0% found this document useful (0 votes)
1K views11 pages

CH 24 More On Verbs - Consistency and Voice

The document discusses consistency in verb usage and different verb tenses and voices. It emphasizes being consistent with verb tenses and avoiding shifting between active and passive voices within a sentence. Specific tips include sticking to one verb tense, using the present perfect tense to show an ongoing past action, using the past perfect tense to describe multiple past events, and preferring the active voice except when the subject performing the action is unknown.

Uploaded by

nathanhelland
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
1K views11 pages

CH 24 More On Verbs - Consistency and Voice

The document discusses consistency in verb usage and different verb tenses and voices. It emphasizes being consistent with verb tenses and avoiding shifting between active and passive voices within a sentence. Specific tips include sticking to one verb tense, using the present perfect tense to show an ongoing past action, using the past perfect tense to describe multiple past events, and preferring the active voice except when the subject performing the action is unknown.

Uploaded by

nathanhelland
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

More on Verbs: Consistency

and Voice

The Bottom Line: Be consistent!


Be Consistent with Tenses!
 Stick with one verb tense (unless
you have a good reason to switch)

 INCONSISTENT: The waitress ran


to the kitchen with the order in her
hand, raced back to her customers
with classes of water, and smiles
calmly.
Be Consistent with Tenses!
 CONSISTENT (CORRECTED): The waitress ran
to the kitchen with the order in her hand, raced
back to her customers with glasses of water,
and smiled calmly.
OR
 CONSISTENT (CORRECTED): The waitress runs
to the kitchen with the order in her hand, races
back to her customers with glasses of water,
and smiles calmly.
Vocabulary
 Past Participle: the past tense form of
a verb that could be paired with the
helping verbs have, has, or had
 Had wanted
 Have sung
 Has swum
 Had loved
 Have studied
 Etc.
The Present Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect = Have/Has +
Past Participle of the Verb
 Use the present perfect to show
an action that started in the past
but is still going on in the present.
 EXAMPLE: My father has driven a
truck for five months.
The Past Perfect Tense
 Past Perfect = Had + Past
Participle of the Verb
 Use the past perfect tense to show
more than one event in the past—that
is, when two or more things happened
in the past but at different times.
 EXAMPLE: He had washed the dishes
by the time I came home.
Active and Passive Voices
 Active Voice: When the subject in
the sentence is actually doing the
action.
I painted the house.
 The people on the corner made a
donation to the emergency fund.
Active and Passive Voices
 Passive Voice: When the subject
in the sentence is having something
done to it; when the subject
receives the action of the verb.
 The house was painted by me.
 A donation to the emergency fund was
made by the people on the corner.
Active and Passive Voices
 In general, you should avoid using
the passive voice —it is not as
strong, straightforward, and clear
as the active voice.
 The only time you should use the
passive voice is when the doer of
the action is unknown or
unimportant.
Active and Passive Voices
 Acceptable Usage of the Passive
Voice:
 Our house was broken into last night.
(We don’t know who broke in.)
 A leather jacket was left behind in the
classroom. (We don’t know who left
it.)
 My favorite team was beaten last night.
(We don’t know/don’t care who beat
them.)
Active and Passive Voices
 Also, avoid shifts in voice; if part of
the sentence is in active voice, keep the
whole sentence in active voice (and vice
versa).
 INCORRECT: I designed the decorations
for the dance; they were put up by
Chuck.
 CORRECT: I designed the decorations for
the dance; Chuck put them up.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy