Relationships between Time Expressions and Verb Tenses

TIME ADVERB
after

EXAMPLES

EXPLANATIONS

a) AFTER the cell splits, the cycle will repeat itself. b) AFTER the cell (had) split, the cycle repeated itself.

Present tense forms, not future tense forms, are used in time clauses referring to the future. See a), c), i), m), q), r), s), t), u), v)

before

c) The cell will split BEFORE the cycle is complete. d) The cell (had) split BEFORE the cycle was complete.

when

e) WHEN I looked in the microscope, the cell was splitting. f) WHEN I looked, the cell had already split. g) WHEN it began to split, I watched intensely. h) WHEN I was in the lab, I broke a test tube. i) WHEN I see the results tomorrow, I will know the answer.

WHEN = at that time (Notice the different time relationships expressed by the tenses.)

while as

j) WHILE the cell was stretching, it began to split. k) AS the cell was stretching, it began to split.

WHILE, AS = during that time

by the time

l) BY THE TIME the cell divided, we had already left. already have left.

BY THE TIME = one event is completed before another event perfect in the main clause.) SINCE = from that time to the present (Notice: The present perfect tense is used in the main clause and the past tense in the since clause.)

m) BY THE TIME the cell divides, we will (Notice the use of the past perfect and future since n) I haven't seen it SINCE I left this morning.

until till

o) We stayed there UNTIL we finished our work. p) We stayed there TILL we finished our work.

UNTIL, TILL = to that time and then no longer (TILL is used primarily in speaking rather than writing.)

as soon as once

q) AS SOON AS the cell stops dividing, we will leave. r) ONCE the cell stops dividing, we will leave.

AS SOON AS, ONCE = when one event happens, another event happens soon afterwards AS LONG AS, SO LONG AS = during all that time, from beginning to end

as long as so long as

s) I will never take chemistry again AS LONG AS I live. t) I will never take chemistry again SO LONG AS I live.

whenever every time

u) WHENEVER I see my physics teacher, WHENEVER = every time I say hello. v) EVERY TIME I see my physics teacher, I say hello.

Future Tense in Time Clauses

a) The cell will divide soon. When the cell DIVIDES, we will see it. will insert a new gene into the cell. will check my experiment. In (a): "When the cell divides" is a time clause. WHEN + subject + verb = a time clause WILL or meaning of the clause is future, but the simple

b) The cell is going to divide soon. Before it DOES, I BE GOING TO is NOT used in a time clause. The c) I will get to the lab at 5:30. After I GET there, I present tense is used. A time clause begins with such words as WHEN, d) The cell will divide soon. As soon as it DIVIDES, BEFORE , AFTER, AS SOON AS, UNTIL and we'll be able to leave for the airport. includes a subject and a verb. The time clause can e) They are going to divide soon. I'll wait here until they DO. come either at the beginning of the sentence or in the second part of the sentence: When the cell divides, we'll see it. OR:We'll see it when the cell divides. f) I will go to the lab AFTER I finish my dinner. g) I will go to the lab AFTER I have finished my dinner. Occasionally, the present perfect is used in a time clause, as in (g): Examples (f) and (g) have the same meaning. The present perfect and present tense have the same meaning. The present perfect stresses the completion of the act in the time clause before the other act occurs in the future.