Sequence of Tenses - Latin

Latin

In Latin a primary tense (simple present tense, present perfect, simple future tense, or future perfect) in the superordinate clause is followed by primary tense in the subordinate clauses, and a historic "tense" in the superordinate clause (imperfect, perfect, or pluperfect) is followed by a historic tense in the subordinate clause. In Latin the "Consecutio temporum" (sequence of the tenses) is a gathering of rules that are followed in the subordination of Latin clauses. The Consecutio Temporum is used with the indicative, subjunctive and infinitive moods. The infinitive mood is used in dependent noun clauses, in which the subject is expressed in accusative and the verb at the infinitive mood. The tense is present infinitive if the action in the clause is contemporary to the action of the independent main clause; it is perfect infinitive if the dependent verb is anterior to the verb of the independent; it is future infinitive if it happens after the action of the independent is over. Some types of dependent clauses have the verb in the indicative mood. If the independent's action is contemporary to the dependent's, here the tense will be the same as in the independent. If the relation of tenses is of posterioriy you will use the future participle plus the present simple of sum (active periphrastic) in the dependent. If the relation is of anteriority it changes: if the verb in the independent is a present indicative tense, the verb in the dependent clause will be in a perfect tense. If the independent's verb is an imperfect tense, the dependent's will be a pluperfect, if the dependent's is future simple, the dependent's will be future perfect. The Consecutio Temporum of the subjunctive mood is much more difficult, and also the most used in the dependent clauses, but we can remember the whole following of Latin tenses in these tables: