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Tense Errors: Inconsistent Verbs
Tense Errors: Inconsistent Verbs
Tense Errors: Inconsistent Verbs
ERRORS
Tense errors occur
when the verb is
inconsistent within a
sentence or a
paragraph, or when
modifiers are
unnecessarily added
and change tense.
Here are the two most
common tense errors.
Inconsistent Verbs
Verbs must be consistent as long as the writer is
focused on one passage or idea. Be careful not to
switch tenses within a sentence.
Yasir was watching television when he
stands up and fixes a snack.
The tense in this sentence changes from past
progressive to present. The appropriate tense
here should be past tense.
Yasir was watching television when he stood
up and fixed a snack.
In this example, the entire sentence is in past
tense, with past progressive showing the
continuation action.