Согласование времен (The Sequences of Tenses)

В английском языке строго соблюдается правило согласования времен, которое проявляется в придаточных дополнительных предложениях, когда в главном предложении сказуемое выражено глаголом, вводящим косвенную речь, таким как: to say, to ask, to answer, to declare и т.п., а также to think, to remember, to promise, to know, to decide и т.п.

Правило согласования времен заключается в следующем: если сказуемое главного предложения выражено глаголом прошедшего времени, то сказуемое придаточного предложения (или предложений, если их несколько) должно быть выражено глаголом в форме одного из прошедших времен.

1. Для выражения одновременного действия употребляется Past Indefinite или Past Continuous:

I knew that he was a writer. Я знал, что он писатель. I noticed that he was writing his report. Я заметил, что он пишет (свой) доклад.

2. Для выражения действия, которое было раньше действия главного предложения, употребляется Past Perfect:

He answered that John had gone to London some days before. Он ответил, что Джон (уже) уехал в Лондон несколько дней назад.

3. Для выражения будущего действия употребляется Future- in- the Past:

She said that he would come in a month. Она сказала, что он приедет через месяц.

УПРАЖНЕНИЯ

Exercise 1. Переведите на русский язык, обращая внимание на употребление времен в русском и английском языках.

1. I knew that you were ill. 2. I knew that you had been ill. 3. We found that she left home at eight o'clock every morning. 4. We found that she had left home at eight o'clock that morning. 5. When he learnt that his son had received an excellent mark at school, he was very pleased. 6. We did not know where our friends went every evening. 7. We did not know where our friends had gone. 8. She said that her best friend was a doctor. 9. She said that her best friend had been a doctor.

Exercise 2. Перепишите следующие предложения в прошедшем времени. Обратите внимание на зависимость времени придаточного дополнительного предложения от времени главного.

1. My uncle says he has just come back from the Caucasus. 2. He says he has spent a fortnight in the Caucasus. 3. He says it did him a lot of good. 4. He says he feels better now. 5. He says his wife and he spent most of their time on the beach. 6. He says they did a lot of sightseeing. 7. He says he has a good camera. 8. He says he took many photographs while traveling in the Caucasus. 9. He says he will come to see us next Sunday. 10. He says he will bring and show us the photographs he took during his stay in the Caucasus.

Exercise 3. Раскройте скобки, выбирая требующееся время глагола.

1. Не said he (is staying/was staying) at the "Ritz" Hotel. 2. They realized that they (lost/had lost) their way in the dark. 3. He asked me where I (study/studied). 4. I thought that I (shall finish/should finish) my work at that time. 5 He says he (works/worked) at school two years ago. 6. Victor said he (is/was) very busy. 8. My friend asked me who (is playing/was playing) the piano in the sitting-room. 9. He said he (will come/would come) to the station to see me off. 10. I was sure he (posted/had posted) the letter.

Exercise 4. Раскройте скобки, употребляя глаголы в требующемся времени.

1. Не said he _______ (to leave) tomorrow morning. 2. She says she already _______ (to find) the book. 3. He stopped and listened: the clock _______ (to strike) five. 4. She said she _______ (can) not tell me the right time, her watch _______ (to be) wrong. 5. I asked my neighbor if he ever _______ (to travel) by air before. 6. The policeman asked George where he _______ (to run) so early. 7. The delegates were told that the guide just _______ (to go) out and ______ (to be) back in ten minutes. 8. I knew they _______ (to wait) for me at the metro station and I decided to hurry.

Exercise 5. Вставьте глаголы в требуемом по смыслу времени.

1. They said that they ________ (to be) sure of the results. 2. She told us that she ________ (to know) the lesson well. 3. We said that we ________ (to go) to the theatre next day. 4. Mother said that her son ________ (to be) at the pioneer camp in summer. 5. Mother asked me when I ________ (to return) home the day before yesterday. 6. I decided that we ________ (to go) to Moscow next year. 7. I thought you ________ (to be) very busy.