Faulty Verb Tense Shifts
NAME:__________________________________________________________________________________
PERIOD:_______
WHAT ARE THEY?
The tense of the verbs you use in your writing helps readers know when something took place and the
relationships of actions of events to one another. Within a sentence, paragraph, or story, changes in
verb tense help readers understand the time relationships among events. But unnecessary or
inconsistent shifts in tense can be confusing.
Tenses
Present tense: used to express an action occurring now, always, or repeatedly.
Ray Bradbury writes primarily science fiction and fantasy. I am a fan and read his works daily.
Past tense: expresses a previous action or connection.
Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which we read and discussed in class
last year.
Future tense: indicates action that will take place at a later time.
I wonder what Stephen King’s next novel will be. Whatever it is, someone probably will make
it into a movie soon after its release.
Present perfect tense: signals an event that began in the past and either ended in the past or
continues to the present.
Leila has seen several film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. She has decided that none of
them is as good as the book.
Past perfect tense: indicates actions completed by a specific time in the past of before some other
past action occurred.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Naturalism had become a popular literary movement.
Tense Shifts
Example 1: The Scarlet Letter contains symbolism that readers used to help them understand the
story.
USE
PUBLISHED
IS
Example 2: In 1836, Ralph Waldo Emerson has published Nature, in which he claims it was possible to
reach a spiritual state not through religion but by relating to the natural world.
Source: Passing the South Carolina EOC Exam in English I. American Book Company, 2008.
EXERCISES
Circle the verbs in the sentences below. Then, change verb(s) as necessary to correct the
sentences.
1.
When he kicked the ball into the net, the fans go wild. GO WENT
2.
Yesterday, Rebecca was told to remove her wet boots before she enters the kitchen, but she walks
in without removing them anyway. ENTERS—ENTERED; WALKS WALKED
3.
When you have the chance to see Ronny for yourself, you should have seen that I do not
exaggerate about the amount of weight he had lost. HAVE SEEN SEE; HAD LOST HAS LOST
4.
I started writing my thesis four weeks ago, but I am finishing it right before class last night
despite my early preparation. AM FINISHING FINISHED
5.
Every morning when the alarm clock rings, I yawned, stretched and roll over for an extra five
minutes of sleep. YAWNED YAWN; STRETCHED STRETCH
6.
By the time Christopher Columbus sighted land, most of the crew lost all hope of survival. LOST
HAD LOST
7.
Muriel likes to display the porcelain teacups she has collected each year on vacation. HAS
COLLECTED COLLECTS
8.
Kelsey had arrived too late to join the other guests in shouting, “Surprise!” when she attends the
birthday party. ATTENDS ATTENDED
9.
Katie will plan a trip to visit the Museum of Natural History next weekend so that she attended a
lecture about the healing powers of snake venom. ATTENDED WILL (CAN) ATTEND
10.
By the time Chad is finished cramming for finals, he studied for seven hours. IS FINISHED
FINISHED; STUDIED HAD STUDIED or STUDIED WILL HAVE STUDIED
Change the second verb in the sentence to match the underlined verb.
Mike had driven quickly, so we arrive on time. ARRIVED
12. I checked my answering machine, but I hear no messages. HEARD
13. Troy sharpens his pencils while I passed out the test. PASS
14. When Brian woke up, he goes straight to the shower. WENT
11.
Some of the following sentences are correct, and some are not. If the sentence is incorrect,
change the first verb to correspond to the underlined verb. If correct, write “correct.”
Just as Brandi spoke, the microphone turns on. SPEAKS
16. I prefer sugar-free gum, but my cousin liked rock candy. PREFERRED
17. I never studied in elementary school and have trouble passing tests. CORRECT
18. Last night, I did not sleep well even though I went to bed early. CORRECT
15.
Supply the appropriate tense for each missing verb below.
In Banjug, the capital of Gambia, I met with a group of Gambians. They [tell] ___TOLD___ me how for
centuries the history of Africa has been preserved. In the older villages of the back country, there are
old men called griots, who [be] ___ARE__ in effect living archives. Such men [memorize]
__MEMORIZE___ and, on special occasions, [recite] _RECITE___the cumulative histories of clans or
families or villages as those histories [have] _HAVE__ long been told. Since my forefather [have]
__HAS___ said his name was Kin-tay (properly spelled Kinte), and since the Kinte clan [be] __IS__ known
is Gambia, the group of Gambians would see what they could do to help me. I was back in New York
when a registered letter [arrive] _ARRIVED__ from Gambia.
-Alex Haley’s Roots
When writing about literature, you should use the present tense. There are several shifts in
tense in the paragraph below describing action in a fictional narrative. Find the six faulty shifts
in tense, circle them, and then correct them.
In “The Use of Force,” William Carlos Williams describes a struggle involving a doctor, two parents,
and their young daughter. The doctor must obtain a throat culture from the girl, who was suspected
of having diphtheria. This ordinarily simple task is hindered by the frightened and uncooperative
patient, Mathilda Olson. Adding to the doctor’s difficulties were the parents, who had to struggle with
their own conflicting emotions. They want their daughter helped, but they did not trust the doctor to
do the right thing. Sensitive to the parents’ uncertainty, the doctor became more and more frustrated
by Mathilda’s resistance. Williams gives considerable attention to how each of the Olsons react, but it
is clear that his main interest was in the doctor and his responses. IS SUSPECTED; ARE; HAVE; DO;
BECOMES; IS
Source: The School of Arts and Enterprise, California
Circle all verbs and then correct tense inconsistencies.
In the past, Ancient Greeks, Aztecs, Babylonians, and Chinese all develop sophisticated astrological
charts. For centuries, astrology’s appeal has endured. There is a brief setback when, in 1594, Galileo
proved that the earth was not the center of the universe. However, Sir Isaac Newton pointed out that
astrology was about the relationships between the planets; therefore, it did not matter what the center
of the universe is. Today, in this age of reason, people around the globe still consulted horoscopes.
DEVELOPED; WAS; WAS; CONSULT
Source: The Writer’s World: Sentences and Paragraphs. Pearson, 2006.