Avoiding Shifts: Keeping Tenses Consistent In Sentences Quiz

1. What does it mean to keep tenses consistent in a sentence?

Using only present tense in all writing.

Making sure verbs in a sentence stay in the same time unless there is a clear reason to change.

Using as many different tenses as possible.

Changing tense in the middle of every sentence.

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

Explanation

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

2. Which sentence has an unnecessary tense shift?

She walks to school and carries her backpack.

She walked to school and carried her backpack.

She walks to school and carried her backpack.

She will walk to school and will carry her backpack.

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

Explanation

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

3. Choose the best correction for: He ran to the park and is eating lunch.

He runs to the park and is eating lunch.

He is running to the park and ate lunch.

He ran to the park and ate lunch.

He ran to the park and will eat lunch.

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

Explanation

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

4. If a sentence describes actions that happened at the same time, the verbs should usually be in the same tense.

True

False

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

Explanation

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

5. Sometimes changing tenses in a sentence is correct when the time of the action clearly changes.

True

False

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

Explanation

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

6. Which sentences keep verb tenses consistent?

We played video games and watched a movie last night.

We play video games and watched a movie last night.

We will play video games and will watch a movie tonight.

We played video games and will watch a movie last night.

We are playing video games and watched a movie last night.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

7. Which sentences have incorrect tense shifts?

They walk to the library and borrow books every week.

They walked to the library and borrowed books yesterday.

They walk to the library and borrowed books yesterday.

They walked to the library and will borrow books tomorrow.

They will walk to the library and borrowed books yesterday.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

9. Fix the tense so it matches: He sings in the choir and __________ the piano.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

10. Which sentence uses consistent tenses?

I was doing my homework and finish it.

I did my homework and finished it.

I do my homework and finished it.

I will do my homework and finished it.

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

Explanation

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

11. Choose the best correction for: They were laughing and talk loudly.

They laughed and talk loudly.

They were laughing and talked loudly.

They are laughing and talked loudly.

They will be laughing and talk loudly.

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

Explanation

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

12. The sentence "She is reading a book and wrote a summary" keeps the tenses consistent.

True

False

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

Explanation

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

13. The sentence "He finished his homework and will play soccer later" is an acceptable tense change.

True

False

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

Explanation

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

14. Which pairs of verbs would keep a sentence in the same tense?

Walk / walked

Is running / is jumping

Played / plays

Will swim / will dive

Ran / ran

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

Explanation

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

Submit

15. Fix the sentence by choosing a matching tense: We were eating dinner and __________ a movie.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

16. Which sentence shows an incorrect shift in tense inside the same sentence?

"I am happy now and was excited tomorrow," she said.

"I was happy yesterday and was excited today," she said.

"I am happy now and will be excited tomorrow," she said.

"I was happy yesterday and am excited today," she said.

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

Explanation

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

17. Which sentence keeps tenses consistent and matches the time words?

Yesterday we go to the zoo and saw lions.

Yesterday we went to the zoo and see lions.

Yesterday we went to the zoo and saw lions.

Yesterday we go to the zoo and see lions.

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

Explanation

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

18. Sentence: She was nervous but smiles at the crowd. Which corrections fix the tense mistake?

She was nervous but smiled at the crowd.

She is nervous but smiles at the crowd.

She was nervous but is smiling at the crowd.

She nervous but smiled at the crowd.

She is nervous but smiled at the crowd.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

19. Keeping tenses consistent helps readers follow when actions happen in a story or sentence.

True

False

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

Explanation

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

20. To keep tenses consistent, writers should check that verbs in a sentence match the same __________ of time unless a change is needed.

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

Explanation

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

Submit

Avoiding Shifts: Keeping Tenses Consistent in Sentences Quiz