Illogical Shifts in Tense, Person, Number, and Voice
A shift occurs anytime a writer changes tense, person, number, or voice. As you write
and revise, be sure that any shifts you make are logical. An illogical shift occurs when a
writer changes tense, person, number, or voice for no good reason.
AVOIDING ILLOGICAL SHIFTS IN TENSE:
An illogical shift in tense occurs when a writer shifts from one tense to another for no
apparent reason.
Illogical Shift in Tense:
The dog walked to the fireplace. Then, he circles twice and
lies down in front of the fire. (past to present)
Revised:
The dog walked to the fireplace. Then, he circled twice and
lay down in front of the fire. (consistent past)
Revised:
The dog walks to the fireplace. Then, he circles twice and
lies down in front of the fire. (consistent present)
Practice:
Edit the following sentences for illogical shifts in tense. If a sentence is correct, write C
in the blank.
received
Example 1: She was surprised when she receives the news.
Example 2: Last year, she was a captain on the force. Now, she is a chief of police. C
(correct)
1. When Beverly Harvard became the chief of the Atlanta police force, she is the
first African-American ever to hold that title in a major U.S. city. _____
2. She started on the police force when she was twenty-two, at a time when mostly
white men work as Atlanta police officers. _____
3. Now, more than half the department is African-American, and women made up
about a quarter of the force. _____
4. Harvard first thought about joining the force because her husband and a male
friend said they do not believe women are capable of doing police work _____
5. Her husband even agrees to pay her $100 if she is accepted on the force. _____
6. She accepted the challenge, and today she looks back on her first years of training
with amazement at how little she knew then. _____
7. In fact, when she entered the police academy, she did not really plan to be a police
officer; she just wants to prove her husband wrong. _____
8. One thing that helped her to advance was her administrative ability; another is her
talent for effective management. _____
9. When her promotion was announced, some veteran officers criticize her
appointment as police chief, but most younger officers praised the choice. _____
10. Eventually, most members of the force came to appreciate her accessibility and
are happy about her willingness to listen to new ideas and approaches. _____
AVOIDING ILLOGICAL SHIFTS IN PERSON:
Person is the form a pronoun takes to indicate who is speaking, spoken about, or spoken
to.
First Person:
Second Person:
Third Person:
Singular
Plural
I
you
he, she, it
We
you
they
An illogical shift in person occurs when a writer shifts from one person to another for no
apparent reason. Most errors occur in the second and third person.
Illogical Shift:
The hikers were told that you had to stay on the trail. (3rd to
2nd person)
Revised:
The hikers were told that they had to stay on the trail.
(consistent use of 3rd person)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Illogical Shift:
Anyone can learn to cook if you practice. (3rd to 2nd person)
Revised:
You can learn to cook if you practice. (consistent use of 2rd
person)
Revised:
Anyone can learn to cook if he or she practices. (consistent
use of 3rd person)
Practice:
The following sentences contain illogical shifts between the second person and the third
person. Edit each sentence so that it uses third-person pronouns consistently. If necessary,
be sure to change the verb to make it agree with the new subject.
Example:
he or she has
Before a person finds a job in the fashion industry, you have to have some
experience.
1. Young people who want a career in the fashion industry do not always realize
how hard you will have to work.
2. They think that working in the world of fashion will be glamorous and that you
will quickly make a fortune.
3. In reality, no matter how talented you are, a recent college graduate entering the
industry is paid only about $22,000 a year.
4. The manufacturers and retailers who employ new graduates expect you to work
for three years or more at this salary before you are promoted.
5. A young designer may receive a big raise if you are very talented, but this is
unusual.
6. New employees have to pay their dues, and you soon realize that most of your
duties are tedious.
7. Employees may be excited to land a job as an assistant designer but then you find
that you color in designs that have already been drawn.
8. Other beginners in fashion houses discover that you spend most of your time
sewing or typing up orders.
9. If a person is serious about working in the fashion industry, you have to be
realistic.
10. For most newcomers to the industry, the ability to do what you are told to do is
more important than your artistic talent or fashion sense.
AVOIDING ILLOGICAL SHIFTS IN NUMBER:
Number is the form a noun, pronoun, or verb takes to indicate whether it is singular
(one) or plural (more than one).
Number
Singular
I
he, she
Fred
Man
an encyclopedia
his, her
am, is, was
Plural
We
they
Fred and Ethel
men
encyclopedias
their
are, were
An illogical shift in number occurs when a writer shifts from singular to plural (or the
other way around) for no apparent reason.
