Step 2.
Switching Tenses
For the most part, you will write either in past tense or in present tense. Naturally, when logic calls for a switch in tense (for example, you are writing in present and include a description of the events that have already happened), you would switch tenses. However, if you switch without a logical reason for it, it is going to be hard for your reader to track the events you describe. Therefore, when you write an essay, you will want to keep the verbs you use in the same tense. Remember, moving from tense to tense can be very confusing.
Example:
I went to the store and, because I was in a
hurry, forget to buy milk. I realized it on the way
home.
In this example, the verb "forget" is the only verb that appears in the present tense. It should appear in the past tense - "forgot", or the other verbs should be changed to the present tense as well.
As you see, switching verb tenses upsets the time sequence of narration. After working on this section of the unit you will learn how to avoid switching verb tenses.