Sequence of Tense | BCS Preparation

Sequence of Tense Its class is designed mainly to prepare the candidates for competitive exams (eg BCS preparation, University Admission Class or University Admission Preparatory Class), in English subject. However, this lesson will also help those who are English grammar learners in other classes. Our lessons will help you improve your English at any moment of your life.

 

Sequence of Tense

When translated literally, the sequence of tenses can be said to refer to a particular sequence in which multiple tenses will have to appear in a sentence. In other words, it can be said that in a sentence having two clauses, deciding the tense of the subordinate clause is solely dependent on the tense of the main clause.

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘sequence of tenses’ refers to “the rules according to which the tense of a subordinate clause depends on the tense of the main clause, so that, for example, ‘I think that you are wrong’ becomes ‘I thought that you were wrong’ in the past tense.”

 

 

The Collins Dictionary defines the term as “the sequence according to which the tense of a subordinate verb in a sentence is determined by the tense of the principal verb, as in I believe he is lying, I believed he was lying, etc.”, and according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the sequence of tenses is “an arrangement of the tenses of successive verbs in a sentence designed to express a coherent relationship, especially between main and subordinate parts”.

Rules Regarding Sequence of Tenses with Examples

Learning and understanding the rules to be followed when using multiple verbs in a sentence is the only way to comprehend how a particular sequence of tenses works. Looking at some examples and associating them with the rules is how you can master them. Given below are the rules to be followed when using multiple tenses. Go through them and apply them in sentences of your own.

 

Rule 1: Past Follows Past

If you have a verb conjugated in the past tense in the main clause or the principal clause, then make sure you conjugate the verb in the subordinate clause also in the past tense. This rule can be further broken down based on the form of past tense that appears in the principal clause.

Tense of the Principal Clause	Tense of the Subordinate Clause	Example
Simple Past	Simple Past	I thought you were at home.
Past Continuous	Simple Past	They were telling us that they loved our performance.
Past Perfect	Simple Past	My parents had left home before I arrived.
Simple Past	Past Perfect	The teacher wanted to know if the students had completed writing the answers. When I reached the station, the train had already left.
Simple Past	Past Perfect Continuous	My brother was angry because he had been waiting for us for over an hour.

 

 

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