Sequence

of tenses
IN ENGLISH THE TENSE OF THE VERB IN
A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE (MAINLY, AN
OBJECT CLAUSE) DEPENDS ON THAT OF
THE VERB IN THE PRINCIPAL CLAUSE.
THIS ADJUSTMENT OF TENSE-FORMS IS
CALLED THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES.
 The rules of the Sequence of Tenses:

1. A PRESENT OR FUTURE TENSE IN THE PRINCIPAL

CLAUSE MAY BE FOLLOWED IN THE SUBORDINATE BY
ANY TENSE THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE SENSE.

His horoscope reads that he has just had a rather difficult

financial period, but that this week he will be lucky with money
matters. It reads that today is his most successful day.
Thev have informed us that hospitals and rescue services coped
extremely well.
 2. A past tense in the principal clause must be
followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

A C
A. If the action of the
subordinate clause is B. If the ac
B C. If
subordinate c
the a c
la
t io
u
n
s e
of the
r
p
e
o
fe
s
rs t
terior
oa
tion of the m e n t (a
n subordina future mo
simultaneous with the actio clause is p
rior to the te
, a F ut u r e te nse-form
action of action)
of the principal clause the the princip
al clause d b y th e s o - c alled
or lasted a is replace
Past Simple or the Past certain tim
e before t - P a s t ( w h e n the
he action Future-in-the
Continuous is used in the the princip
al clause, of 'w ill' c h a ng e s to
the Past auxiliary
subordinate clause: Perfect or 'would').
Past Perfe
Continuou ct
s is used i
subordina n the
te clause:
 A past tense in the principal clause must be
followed by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

simultaneous po s t e r i o r
I didn't know you two were prior Susan's pa
that their
re
da
nt
u
s
g
w
h
e
te
re
r
happy
would
related to each other. I knew she
had not p t o a g oo d fa mily.
layed the marry in
piano for
a long tim
For a moment she didn't e.
e y w o uld s till be
I knew th
know where she was. We were a e se m ina r w h en
been build
ware that
they had reading for th
ing a gara I came.
ge since
last summ
er.
 Present Simple Past Simple
The usuall decorate the house themselves. We knew the usuall decorated
the house themselves.

Present Continuous (Progressive) Past Continuous (Progressive)

They are decorating the house. We knew they were decorating the house.

Present Perfect Past Perfect

'They have decorated the house themselves. She was proud they had decorated
the house themselves.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive)

(Progressive) We knew they had been decorating t
They've been decorating the house tor two weeks. he house for two weeks.

Past Simple Past Perfect

They decorated the house last month. They were glad that they had decorated
the house the previous month

last Continuous (Progressive) Is generally unchanged or is replaced by Past Perfect

William was whitewashing the ceiling it 5 o'clock. Continuous
We explained that he was whitewashing
(had been whitewashing) the ceiling at 5 o'clock.
 Past Perfect Past Perfect (i.e. remains unchanged)
He had whitewashed the ceiling by the time I phoned. William explained that he had white-washed the ceiling
by the time I phoned.

Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive)

He had been whitewashing the ceiling for a couple (i.e. remains unchanged)
of hours by the time she phoned. He explained that he had been whitewashing the
ceiling for a couple of hours by the time she phoned.

Future Simple Future Simple-in-the-Past

He'll whitewash the ceiling He promised he would whitewash
tomorrow. the ceiling the following day but he didn't.

Future Continuous (Progressive Future Continuous (Progressive)-in-the-Past

They'll be whitewashing the ceiling at They were sure that they would be
5 o'clock. whitewashing the ceiling at 5 o'clock.

