Grade 3 Spring — Informational/Expository Writing, Research Process Introduction, and Dialogue Mechanics Maintenance
English · GR G3 eng.g3.s.gr.verb_tense_consistency

Maintain verb tense consistency across a paragraph (L.3.1.e)

Identify simple past, simple present, and simple future verb tenses. Apply the consistency rule: a paragraph should generally use ONE tense unless a deliberate shift signals a time-change for the reader. Edit a mixed-tense paragraph to a single tense. Make a deliberate shift only when the time-line of the content requires it (e.g., yesterday → today → tomorrow).

Mastery threshold
90%
Min instances
12
Typical minutes
35
Spaced intervals (days)
1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60
Prereqs
  • eng.g2.s.gr.verb_tenses_simple_past_present_future
    (not yet loaded)
Successors
  • eng.g4.f.gr.verb_tense_progressive_and_perfect
    (not yet loaded)
Common misconceptions
  • Shifts from past to present mid-paragraph without a time-change reason ('Yesterday I observed the bees. They are very busy.').
  • Believes tense consistency means a whole essay must be in one tense — actually it applies paragraph-by-paragraph and deliberate shifts are allowed.

Exercise pool (2)