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Meaning of "sequence of tenses" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF SEQUENCE OF TENSES

sequence of tenses play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SEQUENCE OF TENSES

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Sequence of tenses is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES SEQUENCE OF TENSES MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Sequence of tenses

Sequence of tenses is a set of grammatical rules of a particular language, governing the agreement between the tenses of verbs in related clauses or sentences. A typical context in which rules of sequence of tenses apply is that of indirect speech. If, at some past time, someone spoke a sentence in a particular tense, and that act of speaking is now being reported, the tense used in the clause that corresponds to the words spoken may or may not be the same as the tense that was used by the original speaker. In some languages the tense tends to be "shifted back", so that what was originally spoken in the present tense is reported using the past tense. English is one of the languages in which this often occurs. For example, if someone said "I need a drink", this may be reported in the form "She said she needed a drink", with the tense of the verb need changed from present to past. The "shifting back" of tense as described in the previous paragraph may be called backshifting or an attracted sequence of tenses. In languages and contexts where such a shift does not occur, there may be said by contrast to be a natural sequence.

Definition of sequence of tenses in the English dictionary

The definition of sequence of tenses in the dictionary is the sequence according to which the tense of a subordinate verb in a sentence is determined by the tense of the principal verb, as in I believe he is lying, I believed he was lying, etc.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SEQUENCE OF TENSES

sequel
sequela
sequelae
sequelize
sequence
sequencer
sequencing
sequency
sequent
sequential
sequential access
sequential scanning
sequentiality
sequentially
sequently
sequester
sequestered
sequestra
sequestrable
sequestral

WORDS THAT END LIKE SEQUENCE OF TENSES

accrued expenses
Albigenses
amanuenses
car expenses
elevenses
entertainment expenses
expenses
general expenses
incidental expenses
living expenses
menses
miscellaneous expenses
out-of-pocket expenses
relocation expenses
removal expenses
senses
take leave of one´s senses
to come to your senses
to have taken leave of your senses
travelling expenses
Waldenses

Synonyms and antonyms of sequence of tenses in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «sequence of tenses» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF SEQUENCE OF TENSES

Find out the translation of sequence of tenses to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of sequence of tenses from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «sequence of tenses» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

时态序列
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

secuencia de tiempos verbales
570 millions of speakers

English

sequence of tenses
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

काल का अनुक्रम
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

تسلسل يتوتر
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

последовательность времен
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

seqüência de tempos
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

কাল ক্রম
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

concordance des temps
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Urutan tenses
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Zeitenfolge
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

時制のシーケンス
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

시제 의 순서
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Urutan tenses
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

trình tự của các thì
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

டைனச்களின் வரிசை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

दृश्याची क्रम
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Zaman serileri
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

sequenza dei tempi
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

następstwo czasów
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

послідовність часів
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

secvență timpurilor
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ακολουθία των χρόνων
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

volgorde van tye
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

sekvens av tempus
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

sekvens av tenses
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of sequence of tenses

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SEQUENCE OF TENSES»

The term «sequence of tenses» is used very little and occupies the 156.030 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Rarely used
27
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «sequence of tenses» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of sequence of tenses
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «sequence of tenses».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SEQUENCE OF TENSES» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «sequence of tenses» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «sequence of tenses» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about sequence of tenses

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SEQUENCE OF TENSES»

