一個句子如果出現兩個以上的動詞，它們的時態需要兼顧語意和語法。這個動詞時態的一致問題是華人英文寫作的主要困擾之一。但這個困擾是可以不必存在的。首先，英文的簡單句幾乎沒有這方面的問題。就複雜句而言，也只有含有名詞子句的句子需要注意，帶有形容詞子句或副詞子句的句子是有一定語意邏輯可尋的，而這個邏輯其實跟中文的差異很小，大家可以不用擔心。所以，以下我們僅就含有名詞子句的時態一致問題做討論。
1. 主句的動詞say, think, believe等如果是現在式（簡單、進行、完成），that- 子句可依實際情況選用現在、過去或未來式。因為此時說話者是處在當下評論事情，自然可以縱橫古今，無所不談。
•We think (that) Lisa is a good student.
•They believe (that) he is telling a lie.
•We suppose (that) he has just left.
•People guess (that) he was dead.
•We think (that) he was traveling that day.
•They believe (that) John had returned before midnight.
•We believe (that) our father will recover soon.
•We suppose (that) Tom will be studying tomorrow morning.
•We think (that) Helen will have reached home by tomorrow morning.
•Steve has told me (that) it is going to rain/ you lost your money/ the prices will go up.
2. 主句的動詞say, think, believe等如果是過去式（簡單、進行、完成），that- 子句中的動詞用過去式。
•He said (that) he trusted you/ he was waiting for the bus/ he had learned English many years/ he would go to the United States next summer.
想必有人會覺得"He said he would go to the United States next summer" 怪怪的。next summer還沒到，不是應該用will，為什麼用would呢？關鍵在he said。曾經說過的話後來改變不是什麼新鮮事。類似以下的經驗相信我們都有過：半年前A跟B 說他明年9月要去日本工作。相隔3個月後兩人又碰面了，B提起這件事，A反而很詫異地說：「喔！我沒跟你說嗎? 已經不去了。」用would的理由就在這裡。儘管next summer還沒到，但說話者也許早已改變心意了。我們得一直記住，過去式所描述的事實不是已經不存在，就是可能改變或早就改變了。
3. 主句的動詞say等雖為過去式，但that-子句所敘述的假如是公認的真理或事實，子句的動詞則要用現在簡單式。
•The teacher said (that) light travels faster than sound.
•Joe said that the class begins at 10:30.
許多老師經常這樣告訴學生，只要位於句子前半段的動詞用什麼時態，後半段的動詞就得用那種時態。經由前面的討論，我們知道除了規則2所說的情形之外，即使是名詞子句的結構，時態的使用是很有彈性的。假如連含有名詞子句的文句都是這樣，具有形容詞和副詞子句的句構就更是如此。這個說法，可由以下的例子得到更進一步的呼應。
•The man who is sitting there came to town last night.
•The man who was sitting there a moment ago wants to talk with you.
•The man who will teach you English next month had left the room before you came in.
•Because he did not submit the assignment on time, he will be punished by the teacher later.
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