Transcript Tense Shift

By
Evodie and Liliana
Verb tenses show time. A writer must be careful
to use the tense ( present, past ,or future) that
correctly shows the time of an event or action.
Problems with tense shift occur when a
writer moves from one tense to another
inappropriately.
Example
Incorrect:
I went to my room and I cried because I start
thinking about sad moments.
Correct:
I went to my room and I cried because I started
thinking about sad moments.
Three ideas to keep your sentences
straight
1.You should be consistent in your use of tenses. Don’t
switch from one tense to another without a reason.
2. When writing about two events in a sentence, you
must make sure that the sequence of events is clear.
If one action happened before the other, you must
make adjust the tenses of each action’s verbs.
3. True statements are always expressed in the present
tense. “Mt. Everest is the world’s tallest peak.”
Time Words
 After, afterwards.
 Before.
 Then.
 Once.
 Next.
 Last, at last, at length.
 First, second, finally.
 Rarely, usually.
 Another.
 Soon, meanwhile.
 At the same time.





For a minute, hour, day .
During the morning, later.
In order to, to being with.
In the meantime, immediately.
Subsequently.
Bibliography
 http://www.penandpage.com/EngMenu/gramverb.ht
m
 www.msubilling.edu/asc/pdf-writing lab13mmte%20504/tense%20shift.pdf