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Call continue depend dress get give go last meet sail spend start take win see
In the dark days of next winter - to be exact, on Friday 10th February - the party ______________ at the Holton Hotel in West London, where it ______________ the first night. At dinner that evening everybody ______________ to know each other before our holiday ______________. Early next morning we ______________ the train to Tilbury where we ______________ on board our luxury liner, the S S. 'Sardonic'. The liner ______________ at six o'clock that evening for the warm, tropical waters of the Caribbean. The voyage across the Atlantic ______________ six days, with fun all the way. For example, there is the
fancy dress ball, when every passenger ______________as a different historical character and everyone ______________ a prize. Then, our ship ______________ first at Nassau in the Bahamas. The friendly faces there are world-famous; a welcoming party ______________ every lady enough flowers to fill her cabin. After two days the ‘Sardonic' ______________ her voyage south to Kingston, Jamaica. Here we ______________ plantations of sugar, the crop on which the economy of this West Indian island ______________.
SEQUENCES OF TENSES AND REPORTED SPEECH
The main rule:
When the predicate of the main clause is used in one of the past tenses, the predicates of all the subordinate clauses of the same sentence are also used in one of the past tenses.
1. Mind the changes that happen to tenses if they occur after the past verb in the main clause:
Present Indefinite Past Indefinite
e.g. I think John is in love with me. e.g. I though John was in love with me.
Present Continuous Past Continuous
e.g.I think Mary is cooking. e.g. I though Mary was cooking.
Present Perfect Past Perfect
e.g.I think David has finished his essay. e.g. I though David had finished his essay.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous
e.g.I think Julia has been working e.g. I though Julia had been working
in the garden since morning. in the garden since morning.
Past Indefinite Past Perfect
e.g.I think Philip knew Mary in the past. e.g. I though Philip had known Mary in the past.
Past Continuous Past Continuous/ Past Perfect Continuous
e.g.I think Laura was sleeping e.g. I though Laura was sleeping/ had been sleeping
when we came. when we came
.
Future Indefinite Future Indefinite in the Past
(will/shall) (would/should)
e.g.I think Eddie will pass his exam e.g.I thought Eddie would pass his exam
Future Continuous Future Continuous in the Past
e.g.I think Joanne will be sailing e.g.I thought Joanne would be sailing
this time next week. this time next week.
Future Perfect Future Perfect in the Past
e.g.I think Meg will have knitted this e.g.I thought Meg would have knitted this
sweater by Christmas. sweater by Christmas.
Future Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous in the Past
e.g.I think Ted will have been mending e.g.I thought Ted would been mending
his car for 3 hours when I come. his car for 3 hours when I came.
Notes:
· Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous remain unchanged.
· In spoken English all the abovementioned changes may not be observed.
· Sequence of Tenses is not observed when the subordinate clause contains:
a) the so-called “general truths”,
e.g. Looking at the night sky we suddenly realized that our solar system is just a tiny speck in the infinite Universe.
b) the description of a state of affairs which still exists when the speech is reported, the so-called ‘up-to-date reporting’,
e.g. Pat said, “I decided not to buy that house because it was on a main road.” Pat told that she decided not to buy that house because it was on a main road.
c) Modal verbs that have no past tenses like must, need, should, etc,
e.g. Marge phoned me and cried that I must come at once.
d) newspaper, radio and TV reports,
e.g. Before the plane crashed, the pilot told that he can see the lights of the take off.
e) conjunction “since”,
e.g. Jane said, “”I have been writing an essay since you left.” - Jane told that she had been writing an essay since we left.
f) Past Indefinite that shows an action taking place at a definite moment
e.g. Susan said, “I had left home before the telegram came.” Susan told that she had left home before the telegram came.
David said, “When we were living (lived) in France, we used to go to the sea very often.” - David told that when they were living (lived) in France, they used to go to the sea very often.”
g) Subjunctive Mood,
e.g. Julian said, “I wish I could pass all my exams easily.” Julian told that he wished he could pass all his exams easily.
Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1100
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