Avoiding Shifts: Keeping Tenses Consistent in Sentences Quiz

Tense consistency means the verbs match in time unless a time change is clearly shown.

Walks is present but carried is past, so they do not match in time.

Both verbs ran and ate are in the past tense, so the time is consistent.

Actions happening at the same time are normally described with matching verb tenses.

If one action is in the past and another is in the future, a tense change can make sense.

Did and finished are both in the past tense, so the sentence is consistent.

Finished is past and will play is future, and the word later shows the time change clearly.

Were laughing and talked are both past tense forms describing past actions.

Is reading is present but wrote is past, so the tenses do not match.

Went and saw are both past tense and match the time word yesterday.

Clear, consistent verb tenses make it easier to understand the time of each action.

A uses past-past and C uses future-future, so both keep the tense the same in each sentence.

C and E mix present or future with past in a way that does not match the time in the sentence.

B uses present progressive-present progressive, D uses future-future, and E uses past-past.

Now and tomorrow should not both use am and was in this way; the time words do not match the tenses.

A keeps both verbs in past tense, and B keeps both in present tense; each version is tense-consistent.

Talked and told are both in the past tense, so they match.

Sings and plays are both present tense verbs that match in time.

Were eating and watching are both past progressive forms, so they match.

Verbs should usually point to the same period of time so the sentence is clear.