Согласование времён (the Sequence of Tenses) - это правило, которое вступает в силу, если главное предложение стоит в прошедшем времени (Past Simple), когда мы хотим передать прямую речь: он сказал, что... она ответила... они пообещали... Также правило согласования времён часто употребляется после таких глаголов, как know - знать, think - думать, remember - помнить, believe - полагать/верить/считать, doubt - сомневаться, understand - понимать, realize - осознавать, suppose - полагать/допускать (если они стоят в главном предложении в прошедшем времени!). Союз that при присоединении придаточного предложения в этом случае также может опускаться. Как же это правило работает? - Очень просто: все времена группы Present становятся временами группы Past, с остальными давайте разбираться.
Present Simple → Past Simple:
am, is / are → was / were
do / does → did
My friend said, " I am busy." → My friend said that he was busy.
Мой друг сказал, что занят.
My friend said, "I know the truth." → My friend said that he knew the truth.
Мой друг сказал, что знает правду.
Внимание: при переводе на русский язык в придаточном предложении остаётся настоящее время.
Present Continuous → Past Continuous:
am / is / are doing → was / were doing
My sister said, "I am waiting for you. → My sister said that he was waiting for me. - Моя сестра сказала, что она ждёт меня.
My friend said, "A colleague of mine is ignoring me. → My friend said that a colleague of his was ignoring him. - Мой друг сказал, что один из его коллег игнорирует его.
Present Perfect → Past Perfect:
have / has done → had done
My brother said, "I have paid too much tax." → My brother said that he had paid too much tax. - Мой брат сказал, что он заплатил слишком много налогов.
Present Perfect Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous:
have / has been doing → had been doing
She said, "I have been spending more time with my couisn since summer." → My friend said that she had been spending more time with her cousin since summer. - Она сказала, что с лета проводила больше времени с кузиной.
Past Simple → Past Simple (в случае, если предшествование выражаемого действия не является значимым):
was / were → was / were did → did
My friend said, "I saw a bird with a yellow beak. → My friend said that he saw a bird with a yellow beak. - Мой друг сказал, что он видел птицу с желтым клювом.
My friend said, "I closed my bank account." → My friend said that he had closed his bank account. - Мой друг сказал, что закрыл свой счет в том банке.
Past Simple → Past Perfect (при выражении предшествования):
was / were → had been did → had done
My cousin said, "I was born on 15th of April." → My cousin said that he was born on 15th of April. - Мой кузен сказал, что он родился пятнадцатого апреля.
Past Continuous → Past Continuous (в случае, если предшествование выражаемого действия не является значимым):
was / were doing → was / were doing
My dad said, "I was looking for a new job in IT spheare." → My dad said that he was looking for a new job in IT spheare. - Мой друг сказал, что он искал новую работу с сфере IT.
Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous (при выражении предшествования действия):
was / were doing → had been doing
My friend said, "It was raining all night." → My friend said that it had been raining all night. - Мой друг сказал, что дождь шёл всю ночь.
Past Perfect → остаётся Past Perfect:
had done → had done
My partner said, "The lawyer had already left our company by the end of June. → My partner said that the lawyer had already left their company by the end of June. - Мой партнёр сказал, что к концу июня юрист уже ушел из их компании.
Past Perfect Continuous → остаётся Past Perfect Continuous:
had been doing → had been doing
My friend said, "I had been taking care of plants for two months before I quitted." → My friend said that he had been taking care of plants for two months before he quitted. - Мой друг сказал, что заботился о растениях в течение двух месяцев, прежде чем уволился.
Future Simple → Future in the Past:
shall / will → should / would
My father said, "Only a real friend will tell you the truth." → My father said that only a real friend would tell me the truth. - Мой папа сказал, что только настоящий друг скажет мне правду.
Future Continuous → Future Continuous in the Past:
shall / will be doing → should / would be doing
He said, "I will be waiting for your call." → My friend said that he would be waiting for my call. - Он сказал, что будет ждать моего звонка.
Future Perfect → Future Perfect in the Past:
shall / will have done → should / would have done
My friend said, "I will have gained management skills by the end of the year." → My friend said that he would have gained management skills by the end of the year. - Мой товарищ сказал, что к концу года приобретет административные навыки.
Future Perfect Continuous → Future Perfect Continuous in the Past:
shall / will have been doing → should / would have been doing
My friend said, "I will have been studying management for more than a year when I graduate." → My friend said that he would have been studying management for more than a year when he graduated. - Мой друг сказал, что он будет изучать менеджмент более года, когда закончит учебное заведение.
Отдельно следует остановиться на том, что некоторые слова нужно поменять при переводе из прямой речи в косвенную:
now → then, immediately; today → that day; yesterday → the day before / the previous day; tomorrow → the next / (the) following day; this week → that week; last week → the week before/ the previous week; next week → the week after, the following week; ago→ before; here→ there; this → that; these →those.
Примечание: отдельные правила будут иметь модальные глаголы при переводе в косвенную речь и вопросительные предложения. Остановимся на них в дальнейших статьях.