Illogical Shift:
Each visitor to the museum must check their cameras at the
entrance. (singular to plural)
Revised:
Each visitor to the museum must check his or her camera
at the entrance. (consistent singular)
Revised:
Visitors to the museum must check their cameras at the
entrance. (consistent plural)
Practice:
Edit the following sentences for illogical shifts from singular to plural. You can either
change the singular element to the plural or change the plural element to the singular. Be
sure to change the verb so it agrees with the new subject. If the sentence is correct, write
C in the blank.
Example:
his or her
Each attorney first makes their opening speech. _____
Good jurors
A good juror takes their time in making a decision. _____
1. According to recent studies, a juror may have their mind made up before the trial
even begins. _____
2. As attorneys offer their opening arguments, a juror may immediately decide
whether they think the defendant is innocent or guilty. _____
3. This unfounded conclusion often depends on which attorney makes their initial
description of the case the most dramatic. _____
4. During the trial, that juror will pay attention only to evidence that corresponds to
the decision they have already made. _____
5. A juror with poor decision-making skills is also not likely to listen to challenges
to their opinions when the jury comes together to deliberate. _____
6. No matter how wrong they are, such a juror argues their positions strongly and
urges the strictest sentencing or the highest damage payments. _____
7. These jurors believe their responsibility is to argue for their version of the truth
rather than to weigh all the evidence and alternative possibilities. _____
8. Such a juror will even make up their own evidence to support their case. _____
9. For example, one juror argued that a man being tried for murder was acting in
their own defense because the victim was probably carrying a knife, but no knife
was mentioned during the trial. _____
10. Studies suggest that a person who jumps to conclusions on a jury will not take
their time when making other important decisions in life. _____
AVOIDING ILLOGICAL SHIFTS IN VOICE:
When the subject of a sentence performs the action, the sentence is in the active voice.
When the subject of a sentence receives the action, the sentence is in the passive voice.
Active Voice: Nat Turner organized a slave rebellion in August 1831.
(Subject Nat Turner performs the action.)
Passive Voice: A slave rebellion was organized by Nat Turner in 1831.
(Subject rebellion receives the action.)
An illogical shift in voice occurs when a writer shifts from active to passive voice or
from passive to active voice for no apparent reason.
Illogical Shift in Voice:
Cliff Prem wrote Soccer Success, and How Not to Break a
Skateboard was also written by him. (active to passive)
Revised:
Cliff Prem wrote Soccer Success, and he also wrote How
Not to Break a Skateboard. (consistent active voice)
Illogical Shift in Voice:
Musicology was discovered by Ian Denson, and Grace
Taquard invented a new acting technique. (passive to
active)
Revised:
Ian Denson discovered Musicology, and Grace Tacquard
invented a new acting technique. (consistent active voice)
CORRECTING ILLOGICAL SHIFTS IN VOICE
The active voice is stronger than the passive voice. For this reason, you should
usually use the active voice in your writing. To change a sentence from the passive to
the active voice, determine who or what receives the action, and make this noun the
subject of a new active voice sentence.
Passive voice:
MySpace is used by some of my friends.
Active Voice:
Some of my friends use MySpace.
Use the passive voice in your writing only when the action being performed is more
important than the person performing it. To change a sentence from the active to the
passive voice, determine who or what receives the action, and make this noun the
subject of a new passive voice sentence.
Active Voice:
Sarah Pirlogea completed her work on schedule.
Passive Voice:
The work was completed on schedule.
Practice:
The following sentences contain illogical shifts in voice. Revise each sentence by
changing the underlined passive voice verb to the active voice.
Example:
Several researchers are interested in leadership qualities, and a study of
decision making was conducted by them recently.
Revised:
Several researchers are interested in leadership qualities, and they recently
conducted a study of decision making.
1. A local university funded the study, and the research team was led by Dr. Alicia
Flynn.
A local university funded the study, ____________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
2. The researchers developed a series of questions about decision making, and then
one hundred subjects were interviewed by them.
The researchers developed a series of questions about decision making, _______
_________________________________________________________________.
3. Instinct alone was relied on by two-thirds of the subjects and only one-third used
logical analysis.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________ and only one-third used logical analysis.
4. After the researchers completed the study, a report was written about their
findings.
After the researchers completed the study, _______________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
5. The report was read by many experts, and most of them found the results
surprising.
__________________________________________________________________
___________________, and most of them found the results surprising.