Mastering the Timeline ⏳
Imagine you are a Time Traveler. When you tell a story, you set a "Main Time". Everything else in that sentence must relate to that Main Time. This relationship is called the Sequence of Tenses.
🟢 Rule 1: The Open Door (Present)
If your main verb is in the Present (e.g., "She says"), the door to time is open. You can use almost any tense afterwards.
"She says she was happy." (Past)
"She says she will be happy." (Future)
🟠 Rule 2: The Time Lock (Past)
If your main verb is in the Past (e.g., "She said"), the door locks! You must generally stay in the past. Everything takes a step back.
"She said she is happy." (Usually wrong)
"She said she would be happy." (Future becomes 'Would')
The Decision Path 🗺️
("Says", "Will say")
Use whatever tense makes sense.
("Said", "Thought")
Everything moves 1 step back into the past.
The Time Shifter ⚙️
See how changing the first verb forces the second verb to change. Watch the logic unfold!
What does she actually mean in her head?
Resulting Sentence
The Logic Behind the Shift
| Direct Speech (Thinking) | If Main is Present ("Says") | If Main is Past ("Said") |
|---|---|---|
| "I am busy." (Present) | She says she is busy. | She said she was busy. (Backshift) |
| "I finished it." (Past) | She says she finished it. | She said she had finished it. (Past Perfect) |
| "I will go." (Future) | She says she will go. | She said she would go. (Will → Would) |
| "I can help." (Modal) | She says she can help. | She said she could help. (Can → Could) |
Visualizing Tense Harmony 📊
Which tenses play well together? Let's look at the data of grammar rules.
The "Time Step" Effect
When the main verb is PAST, the second verb steps back.
Tense Compatibility Score
Frequency of usage in formal English.
The "Universal Truth" Exception
Rules are made to be broken! If something is always true (a scientific fact or permanent state), you don't have to change the tense, even if the main verb is past.
"Copernicus proved that the earth revolves around the sun."
(We say "revolves" because it still does it today!)
Time Traveler's Test 📝
Can you fix the broken timelines?
1. I knew that she ________ busy that day.
2. She said she ________ call me later.
3. The teacher explained that water ________ at 100°C.