English Café: Stay in one verb tense

Advanced Details: Stay in one verb tense

Try to keep the same verb tense in your writing. Example: The trainer explains the diagram to the learners who ask questions during the lecture. 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 (paragraph) or a new sentence. Keep your verb tenses in check by writing the same verb tense most of the time. Change the verb tense only when necessary.

General guideline: When should you change your verb tense? To indicate a change in time frame from one action or state to another. Example of a sentence with 3 verb tenses: I have heard that Chalor left Songkhla this morning, and has already arrived in Bangkok.