Page 856 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Tense Shifts

In each of the following sentences, correct the unnecessary shift from

past to present.

1. Yoshi had just settled down to watch the ball game when

suddenly his cable goes out.

2. The plane gained speed as it moved down the runway, and
then it is airborne.

3. Edward accidentally left his headlights on, so his car battery

dies before he gets out of class.

4. After I had put my heart and soul into studying the first six

chapters, the professor moves the test to next Friday.

5. The troops moved quietly, knowing enemy soldiers are nearby.

Providing Necessary Tense Shifts

Another common type of verb tense error is likely to occur when a

writer needs to shift from the past tense into the more distant past,