Relative Tense

What is Relative Tense?

Relative tense refers to how the time of an action or state is indicated in relation to another point in time, typically another verb or a specific reference point. It’s not about absolute time (like ‘now’ or ‘yesterday’) but about the sequence of events.

Key Concepts

• Sequence of Events: Relative tense helps establish the order in which things happened or will happen.
• Reference Point: It often relies on a main clause verb to establish the primary time frame.
• Past in the Past: Using past perfect to describe an event that occurred before another past event.
• Future in the Past: Using conditional or past future constructions to describe what was expected to happen.

Deep Dive: Examples

Consider these examples:

• Past Perfect: “She had finished her work before the meeting started.” (The finishing happened before the meeting.)
• Past Future: “He said he would arrive late.” (The arrival was in the future relative to when he said it.)
• Future Perfect: “By next year, I will have graduated.” (Graduation will be complete before a future point.)

Applications

Relative tense is vital for:

• Narrating stories and historical accounts.
• Explaining cause and effect relationships over time.
• Expressing expectations or plans that were made in the past.
• Constructing complex sentences with multiple time references.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is confusing relative tense with simple past or future. The key is the relationship between two time points. Incorrect usage can lead to unclear or illogical sequencing of events.

FAQs

Q: How is relative tense different from simple past?
A: Simple past indicates an action completed at a specific past time. Relative tense shows an action’s timing compared to another past event.

Q: When do we use relative tense?
A: We use it when the sequence of events is important, especially when one event precedes another in the past or future relative to a reference point.