过去将来:四种形式

讲过去的故事时,有时需要从当时再往后看。周一做出的承诺涉及周二,而周二相对于当时仍是将来。这四种组合是在常见时态表基础上加入过去观察点。

把语法放进生活

周一 Maya 说:“I will call you on Tuesday.” 你之后转述这句话。

Maya said she would call me on Tuesday.

打电话相对于 Maya 说话时是将来的事。仅凭这句话,无法得知她后来是否真的打了电话。

上图只标记过去的先后参照关系。转述中的“将来”位于原话之后,但相对现在可能在过去、现在或将来。

搭好句子

看清句型结构。

句型结构与例句
一般形式would + base verbShe said she would call.
进行形式would be + verb-ingShe said she would be working at six.
完成形式would have + past participleShe said she would have finished by six.
完成进行形式would have been + verb-ingShe said she would have been working for eight hours by six.

知道什么时候用

真实情境中的用法。

01站在过去看将来

参照点是原话说出的时间。常见的时态后移中,would 对应 will。转述时还要根据新语境调整人称和时间表达,如用 the next day 代替 tomorrow。如果信息现在仍然有效,也不总是必须后移时态。

On Monday, he said he would send the file the next day.

02保留原话对过程和结果的侧重

would be working 保留正在进行的含义;would have finished 保留截止点前完成的含义;would have been working 保留截至将来某点的持续时长。最后一种日常较少使用,但语境清楚时可以准确表达复杂时间关系。

03并非所有 would 都是过去将来

would 还可以表达假设结果、礼貌请求或过去反复发生的活动。I would travel if I had time 是假设,Would you help me? 是请求。要先识别语境,不能看到 would 就归为过去将来。

She said she would have finished by six. / She would have finished if the power had not failed.

04was going to 与改变的计划

was/were going to 描述过去的打算或预期,可以引出后来改变的计划,但结构本身并不证明计划取消。结果重要时,应明确补充后来发生了什么。

I was going to walk, but it started raining, so I took a taxi.

05为什么有 12 种和 16 种两种说法

很多教学表把现在、过去、将来三个时间视角与一般、进行、完成、完成进行四种形式组合,得到十二种;加入过去将来就得到十六种。这是学习框架,许多语法分析把英语有词形变化的时态分为现在和过去两类。应关注含义,而不把数量当成对错标准。

小地方,大不同

留意这些常见错误。

避免She said she would called later.
这样说She said she would call later.

和 will 一样,would 后接动词原形。

轮到你了

试一试,看看是否理解。

先自己选择,再查看解释。答错也没关系,重要的是理解原因。

01用常见的时态后移方式,在 She said 后转述 “I will finish by Friday”。

查看答案与解析

she would finish by Friday

will 后移为 would,实义动词保持原形。

02哪句话明确转述了一个从过去看将来的承诺?

查看答案与解析

He promised he would return the book.

promised 建立过去观察点,还书相对于当时是将来的事。

本课例句与讲解由 TenseQuest 编写。

延伸参考:Cambridge Dictionary · Future in the past

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接下来学什么。

一般将来时:will将来完成时将来完成进行时