Page 855 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

past present
Annie boarded the bus, and she sees her friend Chloe sitting

in a window seat.

Corrected:

past past
Annie boarded the bus, and she saw her friend Chloe sitting

in a window seat.

Practice 21-1 Maintaining Consistent

Tense

Underline the correct verb in each sentence.

1. When Amanda finally arrived at the restaurant, her friends

(have, had) already ordered.

2. The plumber knocked on the door, checking his watch
impatiently, but no one (is, was) home.

3. The car rounded the corner too quickly, skidded on the wet

pavement, and (slams, slammed) into a telephone pole.

4. Every day, Horace works in his garden until the sun (falls, fell)

below the horizon.
5. The trees in the front yard look beautiful all year long; however,

they (bloom, bloomed) only in spring.

Practice 21-2 Correcting Unnecessary