THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES (CONCORDANTA TIMPURILOR)

O fraza poate contine o propozitie principala si una sau mai multe propozitii secundare.
Cand verbul din propozitia principala este la trecut, verbele din propozitiile secundare
sunt in mod normal si ele la trecut.

Propozitia principala Propozitia secundara

Present Tense Simple Present Tense Simple

I work so hard that I am always tired.
Present Tense Simple Present Tense Continuous
He says that he is going to eat.
Present Tense Simple Future Tense Simple
He thinks that it will rain.
Present Tense Simple Present Perfect Simple
He sees that he has made a
mistake.

Past Tense Simple (simultaneitate) Past Tense Simple

I worked so hard that I was always tired.
Past Tense Simple Past Tense Continuous
He said he was going to eat it.
Past Tense Simple (anterioritate) Past Perfect Simple
He saw that he had made a
mistake.
Past Tense Simple (posterioritate) Future in the Past
He thought that it would rain.

Present Perfect Simple Present Tense Simple

He has done all that is necessary.

Past Perfect Simple Past Tense Simple

He had done all that was necessary.

Obs.: Infinitivul si gerunziul nu sunt afectate de aceasta regula.

He wants to go to Lyons. He wanted to go to Lyons.
He likes riding. He liked riding.

Ex: We knew that the bridge was unsafe.

He gave it to me because he trusted me.
He ran faster than he did.
This is the picture that I bought in Rome.