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Tense in Main/ Independent Clause |
Purpose of / Tense in Dependent Clause |
Example(s) |
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1. If the verb in the principal clause is in the present or the future tense, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense |
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Simple Present |
to show same-time action, use the present tense |
I am eager to go to the concert because I love the Wallflowers. |
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to show earlier action, use past tense |
I know that I made the right choice. |
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to show a period of time extending from some point in the past to the present, use the present perfect tense. |
They believe that they have elected the right candidate. |
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to show action to come, use the future tense. |
The President says that he will veto the bill. |
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If the tense in the principal clause is in the past tense, the tense in the subordinate clause will be in the corresponding past tense. |
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Simple Past |
to show another completed past action, use the past tense. |
I wanted to go home because I missed my parents. |
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to show an earlier action, use the past perfect tense. |
She knew she had made the right choice. |
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to state a general truth, use the present tense. |
The Deists believed that the universe is like a giant clock. |
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to show action to come later, use the future-in-the-past tense. |
The President said that he would veto the bill. |
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Present Perfect or Past Perfect |
for any purpose, use the past tense. |
She has grown a foot since she turned nine. The crowd had turned nasty before the sheriff returned. |
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Future |
to show action happening at the same time, use the present tense. |
I will be so happy if they fix my car today. |
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to show an earlier action, use the past tense. |
You will surely pass this exam if you studied hard. |
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to show future action earlier than the action of the independent clause, use the present perfect tense. |
The college will probably close its doors next summer if enrollments have not increased. |
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we do not use future tense after when, until, before, after etc |
I will call you when dinner is ready. I shall wait until you return |
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Future Perfect |
for any purpose, use the present tense or present perfect tense. |
Most students will have taken sixty credits by the time they graduate. Most students will have taken sixty credits by the time they have graduated. |
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Exceptions |
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Past Tense |
to expresses some universal truth, we may use present tense |
Copernicus proved that the earth moves round the sun. Newton discovered that the force of gravity pulls all bodies to the Earth. He forgot what temperature Fahrenheit water freezes/boils. |
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to inform about a timetable, law or order, we may use present tense |
He said the train arrives at 6 p.m. He learned that the hotel concierge usually locked the front door at midnight. She found out that he still worked at a bank. |
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after the conjunction of purpose THAT |
I study that I may pass. I will study that I may pass. I studied that I might pass. We eat that we may live. He ate that he might not die. |
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Expressions such as if only, as if, it is time and wish that are usually followed by past tenses. |
I wish I was a bit taller. It is time we started working. He talks as if he knew everything. |
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Direct Speech / Quoted Speech |
Indirect Speech / Reported Speech |
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Saying exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech) Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word She said, "Today's lesson is on presentations." "Today's lesson is on presentations," she said. |
Indirect /reported speech doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word. When reporting speech, the tense usually changes because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too. |
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"I'm going to the cinema", he said. |
He said he was going to the cinema. |
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TENSE CHANGE |
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Present simple She said, "It's cold." |
Past simple She said it was cold. |
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Present continuous She said, "I'm teaching English online." |
Past continuous She said she was teaching English online. |
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Present perfect simple She said, "I've been on the web since 1999." |
Past perfect simple She said she had been on the web since 1999. |
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Present perfect continuous She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years." |
Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching English for seven years. |
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Past simple She said, "I taught online yesterday." |
Past perfect She said she had taught online yesterday. |
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Past continuous She said, "I was teaching earlier." |
Past perfect continuous She said she had been teaching earlier. |
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Past perfect She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived." |
Past perfect NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived. |
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Past perfect continuous She said, "I'd already been teaching for five minutes." |
Past perfect continuous NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been teaching for five minutes. |
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will She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow." |
would She said she would teach English online tomorrow. |
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can She said, "I can teach English online." |
could She said she could teach English online. |
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must She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online." |
had to She said she had to have a computer to teach English online. |
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shall She said, "What shall we learn today?" |
should She asked what we should learn today. |
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may She said, "May I open a new browser?" |
might She asked if she might open a new browser. |
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Note! - There is no change to: could, would, should, might and ought to. |
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"I might go to the cinema", he said. |
He said he might go to the cinema. |
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You can use the present tense in reported speech if you want to say that something is still true i.e. my name has always been and will always be Lynne so:- |
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"My name is Lynne", she said. |
She said her name was Lynne. She said her name is Lynne. |
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You can also use the present tense if you are talking about a future event. |
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"Next week's lesson is on reported speech ", she said. (exact quote) |
She said next week's lesson is on reported speech. (not exact) |
