Consistency of Verb Tenses

 Don’t shift, or change tense, when two or more events occur at the same time.  Incorrect – The soloist stopped suddenly and coughs loudly.  Correct- The soloist stopped suddenly and coughed loudly.  Do shift tenses to show that one event precedes or follows another.  Incorrect – By the time we found the campsite, the others ate all the hot dogs.  Correct – By the time we found the campsite, the others had eaten all the hot dogs.

 Keep a statement about a general truth in the present tense even if other verbs are in the past tense.  We remembered that the freezing point of water is thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

 Find the first verb that appears in each sentence. Then write the consistent tense of the verb in parentheses. 1. We arrived for the banquet quite late, and found that everyone else (ate, had eaten). 2. Wes tripped over a skate and (fell, falls) with a resounding crash. 3. By the time the school play opens tomorrow night, I (will have gone, went) over Gisa’s lines with her many times. 4. Rico’s parents raised him to believe that honesty (is, was) the best policy. 5. When Cheryl received her driver’s license, she (gasps, gasped) with horror at her picture. 6. Upon reaching the edge of town, we realized that we (turned, had turned) at the wrong corner.