Some Mistakes in The Use of Tenses

Some mistakes in the use of tenses
ESL students often find it difficult to use tenses correctly. The present perfect and past perfect
tenses are particularly confusing.
In this article we will take a look at some of the most common mistakes in the use of tenses.
 Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.

 Incorrect: I had seen him yesterday.
 Correct: I saw him yesterday.
Explanation
The present perfect tense is not used with adverbs of past time. Although past perfect tense
can be used with adverbs of past time, it is not used to simply say that something happened some
time ago. That meaning is expressed with the simple past tense.
 I sent the money yesterday. (NOT I had sent the money yesterday. / NOT I have sent the
money yesterday.)
 I finished that report last week. (NOT I had finished that report last week. / NOT I have
finished that report last week.)
 I visited my parents last week. (NOT I had visited my parents last week. / NOT I have
visited my parents last week.)
The past perfect tense is only used to talk about the earlier of two past actions.
Using would
Would is used in second conditional sentences to talk about unreal or imaginary situations.
Compare:
 I would want to buy a car if I got my raise. (Here we are talking about an unreal
situation.)
 I want to buy a car. (Here we are simply talking about a desire.)
 I would want to try those sweets if they weren’t so expensive.
Sentences like ‘I would want to buy a car’ are not normally used without a condition.
Common Errors in the Use of Verbs – Part I

Incorrect: He told her that he will come.
Correct: He told her that he would come.
Reason
When the principal verb is in the past tense the verb in the subordinate clause should also be in
the past tense. When the principal verb is in the present tense, the verb in the subordinate clause
can be in any tense.
Incorrect: He told me that honesty was the best policy.
Correct: He told me that honesty is the best policy.
Incorrect: Teacher said that the earth revolved around the sun.
Correct: Teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
Reason
To talk about general truths, we always use the present tense.
Incorrect: The cashier-cum-accountant have come.
Correct: The cashier-cum-accountant has come.
Reason
Here the nouns cashier and accountant refer to the same person, so we use a singular verb.
Incorrect: The manager and the accountant has come.
Correct: The manager and the accountant have come.
Reason
Two nouns connected by and are followed by a plural verb.
Incorrect: I am so weak that I may not walk.
Correct: I am so weak that I cannot walk.
Reason
To talk about ability we use can, not may.
Incorrect: Tell me why are you abusing him.
Correct: Tell me why you are abusing him.
Incorrect: I wonder why don’t you listen to me.
Correct: I wonder why you don’t listen to me.
Reason
In indirect questions we put the auxiliary verb after the noun. Note that we do not use question
mark in indirect questions.
Incorrect: Alice as well as her sisters are beautiful.
Correct: Alice as well as her sisters is beautiful.
Reason
When the noun that precedes as well as is in the singular, the verb should also be in the singular.
Incorrect: I am ill for two weeks.
Correct: I have been ill for two weeks.
Incorrect: I am waiting since morning.
Correct: I have been waiting since morning.
Reason
We use perfect continuous tenses with the prepositions since and for. Here the error lies in
using the present continuous instead of the present perfect continuous.
Incorrect: The ship drowned.
Correct: The ship sank.
Incorrect: The passengers aboard the ship sank.
Correct: The passengers aboard the ship were drowned.
Reason
We use drown with people and other animate objects. We use sink with inanimate objects like
ship and boat.
Common Errors in the Use of Verbs – Part II

Incorrect: He has stole my pen.
Correct: He has stolen my pen.
Incorrect: John has often beat me at tennis.
Correct: John has often beaten me at tennis.
Reason
After the auxiliaries has, have and had, we use the past participle form of the verb.
Incorrect: They didn’t invited us.
Correct: They didn’t invite us.
Incorrect: He did came.
Correct: He did come.
Reason
After did, we use the present tense form (bare infinitive) of the verb.
Incorrect: Neither he came nor he wrote.
Correct: Neither did he come nor did he write.
Incorrect: Seldom I go to the hills.
Correct: Seldom do I go to the hills.
The adverbs neither and seldom have negative meanings. When sentences begin with a negative
word we use the inverted word order with do/did.
Incorrect: Never I have seen such a mess.
Correct: Never have I seen such a mess.
Reason
When sentences begin with a negative word, we use the inverted word order. When there is an
auxiliary verb in the sentence, we put that auxiliary verb before the noun (subject). When there is
no auxiliary verb, we put do/did before the subject.
Incorrect: He said that he saw him last year.
Correct: He said that he had seen him last year.
Reason
Here the error lies in the failure to use the past perfect tense when the time of one past tense
verb is more past than that of another.
Incorrect: If I shall do this, I shall be wrong.
Correct: If I do this, I shall be wrong.
Incorrect: If I did this, I shall be wrong.
Correct: If I do this, I shall be wrong.
Reason
When the main clause is in the future tense, the subordinate clause should be in the present tense.
Incorrect: He had to leave his rights.
Correct: He had to abandon (or relinquish) his rights.
Reason
We ‘leave a place’ or ‘leave something at some place’ or ‘leave someone to do something’. We
do not ‘leave our rights’ or something like that.
Incorrect: I take my food.
Correct: I have my food.
Reason
‘Take my food’ is not wrong, but English people do not normally use this expression.
Incorrect: I take your leave.
Correct: I must leave now. OR I must say goodbye.
Reason
I take your leave is not wrong, but is extremely formal.
Incorrect: They cut Charles I’s head.
Correct: They cut off Charles I’s head.
Reason
When the cutting divides what is cut into pieces, use cut off, cut up or cut into.
Read more at http://www.englishpractice.com/esl/common-errors-verbs-part-

ii/#tAIUoYVKfSKqBZJl.99
Common errors in the use of tenses – part II

 Incorrect: I had been to New York recently.
 Correct: I went to New York recently.
 Incorrect: I had written to him last week.

 Correct: I wrote to him last week.
 Incorrect: We had gone to the pictures last night.
 Correct: We went to the pictures last night.

Here the error lies in using the past perfect tense instead of the simple past. The past perfect is
not used simply to say that something happened sometime ago. This meaning is conveyed by
using the simple past.
 Incorrect: He said that he was suffering from fever for three days.
 Correct: He said that he had been suffering from fever for three days.
 Incorrect: The man complained that his watch was stolen.
 Correct: The man complained that his watch had been stolen.
 Incorrect: The doctor concluded that the man died twelve hours ago.
 Correct: The doctor concluded that the man had died twelve hours ago.
Here the error lies in using the simple past instead of the past perfect or the past continuous
instead of the past perfect continuous.
The past perfect denotes an action completed at some point in the past before some other past
action commenced. When two actions in the past have to be referred to, the past perfect should
be used for the earlier action, and the simple past for the later one.
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Some mistakes in the use of tenses

 Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.

Common Errors in the Use of Verbs – Part I

Common Errors in the Use of Verbs – Part II

Read more at http://www.englishpractice.com/esl/common-errors-verbs-part-

Common errors in the use of tenses – part II

 Correct: I went to New York recently.

 Incorrect: I had written to him last week.

 Incorrect: We had gone to the pictures last night.

 Correct: We went to the pictures last night.

 Incorrect: The man complained that his watch was stolen.

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