Phrase and Clause, Sentence Differences

Sentence
A sentence is the basic grammatical unit. It contains a
group of words and expresses a complete thought. 
The two basic parts of a sentence are
the subject and predicate. 
Subject: The subject of the sentence is the person, place
or thing whom we talk about or is performing the action
of the sentence. 
Predicate: The predicate says something about the
subject. It consist of the ‘verb’ and
the complement which comes after the verb and with
subject of the sentence unlike the clause always gives
complete sense, this is called sentence. Consider the
example below:
 I will meet him in the office. 
(Subject of the sentence ‘I’ and ‘will meet him in the
office’ is predicate or subject complement).

Clause
A clause is a group of related words containing a subject
and a predicate.
What is the Difference Between Sentence and Clause?
The clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join
another clause to make a sentence. As like sentence a
clause also contains subject and predicate, if it gives
complete sense we can call it a sentence but if it
does not give complete sense on that time that is
called clause.
Remember a sentence always can be a clause but a clause
always can not be a sentence. Consider the example
below:
 I will meet him in the office. 
(Subject of the clause ‘I’ and ‘will meet him in the
office’ is predicate or subject complement and with
the subject gives complete sense and we can call it
sentence as well as clause).
 The teacher asked a question, but no one answered.
(In this sentence we have two clauses: ‘the teacher
asked a question’ which contains subject and
predicate and gives sense alone. ‘but no one
answered’ is the second clause containing subject and
predicate but doesn’t give sense alone and must be
joint to 1st clause to give complete sense.
Phrase
A phrase is a group of related words (within a sentence)
without both subject and verb.
 I will meet him in the office.
A phrase has neither subject nor verb, and can’t be used
alone, it should be used within a sentence. And a phrase
functions as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective or preposition
in a sentence.
Sentence types: One way to categorize sentences is by
the clauses they contain. (A clause is a part of a sentence
containing a subject and a predicate.) Here are the 4
sentence types:
 Simple: Contains a single, independent clause.
o I don't like dogs.
o Our school basketball team lost their last game
of the season 75-68.
o The old hotel opposite the bus station in the
center of the town is probably going to be
knocked down at the end of next year.
 Compound: Contains two independent clauses that
are joined by a coordinating conjunction. (The most
common coordinating
conjunctions are: but, or, and, so. Remember: boas.)
o I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats.
o You can write on paper, or you can use a
computer.
o A tree fell onto the school roof in a
storm, butnone of the students was injured.
 Complex: Contains an independent clause plus one
or more dependent clauses. (A dependent clause
starts with a subordinating conjunction.
 Examples: that, because, while, although, where, if.)
o I don't like dogs that bark at me when I go past.
o She did my homework, while her father cooked
dinner.
o You can write on paper, although a computer is
better if you want to correct mistakes easily.
Note: A dependent clause standing alone without an
independent clause is called a fragment sentence -
see below.
 Compound-complex: Contains 3 or more clauses (of
which at least two are independent and one is
dependent).
o I don't like dogs, and my sister doesn't like cats
because they make her sneeze.
o You can write on paper, but using a computer is
better as you can easily correct your mistakes.
o A tree fell onto the school roof in a storm, but
none of the students was injured, although many
of them were in classrooms at the top of the
building.
Advice: Writing that contains mostly short, simple
sentences can be uninteresting or even irritating to read.
Writing that consists of mostly long, complex sentences is
usually difficult to read. Good writers, therefore, use a
variety of sentence types. They also occasionally start
complex (or compound-complex) sentences with the
dependent clause and not the independent clause. In the
following examples the dependent clause is shown in red:
 Although it was raining, we decided to go fishing.
 If it doesn't rain soon, the river will dry out.
 Because the road was icy and the driver was going
too fast, he was unable to brake in time when a fox
ran into the road in front of him.
Note: Sentences can also be categorized according to their
function. [More]
Note: Independent clauses are also called main clauses.
Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.

What is a complex sentence?

