Exercises:

Ex. 40. Use the required future forms in the following sentences:

1. How terribly nice of you to come! I just (to wash) off and (to get) my coat on, and then I (to show) you round. 2. I (to clean) up when you come with my things. 3. Не says they (to finish) the house by the end of next month. 4. Meg cast herself on her father's knee and threw her arms about his neck. "Your father's tea (to get) cold, Meg," said her mother. 5. He probably (to get) here in about three weeks. By which time I (to return) to the University. 6. "I don't have a job." "Don't be scared. We (to find) some­thing." 7. In that case we (to take) a taxi. 8. You can't live that far from the office. In a little while you (to look) for a place back here. 9. Your father (to be) disappointed. 10. He never (to make) much money. 11. He (to eat) an orange every day. 12. He (to practise) the violin all the afternoon. 13. All of Bennet's men (to wait) when the union organisers show up. 14. The judge (to ask) you a few questions.

Ex. 41. Choose the best-suited means of denoting future actions for the following sentences:

1. I (to write) to Jack tonight and (to make) sure that he (to meet) you and (to look) after you. 2. I have the feeling that something (to happen), and it depresses me. 3. "Can I help you, Mary? You (to wash) up?" "No. Casie (to do) it. I (to take) some strawberries up to Uncle Willy." "May I come, too? I just (to go) as far as the cottage." 4. Well, I (to speak) to Aubrey. I (to see) him at lunch. 5. Do you think there (to be) a war? 6. I suppose I (to stay) here a little longer. 7. Sooner or later you (to get) over it. 8. I never (to forget) that night. 9. We soon (to see) who is right. 10. Whatever damage they (to do) they (to pay) for it. 11. "Ann," said her mother, "here is news that (to surprise) you. Phil has come from abroad. He (to come) to see us tomorrow." 12. If you (not to go) I (to fetch) my husband. 13. It (to be) a real pleasure for me to see them back. 14. Roy is on his way. He probably (to get) here in about three hours. 15. Do put something on, Tony. You (to catch) cold. 16. We (to have) coffee after dinner as usual. 17. You should go and say good-bye to your mother. The train (to leave) in twenty minutes. 18. No, I don't think you can see her. And she (to do) her home­work after supper. 19. A soft voice said: "Are you locked out? Don't worry. I (to let) you in." 20. "Now I feel much stronger. And the doctor says I (to leave) the hospital soon." 21. I (to tell) you the whole story one of these days. 22. I'm sure you (not to like) the play. 23. He certainly (to expect) you to come. 24. Tell me all about it. I (not to mention) it to anybody. 25. You must keep away from the road until it (to be) dark. The peasants (to go) to market soon. 26. It is September already. The leaves (to fall) soon. 27. The sun (to set) by the time we (to get) home. 28. This book (to tell) you all about it. 29. When we (to get) back he (to have) a bath and we (to find) him asleep in his bed. 30. She was still sitting in the chair in which he had left her. "Hello, why haven't you dressed for dinner?" He looked about the room. "You haven't even unpacked." "I (not to unpack). I (not to stay) here. I (to leave) you." 31. "Now that you have arrived, what you (to do) with yourself in England?" "Hunt a job. I expect I (to end) as a chauffeur. Where you (to stay)?" "With my people at first, anyway. If you still (to want) to see me when you (to be) home a week, you (to find) me there." 32. Unlike me, he can't remain alone for any length of time. Place him in my position and see what (to happen). Within an hour he (to look) for his morning paper, within two hours he (to invite) his friends in to play poker.

UNIT 8

Means of Expressing Future Actions Viewed from the Past

There are special forms to express future viewed from the past. The most common is the Future-in-the-Past (Future-Indefinite-in-the-Past, Fu­ture-Continuous-in-the-Past, Future-Perfect-in-the-Past).

1) Future Simple-in-the-Past is structurally de­pendent, expresses the time relatively and is mainly found in object clauses after past forms in the principal clause.

• He was sure I should get the job.

2) The Future Continuous-in-the-Past shows that an action is ex­pected to take place in the natural course of events. It is structurally dependent and is found in object clauses.

• He said he would be seeing her that evening.

3) Future Perfect-in-the-Past (should/would have done) denotes an action completed before a definite moment which is fu­ture from the past.

• I was afraid that he would have left by the time I got home.

There are other means of expressing future actions viewed from the past.

1) The Past Continuous is used to express a future-in-the-past action which is fixed.

• In the letter she said she was coming back in a fortnight.

2) be to + infinitive a modal phrase indicates a previous arrangement and implies obligation.

• He was excited because his book was to be published next month.

3) be going to + infinitive may mean a) intention in object clauses and b) unavoidable action in reported speech:

• Finn said he was going to write a letter to his uncle.

• If only we knew what was going to happen.

4) Past Indefinite may be used in two structurally dependent cases:

a) future action viewed from the past in clauses of time and condition:

• I told him if he didn't hurry up he would get no breakfast.

Note: In other clauses Fu­ture-in-the-Past is used even with con­j. when and if.

• I asked him if he would stay another week with us.

b) in object clauses after to see (= to attend), to take care or to make sure.

• He knew that Rosa would see that it did not happen.

Rules of the Sequence of Tenses

In subordinate clauses the tenses are used relatively, i.e. the tense form shows if the actions of subor­dinate and principal clauses are simultaneous, preceding or following. The choice of the tense in subordinate clause depends on the tense form in principal clause. This structurally dependent use of tenses in clauses is called the rules of the sequence of tenses.

This relative use of tenses is observed in object clauses.

Rule 1. If the action of object clause is simultaneous with principal clause, Past Indefinite or Past Continuous is used in object clause no matter which past form is in the principal clause (Past Indefinite, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, or Future-in-the-Past).

• I thought you were joking.

• He had not realized how nervous she was.

• He would never know what she was thinking.

Rule 2. If the action of object clause precedes that of principal clause, Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the object clause.

• The people knew where she had been, what she had been doing.

• He was telling them what he had been concealing.

Rule 3. If the action of object clause follows that of principal clause, Future-in-the-Past is used.

• He thought of how wet they were going to get in the rain.

• She knew that George would be waiting for her.

Sequence of tenses in object clauses is sometimes violated:

1). in present-time contexts after a past principal clause when the idea is made to actual present (a), past (b) or future time (c). This is used in dialogues, newspaper and ra­dio reports.

a) I told Lewis that we are worried about him.

b) I think you said you came in a taxi.

c) I came to tell you that I'll vote against you.

2). dealing with facts of general truth. In this case Present Simple is used in object clause.

• You made me understand what love really is.

• They were young and did not know what it is to be in society.

3). with modal verbs having one form: must, should, ought and need.

• I wrote that I must see him.

• I knew that from now on he should do no more work.

• Two people advised me that I ought to see a doctor.

Sequence of tenses is strictly ob­served in:

a) subject and predicative clauses:

• Why they had voted against him was a mystery. (subj.)

• My fear was that he would forget what he was sup­posed to do.(predicative)

b) appositive clauses (приложение):

• The author doubted that readers of the paper would support the candidate.

c) clauses of purpose (mainly with can and may):

• I wanted to move to London so that I could begin a new life.

• He exclaimed loudly and clearly, so that all might hear.