BOOK VIII

UNITS FOUR & FIVE

TIME CLAUSES

MAIN CLAUSE WORD TIME CLAUSE

AFTER – BEFORE – WHEN –

Present or Future SIMPLE PRESENT
UNTIL – AS SOON AS

AFTER – BEFORE – WHEN –

Past tense SIMPLE PAST
UNTIL – AS SOON AS

Perfect Tense
SINCE SIMPLE PAST
(present or past)

Past Perfect or
WHEN SIMPLE PAST
Past Progressive

SIMPLE PRESENT or PAST

Present or Past OR
WHILE
Progressive PRESENT or PAST
PROGRESSIVE

GRAMMAR HINTS:

 A time clause has to contain a subject and a verb; sometimes it also has a complement.
 Notice that time clauses are always in SIMPLE TENSES except when they begin with WHILE; in that
case you can use PROGRESSIVE TENSES.
 You can begin a sentence with a time clause using a comma to separate it from the main clause except
when the time clause begins with the words: UNTIL or SINCE.
 When you make questions they’re always in the main clause. NEVER in the time clause.

L.A. 2007