Grammar: Sequence of tenses
lllustrative
Situations
Study
these
example situations.
a)
a simultaneous action
l. Yesterday
evening when
I ietumed
from work my friend
phoned
me. He
said
he had
a spare ticket
for
a concert and
invited
me to
join
him. But I an-
swered that I was too tired and didn't
want
to
go
anywhere.
2. Yesterday
on
my way home I met Mary.
She was
in
a
hurry. I
thought she
was hurrying to the Institute but she said
she was
going
to the station
to
meet
a friend of hers
who
was coming
by
the 9
o'clock train.
b) a
prior
action
3. Last
month
I saw Alec.
He
loqked very sunbumt. He said he had spent a
month in
the South.
4. When I entered Jane's room
yestdrday,
I saw that her eyes
were
red. I un
derstood that she
had
been
crying.
c) a
posterior
action
5. Last Sunday the weather was fine. I knew that my uncle would
go
to the
country. I rang him up and said that I would also come with him. He said he
would start
in an hour and asked me not to be late. I
piomised
that I would be
at his
place
in
half
an
hour. We enjoyed the time we
spent
in the country that
day.
Practice
1. Read the text and analyse the use of tenses.
Translate and retell the turt
The secretary told me that
Mr Harmsworth would see me. I felt very nervous
when I went into his office.
He did not look up from his desk when I entered.
After I had sat down, he said that business was
very
bad.
He told me that the
firm could not afford to
pay
such large salaries.
Twenty
people'had
aheady
left. I knew
that
my turn
had
come.
'Mr Harmsworth,'
I said in a weak voice.
'Don't intemrpt,'
he
said.
Then he smiled and told
me that I would reoeive an extra f,2000 a
year!
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2. Transform the sentences. Do it, as in the example.
e.g. I think I lnow it.
I
thought
I knew it.
1. They
say
the hotel is a mile from the shore. 2. I think the
exercise is easy.
3. They write they are
going
to the south coast of Spain for their holiday.
4.
He says he doesn't even know such
problems
exist. 5. The newspapers
write that he is, without any dotibt, the bbst actor of the
year.
6. He says it's
impossible.
7. She says
she is
glad
to
see
me.
8.
I know he
always
gets
up
early. 9. She says he is still waiting. 10. I want to knowwho is.singing. ll: I
think
he is
Ebrave
man. 12.
She;s.ays she has a terrible
}ejadache;,13.
I think
tlrat he is
joking.
14. He asks,what
19u
are dorng. l-5; I dbn'1t know
wherei she
is"
1..
j
,:
She said she had heard it on the,radio.i
1.
He
knows
she didn't say
that.
2. I
suppose
they
met
in
the street. 3. He says
they spent
most
of
their time on the
beach.
4.
He says
he
took a lot of
photo-
graphs
while travelling in the Caucasus. 5. I think he recognized me. 6. He
says
he didn't recognize her.
7.
I know
that
he saw her at the theatre.
8. I
don't know why she was absent. 9. He says he worked hard at school. 10. I
think he came in a taxi. I l.
I
know that he made a mistake. 12. i don;t know
what
he told her.
e.g. I hope he has done it.'
I hoped
he had
done
it.
1. She thinks
she has lost the key. 2. He says he has never thought of that.
3. We
are surprised to see that
nothing has
changed.
4.
She says she has al-
ready written the article. 5.
Peter thinks his friend has already returned home.
6. She says she
has
just
arrived. 7. I don't know where my father has
gone.
8. He says
he has left his bicycle in the
yard.
9.
I
can't believq she
has done it.
10. She says she
has
been waiting
for an hour.
e.g.
I'm
sure
everything will be all right.
,
:.
I
was sure
everything would be all righ!.
l. They say
they will come to soe us
next Friday. 2, Arui is sure we will arrive
on Friday. 3. We expect
Alice will
join
us in the evening.
4. Harry
doesnlt
know when
his cousin will come. 5. She
is
sure we
will'be'glad to see her.
6.
They are sure we will be waiting
for them ih the bar: 7.
I
don't
think
they
will be having breakfast
so early. 9. I wonder
if he
will
come back. 10. I think
you
will
stay in town for a
night
at
least.
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