Sequence of Tenses
Teacher:Petcu Paula
I. What is sequence of tenses?
Sequence of tenses in its narrow sense
refers to principles according to which
the tenses of subordinate clauses are
suited to the tenses of principal clauses.
Sequence of tenses in its broad sense
refers to principles according to which
tenses in any discourse are suited to
each other.
II. What are the principles?
1.1 The principal-determining-subordinate
principle, which means that the tense form
of the principle clause determines the tense
form of the subordinate clause
1.2 The back-shift principle, which means
that, when the direct speech is transformed
into the indirect speech, the tense in the
direct speech is back-shifted after a past
tense reporting verb
Note
The two principles above are by nature
grammatical-concord principles, which take
into account some superficial factors but fail
to reveal the nature that underlies these
factors, and, as a result, fail to fully account
for the language phenomena involving
sequence of tenses.
Compare the Following:
(1) a. The philosopher said, “Everything has
two sides.”
b. The philosopher said that everything
has/had two sides.
(2) a. She said, “I wish I were a boy.”
b. She said she wished she were/? had
been a boy.
(3) original reported
I see he saw
I saw
I have seen he had seen
I had seen
1.3The notional-concord principle, which
requires that the time relationship between
the action state and its reference time in the
indirect speech remain the same as that in
the direct speech. This principle agrees with
the law of cognition and the way of thinking
in using tenses and reveals the nature of the
sequence of tenses of English. So it is the
principle that governs the sequence of
tenses.
1.3.1 Sequence of tenses is the
normal use of tenses.
(1) a. He told us that he finished/had finished his work the
proceeding week. （ priority ）
b. He told us that he was having a holiday then.
（ simultaneity ）
c. He told us that he would start work again in a few days.
（ posteriority ）
(2) a. She says she was not very well yesterday. （ priority ）
b. She says she is feeling much better now.
（ simultaneity ）
c. She says she will be well again very soon. （ posteriorit
y）
1.3.2 Transformation of the direct speech into the
indirect speech is by nature the shift of the
reference time.
1.3.2.1 The present tense is back-shifted if the reference
time is shifted.
(1) a. “( ) I have experienced such difficulties
before.” （ priority ）
b. Jack told me that he had experienced such
difficulties before. （ priority ）
(2) a. “( ) I’m trying to make what is impossible
possible.” （ simultaneity ）
b. Mary said she was trying to make what was
impossible possible. （ simultaneity ）
1.3.2.2 The present tense is not back-
shifted if the reference time is not shifted.
a. Copernicus concluded, “The earth goes
round the sun.”
b. ( ) Copernicus concluded that the earth
goes round the sun. (simultaneity)
c. Copernicus concluded that the earth went
round the sun. (simultaneity)
1.3.2.3 The past tense is not back-shifted if the
time relationship is clear and no ambiguity
arises.
(1) a. Ann explained, “The exhibition finished last week.”
b. Ann explained that the exhibition finished/had finished
the previous week.
(2) a. Mary said, “When I saw him last he was playing
tennis.”
b. Mary said that when she saw him last he was playing
/had been playing tennis.
(3) a. He said, “We hadn’t returned to the store when she
came.”
b. He said they hadn’t returned to the store when she
came.
1.3.2.4 The past tense is back-shifted if the time
relationship is not clear and ambiguity arises.
(1) a. “( ) I was married (, but my husband died last year).”
（ priority ）
b. She said that she had been married/*was married.
（ priority ）
c. “( ) I was married in the church.” (priority)
d. She said that she was married/had been married in
the church. (priority)
(2) a. “( ) I was living in the United States then.” （ priority)
b. He told us that he had been living in the United States
then. （ priority ）
c. He told us that he was living in the United States then.
（ priority/simultaneity ）
1.3.2.5 The past tense is not back-shifted if the
time relationship is hypothetical.
(1) a. “( ) If I had received the invitation, I would
have come.” （ priority ）
b. He said that if he had received the invitation,
he would have come. （ priority ）
(2) a. “I wish I had wings.” （ simultaneity ）
b. Thomas said he wished he had wings. （ simultaneit
y）
(3) a. “( ) She is screaming as if she would die in minute.”
(posteriority)
b. He said she was screaming as if she would die in a
minute. (posteriority)
