Errors in Tenses

Tenses as a concept can be challenging. In this section, we will discuss the most prevalent errors in tenses and explain how these errors can be fixed by obtaining an awareness of their underlying causes and gaining conceptual clarity on the topic. The past, the present, and the future are the three different kinds of tenses. When people are trying to construct a sentence, they frequently get verbs and clauses confused with one another. In addition, students frequently make mistakes in tenses, such as confusing the present perfect tense with the present continuous tense, or confusing the past perfect tense with the future perfect tense in the same sentence. Students also frequently confuse the present perfect tense with the future perfect tense.

Errors in Tenses and Their Variations

Let’s have a conversation about some of the most typical tenses errors, as well as how to spot them and fix them.

1. Misunderstanding in the Present Tense

When we speak about anything that is happening right now or at this very moment, we refer to it as being in the present tense. The Present Tense can be further subdivided into four categories, depending on whether the activity being described is a one-time occurrence or a recurrent one. Presented below, with accompanying examples, are the several kinds of Present Tenses.

Ram is attending school in the present simple tense.

Ram is in the habit of going to school. Present Perfect Tenses.

The present perfect tense indicates that Ram is on his way to school.

In the tense known as the Present Perfect Continuous, Ram has been attending school.

The difference between using the Simple Present Tense and the Present Perfect Tense is that the latter refers to an action that has been going on for some time but has not yet reached its conclusion. An action that is going place in the here and now is said to be taking place in the present continuous tense. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense denotes an action that has been going on for some time but is still ongoing at the moment. Students frequently make errors in their use of tenses or mistake the distinction between two or more sub-tenses while writing sentences in the Present Tense.

2. Confusion with Regards to the Past Tense

When referring to a situation or activity that occurred in the past, you should use the past tense form of the verb. It’s possible that the frequency of an event changed through time, thus in order to account for this, the past tense can be broken up into four distinct varieties: the simple past, the past perfect, the past continuous, and the past perfect continuous. The several kinds of Past Tense, along with some examples of each, are detailed below.

Ram attended school in the straightforward past tense.

The past perfect tense indicates that Ram had attended school.

Ram was making his way to school in the past continuous tense.

Perfect in the Past Ram had been attending school on a regular basis in the continuous tense.

Students should refer to the provided examples and make sure they understand whether the activity in question was a one-time occurrence or a recurrent one in order to avoid any misunderstandings regarding the Past Tense.

3. Ambiguity Regarding the Future Tense

The future tense is used to talk about things that haven’t happened yet or are going to happen in the near future. The Future Tense, just like the Present and the Past, can be broken down into categories according on the frequency with which it will occur. The following is a list of the several varieties of future tenses, along with some instances of each:

The simple future indicates that Ram will attend school the following day.

The following week, Ram will pay a visit to his grandparents. This is the future continuous tense.

Ram will have arrived at his grandparents’ home by the same time the following week, using the future perfect tense.

Future Perfect In the continuous tense, by the time the following week rolls around, Ram will have visited his grandparents.

The Simple Future Tense is used to talk about something that absolutely will take place at some point in the not-too-distant future. The Future Continuous Tense describes an action that will take place in the future and will either be unfinished or continuous. On the other hand, when speaking of an activity that will be finished at a point in time in the future, the Future Perfect Tense is the verb tense to use. When describing a process that is either ongoing or unfinished at the moment but will be finished at some point in the future, the Future Perfect Continuous Tense is the ideal choice.

4. Verbal Confusion on the Test of the Past and Present

If there is no verb in a sentence, the sentence cannot be considered complete. The incorrect use of the verb is one of the most common types of tenses errors that can be found in written work. 

Conclusion

A group of words that, when put together, do not constitute a complete phrase is an example of a sort of sentence error known as a sentence fragment. A sentence fragment is just a portion of a sentence that does not convey an idea in its entirety. When people are trying to construct a sentence, they frequently get verbs and clauses confused with one another. In addition, students frequently make mistakes in tenses, such as confusing the present perfect tense with the present continuous tense, or confusing the past perfect tense with the future perfect tense in the same sentence. Students also frequently confuse the present perfect tense with the future perfect tense.