If you were to ask Harrywhat was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud.
句子中从句的从句和主句的从句what was in the bottle和 it containedperfumed mud为何用的过去时。虚拟语气中主、从句的从句时态是什么规则呢？
If you were to ask Harry what was in the bottle, he would tell you that it contained perfumed mud. 黑体部分用什么时态，取决于语境。假如说话人在讲故事，讲述的是过去的某个情景，然后说这句话，作为读者或听众一定不可能向故事中的人物提问，所以were to ask, 和 would tell都要用虚拟语气。而what was in the bottle 和 it contained perfumed mud. 则是过去的事实，当然要用一般过去时表示过去的事实。 假如目前说话人手里拿着一个瓶子对听话人说这句话，说话人了解听话人不会去问Harry的，所以were to ask 和 would tell仍需要用虚拟语气。但此时what 从句和that从句表示的都是目前的事实，自然会用一般目前时表示目前的事实。
所以，虚拟语气句子中涉及到事实的从句用什么时态，取决于语境。即该事实是过去的事实、目前的事实、还是以后的事实。由此决定陈述语气的时态。
