Correct Use of the Past and Present Tense

I've made the mistake of being inconsistent in my usage of the past and present tense when writing hubs, but I am learning! The main rule is to always be consistent. I'll share with you what I've learned regarding this rule.

1.) Past tense: If you are writing about a past event, always use the past tense.

Example of incorrect usage: I saw a cow give birth one day. The calf was brown with white spots. I love it so much that I want to take it home. This is an example of incorrect use of the past tense because you're switching from something that happened in the past (the first sentence) to what is happening now (the second sentence).

Example of correct usage: I saw a cow give birth one day. The calf was brown with white spots. I loved it so much that I wanted to take it home. (in the past)

2.) Present tense: When writing about an event that is taking place now, use the present tense throughout the sentence. Incorrect example: Contrary to popular belief, most cows had only one calf.

Correct example: Contrary to popular belief, most cows have only one calf.

3.) Be consistent with your use of numbers. Example of incorrect usage: The cow had twins. It was brown with white spots, and the other was white with brown spots. This is an incorrect example when using numbers.

Example of correct usage: The cow had twins. One was brown with white spots, and the other was white with brown spots.

4.) Be consistent in person. Incorrect example: When milking a cow the farmer should be careful not to get kicked. They should step back a few steps when taking off the milk machine.

Correct example: When milking a cow the farmer should be careful not to get kicked. He should move back a few steps when taking the milk machine off. (There is only one farmer)

5.) Be consistent in your use of tone. Incorrect example: The teacher proclaimed, "Find your seats and sit the heck down!"

Correct example: The teacher proclaimed, "Class, please take your seats!" This example is showing that if the sentence (or story) is formal then use formal sentence structure. Don't switch back and forth between formal and informal.

I hope this article has helped you to improve your writing skills. If you have any questions regarding the above rules please leave me a comment. Thank you.