英語(yǔ)時(shí)態(tài)的前后一致

時(shí)態(tài)的前后一致（The Sequence of Tenses）是指在說(shuō)或?qū)懸欢卧挄r(shí)，通常要選一個(gè)中心時(shí)態(tài)。如果開(kāi)始敘述或描寫(xiě)的時(shí)態(tài)著眼于“現(xiàn)在”，則通常以“現(xiàn)在”為基點(diǎn)從而出現(xiàn)下列時(shí)態(tài)的連用情況：

Our milkman usually delivers our milk at 6 o'clock every morning. It's nearly10o'clock am and the milkman still hasn't arrived. I suppose the milkman will come soon. Perhaps our milkman is ill.送牛奶的人每天早晨6點(diǎn)送牛奶來(lái)?，F(xiàn)在快到上午10點(diǎn)了，牛奶還沒(méi)有送到。我想快來(lái)了。也許是送牛奶的人生病了。
It's reported that the new railway is going to be built next year.據(jù)報(bào)道明年那里要建一條新鐵路。
I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.我預(yù)料到明天你就會(huì)改變主意了。
如果開(kāi)始敘述或描寫(xiě)的時(shí)態(tài)著眼于“過(guò)去某時(shí)”，則通常以“過(guò)去某時(shí)”為基點(diǎn)從而出現(xiàn)下列時(shí)態(tài)的連用情況：

When I lived in Beijing the milkman usually delivered our milk at 6 o'clock every morning. Usually no one in our household had got up when the milk man arrived.我住在北京時(shí)，送牛奶的人每天早晨6點(diǎn)送牛奶來(lái)，那時(shí)我們都還沒(méi)有起床。
We hadn't expected that you would come so early.我們沒(méi)有料到你們會(huì)來(lái)得這么早。
She said they would have got everything ready by tonight.她說(shuō)到今晚一切都會(huì)準(zhǔn)備就緒。
“時(shí)態(tài)一致”這一概念應(yīng)表述為：現(xiàn)在時(shí)通常與現(xiàn)在時(shí)連用；過(guò)去時(shí)通常與過(guò)去時(shí)連用。