08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.

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Concordanta timpurilor se refera la raportul dintre timpul din propozitia secundara si cel din
propozitia principala. In functie de timpul verbului din Propozitia Principala se pot pune numai
anumite timpuri in Propozitia Secundara.

Concordanta timpurilor se aplica la urmatoarele propozitii secundare:

1. Subordonate Completive Directe (Direct Object Clauses)

2. Subordonate Temporale (Time Clauses)
3. Subordonate de Scop (Purpose Clauses)
4. Subordonate introduse de IN CASE (in caz ca)

FOR DIRECT OBJECT CLAUSES (Completive Directe)

Main Clause Direct Object Clause

Daca in Propozitia Principala avem Past Tense Simple si exista raport de simultaneitate intre
actiuni atunci in Compeltiva Directa se foloseste tot Past Tense Simple:

Past Simple simultaneity Past Simple

She said that she is was happy. (Ea a spus ca este/

era fericita.)

Daca in Propozitia Principala avem Past Tense Simple si exista raport de anterioritate intre
actiuni atunci in Compeltiva Directa se foloseste Past Perfect Simple:

Past Simple anteriority Past Perfect

She said that she saw had seen him before. (Ea a
spus ca l-a vazut/ il vazuse pe el inainte.)

Daca in Propozitia Principala avem Past Tense Simple si exista raport de posterioritate intre
actiuni atunci in Compeltiva Directa se foloseste Future-in-the-Past:

Past Simple posteriority Future-in-the-Past (would + Vb.

Short INF.)

She said that she will would come the next day.
(Ea a spus ca va veni ziua urmatoare.)

EXCEPTIONS (exceptii):

1. Daca in Completiva Directa avem un adevar general atunci se foloseste numai

Present Simple in subordonata:

General Truths:
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08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.ro
Past Simple Present Simple

The teacher said that oil never mixes with water.

(Profesorul a spus ca uleiul nu se amesteca niciodata cu apa.)

He said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. (El a

spus ca prietenul la nevoie se cunoaste.)

2. Daca actiunea din secundara urmeaza sa se intample atunci dupaTrecut in principala se

foloseste Prezent Continuu.

Past Simple Present Continuous

He said yesterday that he is coming tomorrow. (it is not

tomorrow yet)

(El a spus ieri ca el va veni maine.) (inca nu este

maine)

3. Regulile Concordantei timpurilor se aplica numai in Completive Directe. Daca avem o

subordonata Atributiva atunci se poate folosi orice timp prezent sau viitorul cu WILL dupa
Trecut Simplu in principala:

Main Clause Relative Clause

He told her a lie which still upsets her nowadays. (El

i-a spus ei o minciuna care inca o supara si azi.)

OVERVIEW for The Sequence of Tenses in DIRECT OBJECT CLAUSES

PAST SIMPLE (MAIN CLAUSE):

PRESENT
FUTURE (WILL)
PAST SIMPLE (simultaneity)
PAST PERFECT (anteriority)
FUTURE-IN-THE-PAST (WOULD +Vb. Short INF.)(posteriority)

e.g. He promised that he ... the money. (El a promis ca va aduce banii.)

a) will bring

b) would bring

c) is bringing

d) will be bringing
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08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.ro
e.g. The teacher said that the Earth ... round the Sun. (Profesorul a spus ca pamantul se
invarte in jurul soarelui.)

a) moves (General Truth)

b) is moving

c) moved

d) would move

FOR TIME CLAUSES

Main Clause Time Clause

Future simultaneity Present Simple

I will call you when I finish here.

(Eu te voi suna cand voi termina aici.)

Daca folosim Prezent Simplu in secundara temporala atunci actiunile sunt simultane.

Future anteriority Present Perfect

I will visit you as soon as I have finished my

work.

(Eu te voi vizita de indata ce imi voi fi terminat

munca.)

Daca folosim Prezent Perfect Simplu in secundara temporala atunci actiunea din temporala
este anterioara fata de cea din principala.

Future-in-the-Past simultaneity Past Simple

He said/ that he would come/ when he finished his work.

