SKILL 33: KNOW WHEN TO USE THE PAST WITH THE PRESENT

LONGMAN COMPLETE COURSE FOR THE TOEFL TEST

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

SKILL 33: KNOW WHEN TO USE THE PAST WITH THE PRESENT

Often when a sentence has both a past tense and a present tense, the sentence is incorrect. 

examples	Incorrect	Correct
	He took the money when he wants it	He took the money when he wanted it
		He takes the money when he wants it

It is necessary to point out, however it is possible for a logical sentence in English to have both the past and the present tense.

Example:

I know that he took the money yesterday

The meaning of this sentence is logical: I know (right now, in the present) that he took the money (yesterday, in the past). The error you need to avoid is the switch from the past to the present for no particular reason.

The following chart outlines the use of the past tense with the present tense in English.

EXERCISE 33: Each of the following sentences has at least one verb in the past and one verb in the present. Underline the verbs twice and decide if the meanings are logical. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

……………	3	When he was a child, he always goes to the circus.
……………	4	Last semester he reads seven books and wrote five papers.
……………	5	Steve wakes up early every morning because he went to work early.
……………	6	Mark studied at the American University when he is in Washington, D.C.
……………	7	He is telling the teacher why he did not have time to finish his homework.
……………	8	He put some money in his account when he goes to the bank.
……………	9	Tom keeps studying hard because he intended to go to dental school.
……………	10	She is where she is today because she worked hard when she was a student.

ANSWER KEY

1	I	(tell should be told)
2	C
3	I	(goes should be went)
4	I	(reads should be read)
5	I	(went should be goes)
6	I	(is should be was)
7	C
8	I	(goes should be went)
9	I	(intended should be intends)
10	C