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Year 10 English — Keeping the tense consistent

Spot the verb that breaks the tense of a passage, and correct it.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Correct the odd verb: "He picks up the bat, walks to the crease and hit the first ball for four." Write the corrected verb.

  2. 2.Match each verb to its simple past form.

    • walk
    • begin
    • choose
    • teach
    • keep
    • freeze
    • kept
    • began
    • taught
    • froze
    • chose
    • walked

  3. 3.Rewrite in the past tense: "She writes a letter." Write the whole sentence.

  4. 4.Sort each verb by its tense.

    Groups: Past tense · Present tense

    • goes
    • went
    • brings
    • saw
    • brought
    • sees

  5. 5.Which version keeps one tense throughout?

    • a) The bell rang and the children run out.
    • b) The bell ring and the children ran out.
    • c) The bell rang and the children ran out.
    • d) The bell rings and the children ran out.

  6. 6.Sort each sentence by whether it keeps to one tense.

    Groups: Tense is consistent · Tense is broken

    • She sang, danced and acts in the play.
    • She sang, danced and acted in the play.
    • They arrive early, find their seats and wait.
    • I opened the box and looked inside.
    • They arrive early, found their seats and wait.
    • I open the box and looked inside.

  7. 7.Put the sentences of this past-tense passage in order. The time words will tell you where each one belongs.

    • By evening the storm had passed and the streets were quiet.
    • At first the sky was clear and the sun was warm.
    • Then a grey cloud crept over the hill.
    • Within minutes the rain was falling in sheets.

  8. 8.Which verb breaks the tense? "Every morning she wakes up early, made her bed and goes for a run."

    • a) wakes
    • b) none — the tense is consistent
    • c) goes
    • d) made

Answer key — Year 10 English — Keeping the tense consistent

  1. 1. hits
  2. 2. walk → walked; begin → began; choose → chose; teach → taught; keep → kept; freeze → froze
  3. 3. she wrote a letter
  4. 4. went → Past tense; goes → Present tense; brought → Past tense; brings → Present tense; saw → Past tense; sees → Present tense
  5. 5. c) The bell rang and the children ran out.
  6. 6. She sang, danced and acted in the play. → Tense is consistent; She sang, danced and acts in the play. → Tense is broken; They arrive early, find their seats and wait. → Tense is consistent; They arrive early, found their seats and wait. → Tense is broken; I opened the box and looked inside. → Tense is consistent; I open the box and looked inside. → Tense is broken
  7. 7. 1. At first the sky was clear and the sun was warm. 2. Then a grey cloud crept over the hill. 3. Within minutes the rain was falling in sheets. 4. By evening the storm had passed and the streets were quiet.
  8. 8. d) made