Sequence Of Tense

Sequence Of Tense

Definition & Usage
This shows the order of events and indicates the time of one incident in relation to that of another or others. The context has to be studied carefully in order to determine which tense should be used in a sentence or paragraph.

It is used to indicated time shifts

Examples

Leo, Alan , Kevin and I camped ( past simple) or Sentosa Island during the school holiday. We enjoy (present simple) camping very much and Sentosa Island is (present tense) a good place to go to. We have alreally made ( present prefect) plans to go camping again. This time, we will go (future simple) further to Tioman Island.

It is used to describe the past as if it is happening now, conveying something of he dramatic immediacy of an eye-witness account. ('the historic present')

Examples
I had an exciting experince yesterday while I was walking to work. There was a caucasian man walking some distance in front of me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, these four burly men jump out and try to rob him. He must be some martial arts expert because he takes them on and defeats all four of them single-handedly. He has a cut on his forehead and I offer him my handkerchief.

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Tense In Grammar

Tense is the way grammar expresses time through different verb forms. At least, that is what we normally think. Tense in English, however, is sometimes not directly related to time in the real world. The Present Simple can be used to talk about other times:

The future: We leave at six tomorrow morning, (a plan)
The present: I take two eggs, beat them, then mix in the flour, (a demonstration)
The past: So - just as we agreed - I ring her. I do my best to be nice to her.
And what thanks do I get for it? Nothing! Just told never to ring again! (a person telling a story)
All time: I love my wife, (a statement which we hope will always be true!)
So, take care when you give rules to students about the tenses. Remember that it can be better to say nothing, rather than give a rule which is sometimes true and sometimes not.

Reference: George Woolard

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