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TIME CHANGE If the reported sentence contains an expression of time, you must change it to fit in with the time of reporting. For example, we need to change words like here and yesterday if they have different meanings at the time and place of reporting. |
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"Today's lesson is on presentations." |
She said yesterday's lesson was on presentations. |
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this (evening) |
that (evening) |
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today |
yesterday ... |
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these (days) |
those (days) |
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now |
then |
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yesterday |
the day before |
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(a week) ago |
(a week) before |
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last weekend |
the weekend before last, the previous weekend |
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here |
there |
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next (week) |
the following (week) |
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tomorrow |
the next / following day |
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In addition, if you report something that someone said in a different place to where you heard it you must change the place (here) to the place (there). |
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At work "How long have you worked here?" |
At home She asked me how long I'd worked there. |
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PRONOUN CHANGE |
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Me "I teach English online." |
You She said she teaches English online. |
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REPORTING VERBS Said, told and asked are the most common verbs used in indirect speech. |
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We use asked to report questions |
I asked Lynne what time the lesson started. |
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We use told with an object. |
Lynne told me she felt tired. (me is the object) |
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We usually use said without an object. |
Lynne said she was going to teach online. |
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If said is used with an object, we must include to |
Lynne said to me that she'd never been to China. |
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Note! - We usually use told. |
Lynne told me that she'd never been to China. |
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There are many other verbs we can use apart from said, told and asked: accused, admitted, advised, alleged, agreed, apologised, begged, boasted, complained, denied, explained, implied, invited, offered, ordered, promised, replied, suggested and thought. |
He asked me to come to the party: He invited me to the party. He begged me to come to the party. He ordered me to come to the party. He advised me to come to the party. He suggested I should come to the party. |
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In reported speech, the word that is often used. |
He told me that he lived in Greenwich. |
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However, that is optional. |
He told me he lived in Greenwich. |
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Note! - That is never used in questions, instead we often use if. |
He asked me if I would come to the party. |
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REPORTING QUESTIONS |
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"Where are you going?" "Why is he shouting?" |
He asked me where I was going. He asked me why he was shouting. |
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NEGATIVE QUESTIONS We do not use the auxiliary verb 'do', except in negative questions. |
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"Who doesn't like cheese?" |
She asked me who didn't like cheese. |
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Yes/no questions We report yes / no questions with 'if' or 'whether' |
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"Do you want me to come?" |
I asked him if he wanted me to come. |
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"Have you fed the dog?" |
She asked me whether I had fed the dog. |
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Who, what, which When we report questions with 'who, what or which' + to be + complement, the verb 'to be' can come before or after the complement. |
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"Who is the champion?" |
She asked me who the champion was OR She asked me who was the champion. |
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"What is your favourite colour?" |
She asked me what my favourite colour was OR She asked me what was my favourite colour. |
Приклади вправ на граматику:
1. I knew that she … Madrid before, so I asked her to recommend a good hotel.
a) has visited b) has been visiting c) visited d) had visited
2. She promised to help me if I … the answer myself.
a) haven't found b) won't find c) didn't find d) wouldn't find
3. He said that they … each other for many years.
a) know b) knew c) have known d) had known
4. I saw that she … to hold back her tears.
a) tries b) has been trying c) is trying d) was trying
5. He knew that she … as her eyes were red.
a) is crying b) was crying c) has been crying d) had been crying
6. I asked her whether she … there with me, but she said no.
a) goes b) will go c) is going d) would go
7. She said that the robber … her when she was opening the door to her apartment.
a) attacked b) was attacking c) has attacked d) had attacked
8. I wanted to see her but I didn't know if she … in town.
a) is b) were c) was d) had been
9. He told me that he would visit them when he … from Spain.
a) has returned b) will return c) returned d) would return
10. My younger daughter learned in class yesterday that the Earth … around the Sun.
a) revolves b) revolved c) is revolving d) was revolving
A) 1. I waited for my friend until he … (come).
2. He ran as quickly as he … (can).
3. He ran away because he (be) afraid.
4. He was so tired that he … (can) barely stand.
5. After the rain was over, the sun … (shine) out again.
6. His health … (improve) since he left the city.
7. Whenever we meet we … (talk) of old times.
8. Wherever he … (preach), people gather to listen.
9. Galileo maintained that the earth … (move) round the sun.
10. Newton discovered that the force of gravitation … (make) apples fall.
B) 1. I found that my son … (be) awake.
2. The pickpocket confessed that he … (pick) my pocket.
3. He was so tired that he … (can) scarcely stand.
4. He said that I … (be) a lazy good-for-nothing boy.
5. No one could explain how the prisoner … (escape) from the prison.
6. Euclid proved that the three angles of a triangle … (be) equal to two right angles.
7. Italy went to war that she … (extend) her empire.
8. The passage is so difficult that I … (can, not) comprehend it.
9. The boy was so indolent that he … (do, not) pass.
10. In my perplexity I requested my guide to tell me what I … (have) to do.
A) 1. My uncle says he has just come back from the Brighton.
2. He says he has spent a fortnight in the Brighton.
3. He says it did him a lot of good.
4. He says he feels better now.
5. He says his wife and he spent most of their time on the beach.
6. He says they did a lot of sightseeing.
7. He says he has a good camera.
8. He says he took many photographs while travelling in the Brighton.
9. He says he will come to see us next Sunday.
10. He says he will bring and show us the photographs he took during his stay in the Brighton.
B) 1. Nick says he is going to the hotel to see his friends, who have just arrived in St. Petersburg from the United States of America.
2. He says they have not been here for a long time.
3. He says they were friends at school.
4. He says he will take them to the theatre on Sunday.
5. They say they will write me a letter when they return home.
6. Mike says he is sure Ann and Kate will be excellent guides.
7. He says they have made good progress in English.