主句过去式定语从句时态
英语的定语从句向来是一大难点,尤其是主句是过去式时,从句用什么时态,在最近的一次网课作业中也把我难住了,一直认为“有完成意义时就用过去完成时,否则就是一般过去时”,但仔细想又不太对。到底该用什么时态呢?
一般情况下宾语从句的时态必须和主句的时态保持一致:
一、如果主句的`谓语动词是一般现在时或一般将来时,宾语从句中的谓语动词可根据意义的需要,使用历弯则任何一种时态。如:
Could you tell me when you will come again? 你能告诉我你什么时候再来吗?
I don't know if he arrived yesterday. 我不知道他是否昨天到了。
Could you tell me what you were doing at eight last night? 你能告诉我你昨晚八点在干什么?
二、如果主句的谓语动词为一般过去时,从句应用相应的闹枣过去时态。
1. 如果主句中的谓语动词所表示的动作与从句的动作同时发生,则从句应用过去进行时或一般过去时。如:
She said that she was working on the Internet. 她说她在上网。
He told me that he knew the computer technology very well. 他对我说他精通电脑技术。
2. 如果从句的动作发生在主句的动作之前,则从句应用过去完成时。如:
He didn't know what they had come here for. 他不知道他们到这里来的目的。
3. 如果从句的动作发生在主句的动作之后,则从句应用过去将来时。如:
Jim told me he would spend his holidays in the south. 吉姆告诉我他将到南方度假。
使用宾肢棚语从句的时态还应注意下列特殊情况:
一、如果宾语从句中有明确表示过去的时间状语,不论主句用什么时态,从句一律用过去时。如:
She said she came to work here in 1998. 她说她是年来这里工作的。
The teacher told us that the war broke out in the winter of 1923. 老师告诉我们那场战争爆发于年的冬天。
二、如果宾语从句表示客观真理、科学原理、自然现象、现阶段存在的客观事实、现在经常性或习惯性的动作、谚语、格言等,不论主句用何种时态,从句一律用一般现在时。如:
Our teacher told us that light travels much faster than sound. 我们老师对我们说光比声音传播要快得多。
The mother told his son that two and three is five. 母亲告诉孩子二加三等于五。
We all knew that a friend in need is a friend indeed. 我们都知道,患难之交才是真朋友。
He told me that his father is an English teacher. 他告诉我他父亲是名英语老师。