Page 122 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade6_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 2.2
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Language and Writers Craft: Verb Tenses
Grammar USaGe
Verbs show time through tenses. Incorrectly mixing tenses is a common problem Literary Analysis
in writing. The present, past, and future tenses usually are easy to keep consistent.
When writing about Examples: literature and film, use the
Present: She sings in the chorus. Past: She sang in the chorus. Future: She will sing in the chorus.
Consistent: She sings in the chorus, and he plays in the band.
Inconsistent: She sings in the chorus, and he played in the band. (mixes present
and past)
Most problems usually occur with the perfect tenses. The perfect tenses are formed by adding such common words as can, do, may, must, ought, shall, will, has, have, had, and forms of be.
Examples:
Present Perfect: She has sung in the chorus. Past Perfect: She had sung in the chorus.
Future Perfect: She will have sung in the chorus.
As you write, be aware of your verb tenses. Here are some examples of consistent and inconsistent use of tenses.
Consistent: I was talking to Sarah, and I said, “Will you be at the party?” Inconsistent: I was talking to Sarah, and I say, “Will you be at the party?”
Practice:
Circle the present-tense verbs in the paragraph below.
Up is the story of Carl Fredrickson, who decides to finally follow his dreams. But rather than jump in the car or take a plane, he attaches thousands of balloons to his house and floats away. “So long, boys!” he calls to some men below.
Check Your Understanding
Find the verbs in the paragraph you wrote for the previous expository writing prompt. Revise them as needed to use the correct verb tense.
present tense. For example, in Up Carl Frederickson attaches balloons to his house.
my Notes
Unit 2 • The Power to Change 95
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