Expressing Past Time:Using Time Clauses

 Time clauses are dependent clauses (they can't stand alone as a sentence) that indicate when something happened. They are introduced by time conjunctions. Here's a breakdown of how to express past time using time clauses in English, along with examples:

Common Time Conjunctions for Past Time:

• after: Indicates something happened subsequent to another past action.
• before: Indicates something happened prior to another past action.
• when: Indicates something happened at the same time as or during another past action. It can also indicate a sequence of events.
• while: Indicates something happened during the same period as another past action. Emphasizes the duration of the action in the main clause.
• as soon as: Indicates something happened immediately after another past action.
• until/till: Indicates an action continued up to a specific point in the past.
• since: Indicates a time from a past point to the present (often used with the present perfect in the main clause, but can be used with past tenses in specific contexts).

Past Tenses in Time Clauses:

The tense used in the time clause depends on the relationship between the timing of the actions in the time clause and the main clause.

1. Past Simple in both clauses: Use when both actions are completed and sequential.

   • When John finished his work, He went home. (First he finished, then he went.)
   • After I ate dinner, I watched TV. (First I ate, then I watched.)
   • Before she left for work, she made coffee. (First she made coffee, then she left.)

2. Past Perfect in the time clause, Past Simple in the main clause: Use when the action in the time clause happened before the action in the main clause. This clarifies the sequence of events, especially when using "after," "before," or "as soon as."

   • After he had finished my work, he went home. (The finishing happened before the going home.)
   • Before I had eaten dinner, I was feeling hungry. (The eating happened before the feeling.)
   • As soon as she had arrived, the meeting began. (The arrival happened immediately before the meeting.)

3. Past Continuous in the time clause, Past Simple in the main clause: Use when an action in the time clause was in progress when another action interrupted it.

   • While shewas watching TV, the phone rang. (The phone ringing interrupted the TV watching.)
   • When he was walking to school, he saw an old friend. (The seeing happened during the walk.)

4. Past Simple in the time clause, Past Continuous in the main clause: Use when an action in the time clause happened during a longer action in the main clause.

   • I was reading a book when the doorbell rang. (The ringing interrupted the reading.)
   • She was cooking dinner when I arrived home. (The arrival happened during the cooking.)

5. Past Perfect Continuous in the time clause, Past Simple in the main clause: Use to emphasize the duration of an action that happened before another action.

   • After Joseph had been working for eleven hours, he finally finished the report.

Examples with "since" in a past context:

While "since" is typically used with the present perfect, it can be used in past contexts to indicate a period of time leading up to a past event:

• We hadn't seen each other since we had graduated from college. (Both actions are in the past, but the graduation happened earlier.)
• She had been feeling ill since she had returned from hers trip.

Key Points to Remember:

• The time clause can come before or after the main clause. If it comes first, use a comma.
• Pay close attention to the sequence of events to choose the correct tenses.
• Using the past perfect is crucial for clarifying the order of events when there are two past actions, especially with "after," "before," and "as soon as."
• Future Tense is never used in time clauses. Present Simple is used to express future time. For example: When we arrive, we will call you. (We will call you when we arrive.) (Present Simple "arrive" was used in the subordinate clause.)

By understanding these rules and practicing with examples, you can effectively use time clauses to express past time in English.