(El a spus/ ca va veni cand el si-a terminat

munca.)

Daca suntem in axa trecutului si avem Viitor-in-Trecut in principala atunci se foloseste Trecut
Simplu in temporala pentru a arata ca actiunile din principala si din temporala au fost
simultane.

Future-in-the-Past anteriority Past Perfect

He said/ that he would come/ as soon as he had finished his

work.

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08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.ro
(El a spus/ ca va veni de indata ce el isi terminase
munca.)

Daca suntem in axa trecutului si avem Viitor-in-Trecut in principala atunci se foloseste Mai mult
ca perfect Simplu in temporala pentru a arata ca actiunea din temporala a fost anterioara fata
de cea din principala.

!!! NEVER USE WILL or WOULD in a TIME CLAUSE (NU FOLOSITI NICIODATA WILL
SAU WOULD IN SUBORDONATE TEMPORALE)

e.g. They will give you a call as soon as they ... in town. (Ei o sa te sune de indata ce
sosesc in oras.)

a) will arrive

b) would arrive

c) arrive

d) had arrived

!!! WHEN poate sa introduca o Completiva Directa caz in care se poate folosi WILL sau
WOULD dupa WHEN

Main Clause DO Clause

I want to know when he will arrive. (ce vreau

sa stiu?) (Vreau sa stiu /cand va sosi el.)

He wanted to know when she would come to the party.

(ce dorea sa stie?)* (El a vrut sa stie /cand ea va veni la petrecere.)

(*se aplica regulile Concordantei timpurilor pentru Completive Directe -> dupa trecut se
foloseste Viitor-in-trecut cu WOULD)

!!! WHEN poate sa introduca o subordonata relativa/ atributiva caz in care se poate folosi
WILL sau WOULD dupa WHEN

Main Clause RELATIVE Clause

That will be the moment when he will try to kill you.

(care moment?) Acela va fi momentul /cand el va incerca sa te omoare.)

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08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.ro
FOR PURPOSE CLAUSES (pentru subordonate de scop)

Main Clause Purpose Clause

Daca in principala avem urmatoarele timpuri: -> se folosestewill/ may/ can in

secundara de scop

Present Simple/ Cont.

Future

Imperative so that/ in order that (ca sa) will/may/can + Vb. Short

Inf.

Present Perfect Simple/ Cont

e.g. She is studying so that she may pass the exam. (Ea
studiaza ca sa treaca examenul.)

Daca in principala avem trecuturi -> se folosestewould/might/could

in subordonata de scop (should este de asemenea posibil)

Past Tenses so that/ in order that (ca sa) would/might/could +Vb.

Short Inf. (should is also possible)

e.g. She left early so that she might catch the bus. (Ea
a plecat devreme ca sa prinda autobuzul.)

e.g. They are studying hard so that they ... the maximum grade at English. (Ei studiaza din
greu ca sa obtina nota maxima la engleza.)

a) would get

b) could get

c) may get

d) must get

The sequence of Tenses also applies after IN CASE (NEVER USE WILL or WOULD
after IN CASE) (Concordanta timpurilor se aplica si dupa IN CASE -in caz ca/ in caz
de dupa care nu se foloseste niciodata WILL sau WOULD)

Daca avem timpuri prezente, imperativ sau viitor in principala atunci dupa IN CASE se
foloseste prezent sau MAY sau SHOULD

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08. The Tenses: The Sequence of Tenses www.gapol.ro
Present or Imperative or Future + IN CASE + verb in the present/ may/ should

e.g. Take your umbrella in case it rains/ may rain/ should rain/ will rain/ would rain. (Ia
umbrela in caz ca ploua.)

Daca avem trecut in principala atunci dupa IN CASE se foloseste tot trecut sau MIGHT

Past + IN CASE + verb in the past/ might

e.g. I took my umbrella in case it rained/ might rain/ would rain. (Am luat umbrela in caz ca
ar putea sa ploua.)

e.g. They brought her with them in case they ... her help. (Ei au adus-o cu ei in caz
ca o sa aiba nevoie de ajutorul ei.)

a) might need

b) will need

c) would need

d) may need

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