Time Clauses - Weebly
Time Clauses
Time clauses are dependent clauses that start with the following words and indicate the sequence or possibility of events:
|After |Before |Once |When |
|As soon as / As long as |If |Until |While |
General Information
Never use a time clause by itself in writing, or you will have a FRAGMENT. (
We do, however, use them alone in speaking all the time.
NO: Before class starts every day. I go to Starbucks.
YES: Before class starts every day, I go to Starbucks.
The order of the dependent and independent clause can change. Use a comma only when the dependent clause comes first.
YES: Before class starts every day, I go to Starbucks.
YES: I go to Starbucks before class starts every day.
NO: I go to Starbucks, before class starts every day.
Time Clauses and the Simple Present (Factual Conditionals)
In these clauses, both the dependent and independent clauses use the SIMPLE PRESENT.
These are for situations that are always true or that always happen.
Example: Before class starts every day, I go to Starbucks.
If I get home in time, I take a yoga class at the gym.
Time Clauses with the Simple Past
In these clauses, both the dependent and independent clauses use the SIMPLE PAST.
These types of clauses are used to put events in the past in order.
Example: After I came home, I saw a package waiting for me.
Once railroads connected the U.S., travel became easier and more common.
Time Clauses and the Future (Future Conditionals)
In these clauses, the dependent clause uses the SIMPLE PRESENT, and the independent clause uses a FUTURE tense.
Example: As soon as Mary gets the money, she’ll buy her daughter a new computer.
They’re going to go to Costa Rica when school ends.
Conditional Overview with Examples
|Present Real Conditional |Present Unreal Conditional |
|If I have time, I study English. |If I had time, I would study English. |
|Sometimes I have time. |I don't have time. |
|Past Real Conditional |Past Unreal Conditional |
|If I had time, I studied English. |If I had had time, I would have studied English. |
|Sometimes I had time. |I didn't have time. |
|Future Real Conditional |Future Unreal Conditional |
|If I have time, I will study English. |If I had time, I would study English. |
|If I have time, I am going to study English. |I won't have time. |
|I don't know if I will have time or not. |Other forms possible. |
|Other forms possible. | |
From:
(Nice practice exercises are here, too!)
For more practice with time clauses, try:
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