 Edit for Consistent Verb Tense Verbs are like bridges: they span the past, present, and future and take you there. Recognizing Consistent and Inconsistent Shifts in Verb Tense: Read the sentences carefully for meaning and time clues. Are the verb tenses correct or incorrect? Sentences with an incorrect verb tense are explained at the end of the table. |
| 1. | The stock market crashed in 1929. The banks couldn't finance the bridge. On November 4, 1930 a plan long in the making was realized. Voters from six counties passed a $35 million bond issue that would finance the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.   Correct  Incorrect |
2. | Construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began on January 5, 1933. It took four-and-one-half years to complete the bridge and cost $27 million. Correct Incorrect |
| 3. | The bridge was completed only five months after the promised date and the total cost is $1.3 million under budget. Correct Incorrect |
| 4. | The construction took place under very dangerous conditions. In 1933, a ship veered off course in dense fog and crashed into a construction trestle. Correct Incorrect |
| 5. | In 1935 an earthquake struck when 12 or 13 men were at the top of the unfinished south tower. The tower swayed 16 feet toward the ocean and then sways back toward the bay. The men managed to stay atop the tower. Correct Incorrect |
| 6. | Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer, hired a local San Francisco architect, Irving Morrow, to design the special architectural features of the bridge. His enduring aesthetic contributions included the distinctive Art Deco lines of the bridge, the burnt red-orange vermilion, called "International Orange," and the structure's dramatic lighting. Correct Incorrect |
| 7. | It is fortunate an architect was involved. The U.S. Navy had suggested painting the bridge black with yellow stripes to make it visible for large incoming ships. Correct Incorrect |
| 8. | More than one million tons of concrete are used to build the anchorages. These massive blocks grip the bridge's supporting cables. Correct Incorrect |
| 9. | The bridge has never demonstrated any serious structural flaws. While a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed in the 1989 earthquake, the Golden Gate remained intact. Correct Incorrect |
| 10. | The Golden Gate Bridge has been closed only three times due to treacherous weather conditions. On December 1, 1951 high winds reached 69 miles per hour and the bridge was closed for 3 hours. On December 23, 1982, winds of up to 70 miles per hour close the bridge for two hours. Again on December 3, 1983, the bridge was closed for over three hours when gusts of wind reached 75 miles per hour. In all three incidents, the bridge was inspected for structural damage and none is found. Correct Incorrect |
| 11. | Every year approximately 40 million vehicles cross the Golden Gate Bridge. The California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies work vigilantly to ensure traffic safety on the span. In 1983 the speed limit on the bridge was reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph in an effort to lower the number of serious accidents. Since 1983 the CHP has increased its safety enforcement on the bridge and its approaches. In 1996, enforcement of the 45 mph speed limit was aided further when the bridge was declared a double-fine zone. Since then, accidents on the bridge have decreased significantly. Correct Incorrect |
| 12. | Since the opening of the bridge in 1937, tolls rose from $1.00 to $5.00 for two-axle vehicles. From July 1991 to September 2002 the toll remained constant at $3.00. The September 2002 increase to $5.00 was due to monetary inflation and increases in labor and maintenance costs necessary to keep the bridge structurally sound. Another consideration for the increase was the overall drop in the number of cars crossing the bridge as more commuters are carpooling. Correct Incorrect |
 The following items have verb tense errors:#3. The verb tense is inconsistent. The verbs share the same past time frame: the bridge was completed...and the total cost was....would be correct. #5. The verb swayed should be past in both instances to be consistent. There is no reason to change the tense. #6. Strauss hired Morrow; his contributions live on. The verb included, therefore, should be in the present tense....his enduring contributions include... #8. The verb "are used" is incorrect since the sentence refers to the time the bridge was being built. The second sentence uses present tense correctly since the concrete blocks were built to grip the bridge's supporting cables permanently. #10. There are two incorrect shifts in tense. In 1982 high winds closed the bridge and no structural damage was found after all three incidents. #12. Note the opening, "Since the opening of the bridge in 1937." This time phrase always includes the past and the present and is a clear signal for present perfect tense. The verb rose should be have risen. | Click the icon for notes on the sentences above that have a verb tense error. |