try to get the best grade in the exam.

English tense agreement table

Exceptions:

The time in the subordinate clause may remain unchanged if the exact time is indicated in it:

He told us, “I took part in the Moscow Olympic games in 1980.” He told us: "I took part in the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980." He told us he took part in the Moscow Olympic games in 1980. He told us that in 1980 he took part in the Moscow Olympic Games.

Or if we are talking about a well-known fact:

Newton proved that bodies attract each other. Newton proved that bodies attract each other.

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Tense agreement in English

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.

Orally or writing It is often necessary to limit oneself to various temporal 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 select the right type past tense, it is necessary to combine the action of the verb in the subordinate clause with the action of the verb in the main clause.

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: the action-fact requires the Past Simple, and long action in development – ​​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 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 that 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 must do 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.

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 all. Pretty simple, right?

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

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