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THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES 1. GENERAL RULES

The rule states: if the verb in thaprinoipaLclause is in one of the past tenses, a oast tsnst (or future-in-the-past | must be used in the subordinate clause. The action expressed in the

prior or posterior to that of the principal clause. Study how the Rule of the Sequence o Tenses is observed in such clauses.

	Simultaneous Action	Prior Action	Future Action
	-he lived in Kiev	- he had already	- they would arrive on
		left Moscow	Sunday
	- they were waiting	oh yxe yexaji H3
	for us	MOCKBbl	eocKpeceHbe
1 knew	ohm «<ffyr Mac	- it had been raining	- they would be
(that) -	- he had bean living	as it was wet outside	working at 6
He said		men JjO"CO£>, T8K	b 6 ohh GyfffT
			paeoraTb
	1946rona	- she had been ill
	- he had known her	for two weeks	translated the article
	lor two years	oh a 6onejia flue	by Monday
		Henenn	oh ywe nepeseaer
			noHeae/ibHMKy

Study how the tenses are changed according to the rule of the Sequence of Tenses.

Present Indefinite I do...

Present Continuous He is doing... Present Perfect I've done... Past Indefinite I did...

Past Continuous I was doing... Past Perfect I had done...

Past Indefinite

I did...

Past Continuous

He was doing...

Past Perfect

I had done...

Past Perfect (or stavsthe same)

I did/had done...

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been doing...

does not change

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will (future) O			would
can	o		could
may	0		might
must	c>		must or had to
could	have done
might should	have done have done	o	do not change
needn't	have done

TIME AND PLACE CHANGES:

here q there

this o that

these o those

now o then / at that moment

today q that day

yesterday o I the day before | the previous day

a year ago o a year before

last night o the previous night

tonight o that night

Adverb changes depend on the context. It is not always necessary to make these changes, especially in spoken Indirect Speech.

Q "I'll see you tonight", he said. - He said he would see me tonight.

NOTES:

1. The main sphere where the Sequence of Tenses is applied is the object clause:

Q Harris said he knew what kind of place I meant.

2. If there are several subordinate clauses, in a sentence the rule is observed in all of them,

Q I knew that he had told her that he received the letters every week.

- flsnan, hto oh cxasaneifl, hto nonyvaer stm nucbMa Ka>KAyio Heae/iio. G I thought he would tell her that he intended to go to the Crimea.

- fl RyMsui, hto oh CKaxer efi, hto oh HawepesaercH noexarb b kpwm. Q He said that Jack had told her that he was writing a play.

- oh CKasan, hto ^bk roaoptw epi, hto oh ntmjer nbecy.

3. The Sequence of Tenses is not observed if the object clause expresses a general truth

or something is represented as habitual, customary or chargcjerjstic. Q The teacher told the children that water boils at 10O'C. G Galileo proved that the Earth moves round the Sun. Q He asked what time the train usually starts. Q We knew that he plays tennis well. Q The speaker said that the peoples want peace.

4. In when/Tf clauses we use Past Indefinite/Past Continuous/Past Perfect depending on the situation.

Q I thought that we would discuss the problem when the manager returned from Moscow.

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Q He said he would be reading while she was writing the letter. G He said that he would go home after he had translated the article

5. In attributive clauses, adverbial clauses of cause and comparison we also use Present

or Future.

O My brother told me about the book you are writing.

Q He was not able to translate the article because he doesn't know English well

enough.

Q He refused to go to the theatre because he will have an exam in a few days. Q It was not so cold yesterday as it Is now. O He was once stronger than he is now.

6. When we say how long something has been happening the sentence can have double meaning. It depends on the context or situation,

QI knew that she had been ill for two months.

1. fl 3Han, mto omb GoneeTyxeaBa Mecau,a.

2. fl 3H3J1, 4TO OH3 6OJJ6JJ3 fl,B3 MGCfHja.

But: Q I knew that she had been ill. - fl shsji, hto ohta Gonena.

Q He said that it had been raining. - oh CKasan, hto ujefiaoxxb.

7. Past Indefinite can stay the same if we use;

Q He said that he left Moscow 5 years ago. > a He knew that Peter was at home yesterday.

Q She said she was working when I rang her up.

H1945 2 years ago yesterday last week when he came But: G He said that he had left Moscow the day before.

two years before, the previous night.

8. The Past Indefinite after "since" generally remains unchanged. Q She said, "I have been writing since I came." - She said she had been writing since she came.

Ex. 1. (B, C) Say whether the action of the object clause precedes, follows or is simultaneous with the action of the principal clause in the following sentences:

1. He asked me what work I was doing and whether I intended to go to a university. 2. She claimed that she had met Monty on her way home. Monty had told her that I would probably come to his place later. 3. Then I thought about Mother. She would certainly ask me where I had been all day. 4. She said she would ba staying in town next day to do some shopping, 5.1 will say that we have agreed to provide for a child. 6.1 don't think that I shall ever work for your father. 7. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the youths had stopped talking and were watching us. 8.1 hope you know what you're doing. 9. In the hotel the waiter told me that an American had been staying there for three months. 10. It was also rumoured that Dan had got married.

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Ex. 2. (B, C) Explain how the rules of the Sequence of Tenses work in these clauses. Translate the sentences.

1. She called my mother to say that they had just got a telegram from Boston announcing that Henry's brother had been married in Germany. 2.1 knew she was itching to tell me what had happened. 3. He knew that his mother would think he was seriously ill and would prob­ably speak to the teacher. 4. He wanted to return to the house to see how Billy was doing and tell him that he would be going out to California in two or three days. 5. Rudy decided that he would have to tell Bogart that it was impossible for him to appear before the board the next day, but that he would offer to do so any other day.

