sequence of tenses
Verb time matching
Sequence of tenses is the grammatical principle that verb tenses in a sentence should relate logically to each other, especially when a main clause governs a subordinate clause.
If the main verb is past tense, dependent verbs typically shift to past as well: She said she was tired rather than She said she is tired.
The rule is more rigid in formal writing than in speech, where speakers often use present tense to report ongoing states: He told me he works downtown.
- past simpleCompleted action tense
- simultaneityState of coexisting temporally
- anteriorityState of coming before
- past perfectTense showing prior completion
- future perfectTense for prior completion
reported speech · she said · subordinate clauses · dependent clause · backshift · grammar rules · had · verb · time · sentence · would · verb conjugation · progressive aspect · clause · temporal · auxiliary verbs · pluperfect · narrative
- verb tensespast, present, future, simple past, simple present
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