1. Avoiding Shifts in Tense, Person, and Voice

2. 1. Watch your verb tenses.
Don’t shift back and forth in time unless you have a good reason.

3. Illogical Shift in Verb Tense
Past tense
I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m. and then finish it five minutes before class today.
Present tense

4. Consistent Verb Tense Past tense
I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m. and then finished it five minutes before class today.
Past tense

5. Logical Shift in Verb Tense
Past tense
I started writing my essay last night at 9 p.m., but I will not do that any more.
Future tense

6. 2. Watch your pronouns.
Don’t move back and forth between first-, second-, and third-person pronouns unless you have a good reason.

7. PRONOUNS: The System 1st person I (me/my) we (us/our) 2nd you (your)
SINGULAR
PLURAL
1st
person
(= the person
who is writing
or speaking) I
(me/my) we
(us/our)
2nd
who is being
written or
spoken to)
you
(your)
3rd
(= the person or
thing being
written about) he
(him/his)
she
(her) it
(its)
one
(one’s)
they
(them/their)

8. Illogical Shift in Person
Third Person
Everyone can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.
Second Person

9. Consistent Point of View
1st Person
I can become a good writer once I learn how to revise and edit.
You can become a good writer once you learn how to revise and edit.
Everyone can become a good writer once he or she learns how to revise and edit.
2nd Person
3rd Person

10. 3. Watch active/passive voice.
Don’t shift back and forth between active and passive voice unless you have a good reason.
In an active sentence, the subject performs the action.
She took my sister’s old job.
The subject, she, performed the action in this sentence—she did the taking.

11. Watch active/passive voice.
In a passive sentence, the subject is acted upon.
My sister’s old job was taken by her.
The subject, job, receives the action in this sentence—it was taken.

12. Illogical Shift in Voice
Jill and I started the report, and it was finished by another team.
Active
Passive

13. Consistent Voice Active
Jill and I started the report, and another team finished it.
Active

14. Generally, prefer the active voice:
Passive
The directions were given by the teacher.
The teacher gave the directions.
Economic declines are often caused by rising interest rates.
Rising interest rates often cause economic declines.
Active
Passive
Active

15. To review illogical shifts in tense, person, and voice, see Chapter 17.