Sự hòa hợp giữa các thì (Sequence of tenses)

Sequence of tenses in adverbial clauses of time
 Warmer
- When will you leave school?
- I’ll leave school when I have finished the final examination in the end of May.
Point out a time clause.
 Presentation
Sequence of tenses in adverbial clauses of time:
I. Adverbial clauses of time are introduced by conjunctions of time such as after, as, as soon as (ngay
khi), as long as (khi naøo maø), by the time (vaøo luùc), before, immediately, hardly... when = no sooner...
than (vöøa ... thì), since, the sooner, till, until, when, whenever, while...
They can also be introduced by the minute, the moment.
II. Remember that we do not use a future form, or a conditional tense in a time clause.
1. Each of the following future forms becomes a present tense when we put it in a time clause.
 Future simple :
- You’ll be back soon. I’ll stay till then.
⇒ I’ll stay till you get back.
 be going to :
- The parachutist is going to jump. Soon after he jumps his parachute will open.
2. The future perfect changes to the present perfect, and the future perfect continuous changes to
the present perfect continuous.
- The moment (/ As soon as) I have finished (not: I’ll have...) I’ll give you a call.
3. A conditional tense changes to a past tense:
- We knew that till he arrived (not: would arrive/ would be arriving) nothing would be
done.
Note: But when “ when “ introduces a noun clause it can be followed by a future or conditional tense.
- He said, “ When will the train get in?”
⇒ He asked (me) when the train would get in.
III. Remember the following rules:
1. Sequence with the Simple Present in the main clause denoting a customary activity (Look at the
Student’s book, p. 135).
2. Sequence with the Future tenses in the main clause (Look at the Student’s book, p. 135).

3. Sequence with the Past tenses in the main clause (Look at the Student’s book, p. 136).
IV. Look at the chart below:
Main clause Time clause Main clause Time clause
1. Present Simple
3. Past Continuous
5. Past Perfect

Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Past Simple
Past Continuous

Past Simple
2. Past Simple
4. Present Perfect
6. Future Simple
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Simple
Present Simple
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
1. The secretary always leaves as her boss goes home.
while I’m waiting for a bus.
after she has finished her work.
2. He sat there until the telephone rang.

while I was reading reports.
after I had finished the experiment.
3. They were still waiting there when I got there.
while I was having breakfast.
4. I have felt much better since I have been there.
since I have been watching TV.
since I came there.
5. I had just come when you called.
6. They will stay here until you come back.
while I’m having my lunch.
until you have finished your coffee.
 Controlled Practice:
Do the exercise (p. 137)
a. begins
b. has finished
c. get
d. speak
e. have read
f. have taken
g. shall give/ gets
h. come/ will find
i. reached
j. had been/ had
k. have worked
was waking/ realized/ had seen
/ was following/ was/
stopped/ asked/ had
apologized/ told/ had
mistaken.
 Further Practice:

Activity 1: Give the correct form of the verbs in parentheses (Pair work)
1. He walked up and down until he (be) reassured by
the returning warmth.
2. - Please tell me how to get to the post office. -
Go till you (come) to a square with a statue in the
middle; then turn left and you (find) it on your
right.
3. Paul: I (play) football since I was five years old.
Tom: You (play) football since you (come) to
England?
4. Paul: Oh yes, I (play) it quite a lot. I (join) a club
the day after I (arrive). Alice and I (wait) at the
corner until you come back with the car this
evening.
5. Nam is sorry now that he didn’t accept the job.
Nam now wishes that he (accept) the job.
6. The druggist (leave, already) for home when we got
to the store yesterday.
7. Mr. Carlson (talk) to another man when I saw him
this morning.
8. We (wait) for you right here when you return at 5:
30 p.m. tomorrow.
Activity 2: Complete each of the following sentences with an adverbial clause of time (p. 139)
a. ... had recovered from his sickness/ was ready.
b. ... was leaving home/ the house.
c. ... went to Italy/ died/ won the Nobel Prize.
d. ... graduate from college/ high school.
e. ... it was a puppy/ was born/ became his
companion.
f. ... arrived at/ went to the station.

g. ... came home/ came back/ called you?
h. ... I phone her/ she heard knock at the door/ I was
having dinner.
i. ... leave school/ graduate from the university/ have
graduated from college?
j. ... am working/ am doing my homework.
k. ... he is explaining the lesson/ he is teaching.
l. ... you can/ it is necessary.
Activity 3: Look at the following pictures and make sentences with the given situations.
 Free Practice: Make three sentences of your own, using Adverbial Clauses of Time.
Consolidation:
− Give some remarks on their activities & highlight the common mistakes to help students avoid them.
Homework: Supply the correct tenses:
1. After (1. leave) ………………………………..

school when she was 18, Laura (2. go) ………………………………..

to Bristol
university for three years. While she (3. be) ……………………………….. at university, Laura (4. join)
………………………………..

a university folk group and started singing. It was at this time that she (5. write)
………………………………..

her famous song “The Price of Peace”.
1. leaving 2. went 3. was 4. joined 5. wrote
2. A friend of mine, Judith Nelson, (1. presently, work) ……………………………….. in the international sales division
at an electronics firm. She (2. just, return) ………………………………..

from a trip to Japan. She (3. be)

………………………………..

asked to go there because she can speak Japanese. For four years, she (4. never
have) ………………………………..

the opportunity to use her Japanese until she (5. go) ……………………………….. to
Tokyo last month. While she (6. be) ………………………………..

there, she (7. speak) ………………………………..
Japanese everyday and (8. enjoy) ………………………………..

very much of it.
1. is presently working
2. had just returned
3. was
4. had never had
5. went
6. was
7. spoke
8. enjoyed
3. Mary (1. have) ……………………………….. to go to New York last week, but she almost (2. miss)
……………………………….. the plane. She (3. stand) ……………………………….. in the queue at the check-in desk when
she suddenly (4. realize) ……………………………….. that she (5. leave) her passport at home. Fortunately, she
(6. not live) ……………………………….. very far from the airport so she (7. have) ……………………………….. time to go
back home to get the passport. She (8. get) ……………………………….. back to the airport just in time for her
flight.
1. had
2. missed
3. was standing
4. realized

5. had left
6. doesn’t live
7. had
8. got
4. I (1. be) ………………………………. born in France but my family (2. move) ………………………………. to
England when I (3.be) ………………………………. twelve and I (4. live) ………………………………. here ever
since. I (5. leave) ………………………………. school three years ago and for the past six months, I(6.
work) ………………………………. in Hall department store.
1. was 2. moved 3.was 4. have lived/ have been living 5. left 6. have worked/ have been working
5. In the evenings, I often play chess with my next-door neighbour. I (1. play) ……………. chess with him ever
since I (2. come) ……………. to live here ten years ago. He (3.be) ……………. here all his life; he (4. inherit)
……………. the house from his father, another great chess player.
- You ever (5. play) ……………. chess with the father?
- We (6. play) ……………. once or twice but be (7. die) ……………. a year after I (8. arrive) …………….
1. have played/ have been playing 2. came 3. has been 4. inherited 5. Did you ever play 6. played 7. died
8. arrived