Complex does not mean complicated, long or impressive.
This is a common misconception and leads to students
writing very long and grammatically incorrect sentences
that are very difficult to understand.
For example:
‘In the modern world, global warming is one of the most
popular topics causing many environmental difficulties
and tough challenges arising from its serious
consequences.’
This is a very typical sentence from an essay that is trying
to be overly complex. This student has tried to put four
simple ideas into one paragraph and the result is an
awkward and incoherent sentence. He has lost control of
the grammar and this affects the meaning. When meaning
is affected it stops the reading understanding what is
being said and that is really bad.
‘Complex’ sentences are not actually very complex; they
are just simple two or more simple sentences put together.
Putting them together makes the essay more coherent and
cohesive.
Let’s look at the first example again. In the sentence
above there are four simple ideas that we can put in to
simple sentences:
1. Global warming is a common topic these days.
2. Global warming causes environmental
problems.
3. There are tough challenges associated with
global warming.
4. Global warming has very serious
consequences.
If we write all of our sentences like this we lose marks
because they are too simple. What we need to do is put
them together to make complex sentences.

Complex Sentence Examples

For example:
One of the most common environmental issues is global
warming which causes many serious environmental
problems. There are tough challenges associated with this
issue and its effects have very serious consequences.
I don’t think there is anything ‘complex’ about these
sentences, just simple ideas, simply put together.
‘Complex’ is just a label, not a description.
What I have done is take each of the four simple
sentences and put them together in two complex
sentences. This result is a grammatically correct, easy to
understand.

When should I use complex sentences?

In general, we should use simple sentences when making
main points; normally at the beginning of a paragraph.
We should then use complex sentences when expanding
on the main point, for instance when giving a supporting
example or explaining your main point.
Example:
This is a question about whether ‘fast food’ or ‘junk food’
should be taxed at a higher rate than normal food.
‘Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower
consumption. Fast food companies would pass on these
taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and this
would lead to people not being able to afford junk food.
For instance, the cost of organic food has proven
prohibitively expensive for most people. Despite this,
people in many developed countries, where the problem is
most acute, can afford price hikes and will continue to eat
high-fat meals.’
The first sentence is the ‘topic sentence’ and makes the
main point. It is therefore acceptable for this to be a
simple sentence.
The second sentence explains the main point and uses the
word ‘and’ to link two simple sentences together, to make
one complex sentence.
The third sentence gives an example and uses the linking
phrase ‘for instance’. The final sentence makes a
concession (shows the limitation of the argument) and is
also a complex sentence, linking more than one idea
together.
How do I make a complex sentence?
Remember that a complex sentence is just more than one
simple sentence put together to make one sentence. We
therefore need to learn and become confident using the
various grammatical structures that allow us to do that.
Below are a few ways we can link ideas together in a
sentence.
To make a complex sentence we normally should have
two things- a dependent clause and an independent clause.
A clause is a group of words with both a subject and a
verb.
An example of a dependent clauses is ‘….because the
weather was cold.’ This is a dependent clause because it
has a subject and a verb but it doesn’t make any sense on
its own. To make sense we need to add an independent
clause.
As the name suggests, an independent clause can make
sense on its own. For example, ‘I wore a warm coat.’ If
we combine these two clauses we get a complex sentence-
‘I wore a warm coat because the weather was cold.’
As you can see, ‘complex’ sentences don’t have to be
complicated. Let’s now look at other ways we can make
complex sentences.
1. Relative Clauses
You can use relative clauses to give essential or extra
information about a person, place, or thing. This makes
our writing more fluent and more coherent. We do this by
using relative pronouns like who, which and that. For
example, ‘He’s the kind of person who is always
friendly.’
For example:
Air pollution can cause health problems. Air pollution is
largely caused by motor vehicles.
We can convert these two simple sentences into one
complex sentences by using the word ‘which’.
Air pollution, which is mostly caused by motor vehicles,
can cause health problems.
For example:
There is evidence that some people are more likely to
smoke. These people have parents and friends who
smoke.
We can link both of these sentences together by using the
word ‘that’.
There is evidence that people who have parents and
friends that smoke are more likely to smoke.
2. Subordinate Clauses
A subordinate clause can describe nouns and pronouns;
describe verbs, adverbs, and adjectives; or act as the
subject or object of another clause. They are made by
connecting an independent clause with a dependent clause
with words like as, because, while, until, even though,
although, when and if.

