本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛1. Use past tense to decribe an action completed or status in the past.
2. If action 1 has something to do with action 2 that happened afterwards, describe action 1 in perfect tense. For example,
I HAVE STUDIED hard before I COME to see you today.
I HAD STUDIED hard before I WENT to see you yesterday.
I WILL HAVE FINISHED chapter 5 before I go to see you tomorrow.
Subjunctive mood should be another topic. It is not about time and tenses. It is about mood. The rules are also simple.
a. I am Chinese. (this is truth)--> If I were/you were/he was Chinese (this is assumption, not true). Simply change present tense into simple past tense to expresse the subjunctive mood.
b. I have been American since 2000. (this is true from the past to present). --> If I had been American since then... (this has not been true). Simply change the present perfect tense to past perfect tense to express the subjunctive mood.
b. I was happy. (this was true in the past). --> If I had been happy... (this was not true then). Simply change the past tense into past perfect tense.
So on and so forth.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
2. If action 1 has something to do with action 2 that happened afterwards, describe action 1 in perfect tense. For example,
I HAVE STUDIED hard before I COME to see you today.
I HAD STUDIED hard before I WENT to see you yesterday.
I WILL HAVE FINISHED chapter 5 before I go to see you tomorrow.
Subjunctive mood should be another topic. It is not about time and tenses. It is about mood. The rules are also simple.
a. I am Chinese. (this is truth)--> If I were/you were/he was Chinese (this is assumption, not true). Simply change present tense into simple past tense to expresse the subjunctive mood.
b. I have been American since 2000. (this is true from the past to present). --> If I had been American since then... (this has not been true). Simply change the present perfect tense to past perfect tense to express the subjunctive mood.
b. I was happy. (this was true in the past). --> If I had been happy... (this was not true then). Simply change the past tense into past perfect tense.
So on and so forth.更多精彩文章及讨论,请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net