LanguageTeach

San Jose City College

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       Edit for Verb Tense Errors
Verbs are like bridges: they span the past, present, and future and take you there.

The writing samples in the table below were written by ESL writers. They have verb tense errors. As you edit these samples and your own work, ask yourself these questions:
   ♦ Has the writer established a present or past time frame at the beginning of the passage?
   ♦ Does the writer stay within that time frame when necessary?
   ♦ Does the writer shift tense when the time frame changes?
   ♦ Does the writer shift tense inconsistently?

Read each passage without pausing. Then reread it and find and click the incorrect verbs. Click the icon for an explanation.

1.	About a year ago, I had a friend named Mario. He iswas about four years older than me. I considerconsidered him to be my best friend, for he has helpedhad helped me through many difficult problems. He occasionally givesgave me money to buy whatever I wanted. I never questioned why he was so nice to me until one day Mario told me that he needed three thousand dollars because he owesowed it to a guy named Freddy, who iswas a loan shark. With me being young and his being so nice and helping me with everything, I took my car and pawnpawned it to this guy I knowknew and gave Mario the money. Mario promisepromised to get my car back by the end of the month. After a few days I callcalled him to see how he is doingwas doing but his phone was cancelhad been disconnected. Even then I didn't doubt his story. But several weeks later when I had not heard from him, I finally knowrealized that I washad been just a pawn in his game.	The writer sets a past time frame and should stick with it. Did you find and click on all 14 errors? The friend was older; he considered him a friend, for he had helped him (at an earlier past time). He gave him money...Mario owed money to a loan shark. The writer took his car and pawned it to a guy he knew. [The verbs should all be past tense even though Mario still knows the guy. Keep the tense consistent.] Other errors are Mario promised...I called him to see how he was doing. The phone had been disconnected.. The writer finally knew he had been a pawn. Count the past perfect verbs. How many were needed to show earlier past time?
2.	The most important decision that I ever made was when I had to decide if I was going to stay in Mexico or come to the United States. I knew that making this decision will change would change my life completely. At that time, I was 17 years old and was in my last year of high school. My parents wanted to come to this country. However, I couldn't drop out of school until I finished because if I decidedecided to drop out, the school would not give me my certificate. This would invalidate the years that I have attendhad attended school. My parents let me make my own decision. If I decided to stay in Mexico, I had to work and live alone. I decidedecided to stay and finish my high school education.	The writer sets a past time frame. Did you find four errors? Note that the writer is looking at the future from a past perspective. To show what a writer was thinking about the future at some time in the past, would rather than will is used. It indicates future in the past. Which verb showed an earlier past time? Write it: The writer's decision must be written about from a past perspectivethroughout the narrative.
3.	Sometimes becoming successful means giving up an opportunity to make money. A vivid example of this situation happened to me a year ago when I was working at Togo's Restaurant. By that time, I washad been the assistant manager for two years. I had reached that position by working hard and doing a good job and was about to be promoted and sent to another Togo's as the general manager. While assembling my work team, I chose Santiago as the one who will bewould be my assistant manager and who will help would help me run the restaurant. Santiago was a good worker and my best friend. He was always on time, was courteous to the customers, and always keep kept himself busy with whatever needed to be done. However, at that time I didn't know that Santiago was involved had been involved in a series of problems with other lazy co-workers who were telling lies about him. As a result, the manager let me know that Santiago will be firedwould be fired. I told the manager that everything my co-workers are sayingwere saying about Santiago iswas a lie, but he didn't believe me. So I told him that if he fired Santiago, I will quitwould quit at the same time. As he was angry, he fired Santiago, and I quittedquit to support my friend.	The writer starts with an opinion based on an experience he had. In narrating the experience, he uses past tense. Did you find eight errors? By that time often signals that the writer is about to mention something that happened at an earlier past time. The correct shift to the past perfect requires the verb . How many times did the writer incorrectly use will instead of would for discussing the future in the past? Write the number here. How many times does the writer shift to present tenes incorrectly? Write the past progressive verb change here. What is the past form of the verb quit?