Future Perfect Future Perfect-in-the-Past

Thev'll have whitewashed the ceiling and We were sure that they would have whitewashed
papered the walls by 5 o'clock. the ceiling and papered the walls by 5 o'clock

Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive)-in-the- Past

They'll have been papering the walls We supposed that they would have been
for 3 hours by 5 o'clock. papering the walls for 3 hours by 5 o'clock.
 If the verb in the principal
clause is in a past tense,
alongside with the tense changes
the following changes of
adverbials and demonstrative
pronouns take place:
 TODAY, TONIGHT THAT DAY, THAT NIGHT

HERE THERE
THEN/AT THAT TIME/RIGHT AWAY/AT THE MOMENT/
NOW
IMMEDIATELY
THIS, THESE THAT, THOSE

TONIGHT/THIS EVENING THAT NIGHT/EVENING

YESTERDAY THE DAY BEFORE /THE PREVIOUS DAY

THE DAV BEFORE VESTERDAY 2 DAYS BEFORE /PREVIOUSLY

AGO BEFORE

2 YEARS AGO 2 VEARS BEFORE/PREVIOUSLY

THE NIGHT, WEEK, ETC., BEFORE/THE PREVIOUS NIGHT,
LAST NIGHT, WEEK, MONTH, ETC.
WEEK
TOMORROW THE FOLLOWING/THE NEXT DAY/THE DAY AFTER

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW IN TWO DAYS' TIME

NEXT WEEK/YEAR, ETC. THE FOLLOWING/THE NEXT WEEK/YEAR, ETC.

 Notes
1. If there are several subordinate clauses in a sentence the rule of the
Sequence of Tenses is observed in all of them:

ex. He explained he was sure you were in.

ex. She admitted that she knew what kind of person he was.

But when the reported sentence contains a time clause, the tenses of the time
clause do not change:

I know that she left when it was getting dark.

I knew (that) she had left when it was getting dark.

 Notes
2. The Sequence of Tenses may not be observed:

C
A when the p o in t o f
t
re
h e
fe
p
re
r
n ce for
incipal
if the obiect clause expresses
general truth.
if the act
B
ion in the
the pas
cla u
e
t
s
c
t
e
e

h
n
is
( a
s
th
e

b
in
e
s
m
o lu
o
t
m
e
ent of
t im e).
object spe
clause re to M arilyn on
The pupil knew that water fers to w -I've ju st ta lk e d
was) bel hat is (o
ieved to r e. - W h a t d id s he say?
consists/consisted of oxen occurren be a reg the pho n
ce or exi ular e re w a s an
and hydrogen. sting fac -Sh e s a id th
t. k e h e re (there)
ea rt h qu a
He asked n d ay).
the clerk y ( la st M o
The teacher said that the sun what tim yeste rd a
the earli e
sets/set in the west. est train
Manches to
ter starts
/started
.
 Notes
2. The Sequence of Tenses may not be observed:

!!!
D However, th a t w e
e
u
a
s ua lly c
ction in the
hange

if the statement is still up to

date when we report it. E
in politic
al langu
the ten se
principal cla
if
u
th
se
may be untrue.
is o u t o f d ate or

age. te to m e y ears ago

Ange la w ro
Angela wrote to me saving e r owned a
The spea th a t h e r fa th
that her father owns (or ker stres saying
sed that
poverty i
s one of supermarket.
owned) a supermarket. the most r cla im e d that the
importan The Prime M in is te
t global i the right
ssues. n t h a d m a d e
governme
decision.
 Notes
3. When the action in the subordinate clause precedes the action in the principal
clause but refers to a definite past moment or there is a succession of past
events, the Past Simple is used.

ex. I knew that his youngest son was born in 1960.

ex. He told me that they decided to go to the pictures, got a 63 bus, and got
off at the Elephant Castle as the pictures were just next door.
 Notes
4. Modal verbs in subordinate object clauses usually remain unchanged, but
there can also be a tense change to some of them. See the table below:
must must (or had to)
have to had to
needn’t needn’t/didn’t need/didn’t have to
can could/ would be able to (future ref.)
may might
shal should (asking for advice)
will would
would, could, might, ought, should do not change

She complains she must get up She complained she must (had to)
very early. get up very early.

He thinks that if I can lend him the He thought that if I could lend him the mone
money he needn't go go to the bank. he needn't (didn't have to) go to the bank.
 Have a
productive day!