Discover the use of sequence of tenses in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to sequence of tenses and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Sequence of Tenses in Latin: A Study Based on Caesar's ...
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.
Arthur Tappan Walker, 2013
2
Direct and Indirect Speech
An important conclusion to be drawn from the observation that there are languages that have morphological tense systems but no sequence of tenses rules is that back-shifting of tenses is a conventional phenomenon rather than a necessary ...
Florian Coulmas, 1986
3
A Comprehensive Guide to Wheelock's Latin: Newly Revised for ...
The rules that govern which tense shows which temporal relationship are called the sequence of tenses.Let's be clear on this: the rules governing the sequence of tenses apply only to dependent subjunctives (subjunctive verbs in subordinate  ...
Dale A. Grote, 2000
4
The Sequence of Tenses in Latin...
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.
William Gardner Hale, 2012
5
Tense
For transposition into indirect speech olJohn said, 7 will be absent on the fifteenth of May ', the sequence of tenses analysis predicts that the future tense of the direct speech will be shifted to future in the past after the main verb in the past ...
Bernard Comrie, 1985
6
The Sequence of Tenses in Latin
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas.
Cora Anice Mathes, 2012
7
STEP BY STEP ITALIAN GRAMMAR: BEST LANGUAGE BOOKS
18.1 sequence of tenses - introduction Before entering into the details an annotation. Normally in grammar books the reported speech and the sequence of tenses are considered two different phenomena that have nothing to do with each ...
POLYGLOT, 2014
8
Corpus Linguistics: Readings in a Widening Discipline
Hypothetical conditions: Type IIa (time orientation: present orfltturc) A very common sequence of tenses in sentences expressing hypothetical conditions with present or future time orientation is: subclause main clause simple past should/ ...
Geoffrey Sampson, Diana McCarthy, 2005
9
Functional Semantics: A Theory of Meaning, Structure and ...
In finite subclauses, the only type I discuss1, the central issue from a tense point of view is the phenomenon traditionally known as "consecutio temporum" or " sequence of tenses", i.e. the fact that tense choice in subordinate clauses is ...
Peter Harder, 1996
10
Norwegian Modals
Kristin Melum Eide. The data in (98) are all so-called “sequence of tenses” contexts; a verb of saying, thinking, referring is in the preterite, a11owing~and sometimes forcing—the finite verb of the embedded clause to also occur in the preterite.
Kristin Melum Eide, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SEQUENCE OF TENSES»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term sequence of tenses is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Ugly Disagreements
Also, the proper sequence of tenses requires “said the controversy had at least reminded.” •••. In the park, majestic plane trees and century's old walkways belie ... «New York Times, Oct 14»
2
Phrases We Love Too Much
Among other things, we needed “that” after “said,” to be parallel with the later “that.” Also, sequence of tenses requires “did not change” after the past-tense “said. «New York Times, Sep 14»
3
The Stranger in the Story
Also, proper sequence of tenses calls for the present-tense “is inevitable” after the present-tense “say.” •••. For a measure of the tumult that has accompanied the ... «New York Times, Dec 13»
4
Revisiting History Through Objects, and a Long-Gone Game Show
Ever the English professor, he was careful about the sequence of tenses. “She wasn't a student when I married her,” he said. “She had been my student.”. «New York Times, Jul 13»
5
AZ of Sri Lankan English: W is for will and would
In both cases, the sequence of tenses in standard grammar means that an English teacher is likely to underline the word will with a red pen. But the following ... «Groundviews, Nov 12»
6
Test your grammar skills with Neil James
Problem: Sequence of tenses is inconsistent and awkward. When two actions (and their verbs) are being compared, keep them in the same tense. It's OK to use ... «ABC Online, Jul 12»
7
All that glitz and grammar
... verb choice, noun strings, singular indefinite pronoun use, sequence of tenses, wordiness caused by circumlocution, double negatives, use of subjunctive and ... «Sydney Morning Herald, Jun 12»
8
Monthly Gleanings, February 2012, part 2
I am not convinced and still ascribe this usage to the collapse of the old rule of the sequence of tenses. We read: “The Obama administration has said it would ... «OUPblog, Mar 12»
9
Monthly Gleanings: January 2012
The Verb would and the Sequence of Tenses. The rule of the sequence of tenses has broken down not only in English but also in the Scandinavian languages ... «OUPblog, Jan 12»
10
Headmaster's Voice: Why study a dead language?
... proper understanding of how language works, no need to acquire a decent grasp of sentence structure, the sequence of tenses, the use of cases and the like. «Telegraph.co.uk, Nov 10»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Sequence of tenses [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/sequence-of-tenses>. Apr 2024 ».
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