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Introduction to Exercise 1 - Using verb tenses correctly in your writing |
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Use the present or past tenses consistently, both within one sentence and
from one sentence to the next.
- Example: After deliberating for a whole day, the jury acquitted
the defendant. That made the prosecuting attorney furious
and he vowed to appeal the verdict.
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If the situation you are writing about requires a change of tense, use
a time expression to alert your reader.
- Example: Whenever the economy is in bad shape, incumbent
presidents have a hard time winning an election. In
1992, President George Bush lost the election
because voters were nervous about the weak economy.
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When writing about events or ideas presented by another writer in stories
or articles, use the present tense.
- Example: In an article published in a sociology journal two weeks ago, the author discusses
several factors that contribute to the alarming rise in teenage pregnancy.
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 Download Grammar Explanation (PDF) |
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The following passages contain mistakes with tense consistency. If you click on the word or
phrase that contains the wrong tense, two choices will appear on the side. Click on the correct
choice to insert it in the passage. If you click on the wrong choice, the Answer Box at the
bottom of the choices will tell you why your choice is wrong. |
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