College Composition / Unit 4 CMP 0090 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Tense Consistency
Captions available
The idea
Whatever tense you choose, use it consistently throughout a piece of writing.
In practice
"I clutched my son, kiss his forehead, and will gather my things" jumps among three tenses; "I clutched my son, kissed his forehead, and gathered my things" holds one.
Where people slip
Narratives can be told in past or present tense; the error is mixing them, not choosing either.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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