Verb Tense Consistency

Verb tense consistency refers to keeping the same tense throughout a clause. We don’t want to have one time period being described in two different tenses.If you have two or more time periods, start a new clause or a new sentence.

Example of a clause with incorrect verb consistency:

John finished his essay, cleaned his room, and went out for lunch.

Cleaned and went are in the past tense, but finishes is in the present tense. John’s actions shift from present to the past tense, which is not logical unless you are Dr. Who. Here is a way to fix this clause:

Example of a clause with correct verb consistency:

John finished his essay, cleaned his room, and went out for lunch.