What is Verb Tense?
When we describe an action, we usually indicate its time of occurrence — the past, the present, or the future. Verb tenses allow us to do this. They also let us indicate whether a past action is continuing into the present, or whether it occurred before another action. With such a stress-inducing array of options, it’s easy to see why they call them tenses! Bobby ate too many jelly beans, and he got sick. Bobby ate too many jelly beans, and now he is sick. Bobby ate too many jelly beans, and soon he will get sick. Errors in verb tense can annoy and even confuse your reader. Fortunately, by following the guidelines in this section, you can learn to use tenses well.
