理解宾语从句的时态响应,应注意以下几种情况:
1. 无需呼应的情况:若主句谓语动词的时态为现在时或将来时,宾语从句的谓语动词可根据句意的需要使用任何所需要的时态。如:
He knows where they live. 他知道他们住哪里。
No one knows where he was born. 没有人知道他出生于何地。
Tom says that he’ll never get married. 汤姆说他永远不结婚。
2. 主句为过去时的情况:若主句谓语动词为过去时,宾语从句的谓语动词应用相应的过去时态。如:
She asked me if I’d slept well. 她问我睡得好不好。
I didn’t know whether they liked the place. 我不知道他们是否喜欢这个地方。
He said he was going to accompany her home. 他说他将陪她回家。
当主句谓语动词为过去时,即使宾语从句所表示的时间是现在,通常也用过去时。如:
Oh! I didn’t know you were here. 啊! 我不知道你在这里。(you were here指说话的当时)
Hello! I didn’t know you were in London. How long have you been here? 你好! 我不知道你在伦敦。你来这里多久了? (you were in London其实是指说话的当时)
当然,为避免误会,我们也可以直接使用现在时态或将来时态来表示现在或将来要发生的情况,而无需考虑与主句谓语的过去时相呼应。如:
She said she’ll be back tonight. 她说她今晚回来。
He said that the meeting is Tuesday. 他说会议于星期二举行。
3. 从句为客观真理的情况:当宾语从句的内容是客观真理或客观事实,可以不受时态呼应的限制,即使主句谓语动词为过去时,从句仍用一般现在时。如:
The teacher told the students that light travels faster than sound. 老师告诉学生,光的速度比声速快。
When we were children, we were told that China is in the east of the world. 我们还是小孩子的时候,人们就告诉我们说中国在世界的东方。
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