4.	Two years ago, I came to the U.S. with my family. After the initial exhilaration, I experienced great culture shock and homesickness, especially after I had gone through a divorce. At the same time, the company which I workedhad worked for in China offered a higher position to me if I would go back. In other words, I would have a better job with good benefits, would be in a familiar environment and have much more comfortable living conditions. I was so excited that I almost makemade plane reservations. However, when I thought of my son, I started to feel conflicted. He iswas only eight years old, but he has already gonehad already gone through so many changes leaving his native country, learning a second language, dealing with a different culture, and even facing the fact of my divorce. I realized I couldn't only think about myself. I knew it will be would be hard for him to go back to China, especially after he had adjusted to life here. I realized that it iswas time to sacrifice my own wishes to help my son. I didn't want to add one more burden to his life even though I knew my life will bewould be very difficult from then on.	The writer starts with a clear past time frame. In line two she uses past perfect though it's not necessary in the time clause, which clearly puts events in sequence. After I went through a divorce would also be correct. But the writer jumps to present tense in describing events and situations in the past. How many present tense verbs does she use incorrectly? (Include the present perfect verb.) Write the number here. Note that this writer also has difficulty expressing the future from a past perspective. Verb phrases with will must be changed to verb phrases with to show thought about the future in the past.
5.	Like plants remove carbon dioxide and bring oxygen to our planet, education is a pressing need for human life. Education not only provides knowledge so that we can be able to stand up can stand up on our own two feet, but also plants a good seed so that we can do good things for society and be good citizens. Unfortunately, not everyone has this opportunity, for they couldn't affordcan't afford the tuition and fees at a community college. In a significant way, tuition and fees have become barriers that prevent people from learning. Opening the gate to education by offering free community college tuition will providewould provide learning opportunities for many students. Everyone will would then be able to go to college, and education is no longer would no longer be a luxury that many cannot reach. I wonder how much better our society will be would be if everyone hashad the chance to get a community college education. There will bewould be fewer crimes if everyone is trainedwere trained and earnsearned an associate degree.	Can be able to stand up is an incorrect verb form. The verb should be parallel with can do. The verb couldn't afford is an an example of inconsistent tense. The other verb in the sentence is present tense. The incorrect verb should be . Opening the gate to education by offering free community college tuition opens up a hypothetical discussion. All verbs that represent the unreal present (actions or states that are unlikely to be realized) should be in the past tense to show the unreal present. How many verbs should show the unreal (hypothetical) present?
6.	My nephew had attendedattended a community college in Taiwan, which iswas free for Taiwanese college students. The facilities and equipment arewere old, and most of the students often complained about the old computers, the broken furniture, and the low quality of teaching. The school has notdid not have a sufficient enough budget to upgrade. Therefore, I believe that a community college should charge tuition and fees to help cover the expense of running an educational institution.	Never begin a narrative with the past perfect. Past perfect requires the prior establishment of a past time before earlier past time can be indicated. The verbs that follow that first verb attended should be past as well since the writer is describing a state that existed when the nephew was in Taiwan (even though these conditions may still be true). Note the writer's difficulty with the negative form of the verb have. It's essential to master negative verb forms.
7.	Now, every time I hadhave the opportunity to work with a group of people, I try to do my best and be helpful to them. Being cooperative always brings good results for everyone because we learn at the time we receive and at the time we give. Because of my family and my work experiences, I could say nowcan now say that I had learnedhave learned a lot from working with and for others. That wasis my family legacy and I had plannedplan to pass this legacy on to my children in the future.	The writer begins with the words now and every time. These words clearly signal present time. The writer's consistent shift to past tense is consistently incorrect! The writer describes his family legacy. This legacy is what he possesses now and he is planning to pass it on to his children in the future.

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