Sentence Improvement • Topic 2 of 4

Tense Correction

Keep tenses consistent and matched to time markers. After 'since/for' use the perfect; in conditionals match the pattern; reported speech shifts the tense back; the earlier of two past actions takes the past perfect.

Tense signals and fixes

SignalCorrect tense
since / for + durationpresent perfect (continuous)
yesterday / ago / last…simple past
earlier of two past actionspast perfect (had + V3)
after "if" (real future)present simple ("If it rains…")
after when/before/afterno future — use present
The classic fix. "When I reached, the train already had left" — the earlier past action takes the past perfect. Also avoid the continuous on stative verbs (know, believe, own): "is knowing" → knows.

✅ Solved examples

1. Improve: "When I reached, the train already left."
"already left" → "had already left" (past perfect for the earlier action).
2. Improve: "If I was you, I would accept it."
"was" → "were" (subjunctive in the conditional).
3. Improve: "He is working here for five years."
"is working" → "has been working" (for + duration).
4. Improve: "I shall meet him after I will finish."
"will finish" → "finish" (no future after "after").

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Improve: "She said she is busy." (reported)
Backshift.
—
—
"is" → was
2. Improve: "I have seen him yesterday."
Time marker.
—
—
"have seen" → saw
3. Improve: "If it rains, I would stay home."
Match conditional.
—
—
"would stay" → will stay (first conditional)
4. Improve: "They are knowing the truth."
Stative verb.
—
—
"are knowing" → know
5. Improve: "He lives here since 2015."
since.
—
—
"lives" → has lived / has been living

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

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