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The tenses within the sentence need not be the same; the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed with any of the oblique moods forms.

1) Relative tenses:

"I'm going to the airport tonight. By God! – it's time somebody did." (present + present)

She looks as if she had been handsome once, and her eyes are always weeping for the loss of her beauty. (present + past)

It was essential that the aircraft should seek a safer altitude below. (past + present)

2) Absolute tenses:

Ascher, Fraser or Barnard, possibly Mr. Clarke – those are the people the police would have suspected even if they had been unable to get direct proof. An unknown homicidal murderer would not have been thought of! Why, then, did the murderer feel it necessary to call attention to himself? (past tenses)

"You seem to forget I love Mr. de Winter", I said, "If you loved him you would never have married him. You tried to take Mrs. De Winter's place," Mrs. Danvers said. (present + past)

5.2.6. Thus, the tenses of the oblique moods express time relatively (simultaneousness or priority) when the sentence contains a verb in the indicative mood. If all the verbs in the sentence are in the oblique moods, the tenses express time absolutely (the present, past or future time).

1) Relative tenses:

Michael was not as tender as he had been. As if he were on guard against her. (simultaneousness) But it was as if he had never been away. (priority)

Connie had suggested to Mrs Bolton that she should learn to use a typewriter. (simultaneousness)

He said that if he were attentive he wouldn't have made the mistake. (simultaneousness; priority)

2) Absolute tenses:

You are so thoughtful, Esther," she said, "and yet so cheerful! And you do so much! You would make a home out of even this house." (the future time)

Do you regret you didn't marry Larry ten years ago?" "No. It would have been madness. (the past time)

"And another thing. You can't have an ordinary hunt because the beast doesn't leave tracks. If it did you'd have seen them long ago. (the present time; the past time)


Date: 2015-04-20; view: 1075


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Depending on the structure of the sentence the tenses express time relatively or absolutely. | The conditional mood is used in simple sentences
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