the sequence of tenses
noun /ðə ˌsiːkwəns əv ˈtensɪz/
/ðə ˌsiːkwəns əv ˈtensɪz/
[singular] (grammar)- the rules according to which the tense of a subordinate clause depends on the tense of a main clause, so that, for example, ‘I think that you are wrong’ becomes ‘I thought that you were wrong’ in the past tense