在英语复合句中,从句中的动词时态,特别是宾语从句中的动词时态,通常在一定程度上受到主句中动词时态的制约,英语语法上称这种现象为时态呼应。
时态呼应一般应遵循下列几条原则:
一、如果主句中动词是过去时态,宾语从句中的动词时态通常是各种过去时态的一种,具体用过去时态的哪一种,则需要根据具体意义来确定。一般来说:
1.如果主句中的动作与宾语从句中的动作同时发生,则从句中的动词用一般过去时,或根据具体意义的需要用过去进行时。如:
I knew he studied in this school.我知道他在这所学校学习过。
I knew she was studying English in this school in the years from 1985 to 1987.我知道从1985年到1987年期间她在这所学校学习英语。
2.如果宾语从句中的动作发生在主句的动作之前,则从句中的动词用过去完成时。如:
He said that he had visited his old friends.他说他已拜访了他的老朋友。
3.如果宾语从句中的动作在主句动作发生前已持续了一段时间,则从句中的动词用过去完成时或过去完成进行时。如:
He said that the patient had been under his treatment for three years.他说病人已在他那儿治疗三年了。
I knew that he had been working here since 1960.我知道他自1960年以来就一直在这里工作。
4.如果宾语从句中的动作发生在主句的动作之后,则从句中的动词用一般过去将来时,或过去将来进行时,或过去将来完成时。如:
He said that they would read the book the following year.他说他们下一年才读那本书。
He said that they would be reading when she came.他说她来时他们将在阅读。
He said that they would have finished reading the book by the first of July.他说他们到7月1日止将读完那本书。
但是,如果宾语从句表示的是一般真理或习惯性行为,则不受时态呼应的限制。如:
The students knew that water consists of oxygen and hydrogen.学生们那时都知道水是由氧和氢构成的。
He told his teacher that he takes a bath once a week in winter.他告诉老师他冬天每周洗一次澡。
二、如果主句中的动词是现在时或将来时,则宾语从句中的动词可根据意义的需要确定任何一种时态。如:
I know that my brother has gone to Shanghai.我知道我弟弟去上海了。
I have just learned that he went to Changsha yesterday.我刚刚获悉他昨天去了长沙。
I shall tell the doctor that my classmate vomited three times last night.我将告诉医生我的同学昨晚呕吐了三次。
三、定语从句及表示原因、结果、比较、让步等的状语从句一般不受时态呼应的限制。如:
Now he is reading the book which I bought the day before yesterday.他正在读我前天买回来的那本书。
He didn’t go out last night because he will have an examination tomorrow.他昨晚没外出是因为明天要(参加)考试。
His blood pressure was higher last year than it is this year.他的血压去年比今年高。
四、主语从句、表语从句一般要受时态的限制。如:
What he would do was of no importance.他将做什么并不重要。
The question was what he would do next.问题是下一步他将做什么。
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