Evodie and Liliana

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Tense Shift

• By
• Evodie and Liliana

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Tense Shift

• 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.

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• 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.

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• Three ideas to keep your sentences straight
• 1.You should be consistent in your use of tenses.
  Dont 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 actions
  verbs.
• 3. True statements are always expressed in the
  present tense. Mt. Everest is the worlds
  tallest peak.

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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.

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Bibliography

• http//www.penandpage.com/EngMenu/gramverb.htm
• www.msubilling.edu/asc/pdf-writing
  lab13-mmte20504/tense20shift.pdf