Maintaining consistent verb tense is crucial for clear and logical writing. When you switch verb tenses unnecessarily, it can confuse your reader and disrupt the flow of your ideas. Generally, you should stick to one primary tense within a paragraph or section, unless you have a specific reason to change it, such as indicating a past action that occurred before another past action.
For example, if you're writing a narrative in the past tense, most of your verbs should be in the past tense. However, you might use the past perfect tense to describe something that happened even earlier. The key is to make these changes intentional and clear to your reader.
Match the term with its definition:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1. Verb Tense | A. The form a verb takes to indicate time. |
| 2. Consistent Tense | B. Maintaining the same verb tense throughout a piece of writing. |
| 3. Past Tense | C. A verb form that indicates an action or state that occurred in the past. |
| 4. Future Tense | D. A verb form that indicates an action or state that will occur in the future. |
| 5. Present Tense | E. A verb form that indicates an action or state that is happening now. |
Match the correct pairs:
Complete the paragraph with the correct verb tense. Choose from: walked, walks, will walk.
Every morning, Sarah ______ (1) to school. She usually ______ (2) with her friend, Emily. Yesterday, they ______ (3) a different route because of construction. Tomorrow, they ______ (4) the new route again to avoid the traffic. They hope the construction ______ (5) soon.
Answers:
Why is maintaining consistent verb tense important in writing? Give an example of how inconsistent verb tense can confuse a reader.
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