Ex. 3. (B, C) Give your reasons as to why the rules of the Sequence of Tenses are not observed in the following sentences.

1. He says he is free tomorrow. 2. He spoke with the satisfaction of a competent workman who knows his job from A to Z. 3. He sought pleasure in the simple and natural things that life offers to everyone. 4. Monty told me that he had no permit for the gun, and that in England it is illegal to own a gun without a permit. 5.1 knew I should go; but we sat there because it is difficult to go without any particular reason for leaving. 6. Billy folded his arms and leaned back. "I told you I don't like milk."

Ex. 4. (B, C) Make the action of the following object clauses simultaneous with those of the principal clauses.

1. thought you (to have) better sense. 2. She could not imagine what he (to do) there. 3.1 forgot what he (to look) like. 4.1 did not know whether the doctor (to mean) what he (to say) or whether he (to have) a joke at my expense. 5. What surprised me was that Pat (to be) so much at home here. 6. He asked me what work I (to do) and whether I (to intend) to go to a university. 7.1 was surprised you (to know) my name. 8. He told his father that now he (to make) ten dollars a week less. 9. The last two weeks she had been saying to everyone who phoned her that she (to be) unwell and (not to leave) home. 10. When I knew him better he admitted that he (to feel) lonely in London. 11. She wanted Wilfred to forbid my walking in the park alone. She said it (to be) dangerous.

Ex. 5. (B, C) Make the actions in the following object clauses precede those of the principal clauses.

I. At ten o'clock he telephoned again, saying that he (to change) his mind. 2.1 knew that for the past twenty-five years he (to buy) the same paper each morning. 3. Indeed it was whispered that the headmaster (to receive) a telegram from the boy's father. 4. She seemed to have forgotten what (to happen) a few minutes before. 5. But he was uneasy. His wife would easily find out that he (to go) to Saigon. 6. It was not known where he (to spend) his early childhood. 7. The question was why he (to do) it at all. 8. Then he admitted that he (to live) since the summer in his father's house. 9. What she could not understand was why he (to tell) them such a pack of lies. 10 She wrote that they (to let) their house for a year.

2. I1. Her mother had once confided to her that she (to want) to be an actress. 12. It was probably true that he (to be) quite fond of his late brother. 13. One day she told me why she never (to get married). 14.1 wondered what she (to do) there so late at night.

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Ex. 6. (B, C) Use the required tense-aspect forms in the following sentences, observing the rules of the Sequence of Tenses, where necessary.

1. When I went into the office next morning I already (to formulate) my plan. 2. Well, I don't think I ever (to see) you before. 3. She ended by saying that she (to think) she (to make) a mistake. 4. She knew what (to go) on in their minds. 5. So I went into the living room, where my aunt already (to wait) for me. 6. She telephoned her husband to the office to say that her brother (to return) from abroad. 7. An old friend rang up to ask how Elizabeth (to feel), and whether she (can) go with his wife to the concert on Sunday morning. 8. Most of the trees already (to put) out their leaves and there were buds everywhere. 9. He remembered that he (not to see) Lily for three weeks. 10. She hadn't yet figured out what she (to be) going to do and she (to hope) to be able to wait a little. 11. It was possible that Jack (to hang) around. 12. Everybody thought they (to live) in happiness for nearly thirty years. 13. She didn't know why she (to invent) suddenly the story.

Ex. 7. (A, B, C) Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1 . Он мне говорил, что интересуется историей. 2. Он знал, о чем она думает. 3. Он сказал, что вернется очень скоро. 4. Я знал, что он живет в Лондоне. 5. Я знал, что она жила в Сан-Франциско. 6. Она мне не сказала, что говорила с ними. 7. Я думал, что он получает от нее письма. 8. Я был рад, что он получил от нее письмо. 9. Я думал, что они пригласят нас. 10. Я был уверен, что он работает на этом заводе. 11. Я был уверен, что он работает, и поэтому не вошел в комнату. 12. Он сказал мне, что видел их накануне. 13. Я был уверен, что он сидит в саду. 14. Она говорила, что книга ей нравится. 15. Я был уверен, что он живет здесь уже много лет. 16. Я вчера слышал, что они в Эдинбурге. 17. Мы слышали, что они были в Ливерпуле. 18. Я слышал, что они работают уже несколько месяцев. 19. Мы не знали, что он болен. 20. Мы не знали, что он так давно болен. 21. Он не знал, что мы знаем друг друга с детства. 22. Мне сказали, что они вчера вернулись в Москву.

Ex. 8. (B, C) Translate the following into English, observing the rules of the Sequence of Tenses.

1. Я был уверен, что он жалеет, что поссорился с ней. 2. Я подумал, что он устал, и спросил его, что он делал все это время. 3. У меня было впечатление, что он находится там уже некоторое время. 4. Я кивнул и сказал "да", чувствуя, что это именно то, что ей хочется. 5. Она говорила, что не может понять, почему они переменили решение. 6. У меня было подозрение, что она забыла упомянуть, что я жду его. 7. Я не имею понятия, знает ли она, что Фил будет здесь. 8. Кстати, Тед знает, что моя сестра приезжает завтра? 9. ОН*еще не знал, что будет делать в Нью-Йорке. 10. Он сказал, что они обсудят этот вопрос, как только директор вернется из Москвы. 11. Я думал, что вы позвоните мне, когда получите телеграмму. 12. Я сказал, что прочту эту книгу только после того, как сдам экзамены. 13. Он сказал, что не пойдет домой, пока не закончит эту работу. 14. Я боялся, что он будет-сердиться, если я не приду вовремя. 15. Он пообещал мне, что поговорит с профессором, если увидит его в университете.

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