3. Conditional Clauses
Also known as ‘If clauses’, they are used to express that
the action in the main clause can only take place if a
certain condition is met.
For example:
If I had a million dollars, I would quit my job.
I will be really happy, if I pass the CSS exam.
For example:
‘Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower
consumption. Fast food companies would pass on these
taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and this
would lead to people not being able to afford junk food. If
the cost of organic food proves prohibitively expensive
for most people, they will simply not buy it. Despite
this, people in many developed countries, where the
problem is most acute, can afford price hikes and will
continue to eat high-fat meals.’
They are also useful for talking about unreal situations or
to speculate about results in the past or present.
There are four different kinds of conditionals which I will
outline below:
Zero Conditionals are used to talk about information that
is true or facts. We can use if or when to introduce the
conditional.
Example: Nowadays when we travel long distances, we
usually use air travel.
First conditionals are used to talk about things in the
present or future.
Example: If the city’s population continues to grow, we
will need to build more infrastructure.
Second Conditionals are used to talk about things that
are impossible.
Example: If the sun didn’t come up tomorrow, we
wouldn’t have any life on earth.
Third Conditionals are used to speculate about past
events. It is often used when we regret something or to
imagine a past unreal situation.
Example: The Second World War would have never
happened if Germany had been given a fairer peace
settlement in Word War One.

4. Compound Sentences
Compound sentences consist of two independent clauses
linked together with a conjunction such as ‘and’, ‘for’ or
‘but’.
Examples:
I really want to study, but I’m too tired.
She got to the test centre early, and she did really well on
her IELTS test.

STRUCTURAL ERRORS
There are four main problems that prevent people from
writing complete, grammatically correct sentences. These
problems include: (a) the sentence fragment; (b) the run-
on sentence; (c) lack of subject-verb and pronoun-
reference agreement; and (d) lack of parallel structure.
Sentence Fragments
A fragment is a sentence which is not complete, and
therefore not grammatically correct. Sentence fragments
are problematic because t hey are disjointed and
confusing to the reader. There are three main causes of
fragments: (a) a missing subject; (b) a missing verb; (c)
"danger" words which are not finished.
There are three ways to check for sentence completeness:
1. Find the subject. A subject is the noun or pronoun
about which something is written. To find the subject of a
sentence, identify who or what is doing the action. If there
is no subject, the sentence is a fragment. Consider the two
examples below.
"The student felt nervous before the speech."
"Thought about leaving the room."
The first sentence above is complete, because it contains
both a subject and a verb. The subject of this sentence is
the student. The sentence contains a subject which
answers the question, "who or what felt nervous?" The
second sentence is a fragment, because there is no
identifiable subject. The sentence does not contain a
subject which answers the question, "who or what thought
about leaving?" To correct the second sentence, one could
write: "He thought about leaving the room." Alternatively,
on e could combine the two sentences to form one
complete sentence: "The student felt nervous before the
speech, and thought about leaving the room."
2. Find the verb. A verb is the action word in a sentence.
Verbs express action, existence or occurrence. To find the
verb in a sentence, identify what happened. If there is no
identifiable action, the sentence is a fragment. Consider
the two examples below.
"Many scientists, such as Einstein, think in strange ways."
"Many scientists think in strange ways. Einstein, for
example."
This first example above has one complete sentence
followed by a fragment. "Einstein, for example" is a
fragment because there is no verb. "Einstein" serves as the
subject (he is the one doing something), but the rest of the
sentence does not express what action he is taking. The
second example is a complete sentence. In this case, the
sentence contains both a subject (scientists) and a verb
(think). Alternatively, one could write the following:
"Many scientists think in strange ways. Einstein, for
example, could not tolerate more than one bar of soap in
his home." In this case, there are two complete sentences.
In the second sentence, the subject is Einstein and the
verb is "could not tolerate."
3. Check for "danger" words. A danger word is one which
introduces a thought that requires a follow-up phrase.
Such words are sometimes called "cliff-hangers" because
they begin a statement, but leave it "hanging" without a
finish. Consider the phrases below.
"If you come home..."
"When the rain falls..."
"Because he is mean..."
The danger words in the sentences above are "if," "when"
and "because." When these words are used at the
beginning of a phrase, they require a follow-up
phrase to conclude the thought.
Example: If you come home on time...then what? 
Correct: If you come home on time, I will buy you a
present.
Example: When it rains...what happens? 
Correct: When it rains, the gutters become clogged.
Example: Because he is mean...what is the result? 
Correct: Because he is mean, I will not take a class from
him.
Danger words are helpful when writing sentences, but one
must be sure to include a concluding phrase when these
words are used.
Commonly used danger words include: after, unless,
although, how, as if, when, because, where, before, while,
if, until, once, so that, since, whether.
Run-on Sentences
A run-on sentence is one which actually contains two (or
more) complete sentences without the proper punctuation
to create separate sentences. There are two common
forms of the run-on: (1) the "comma splice" in which a
comma is inserted between two complete sentences where
a period should actually be used; (2) a lack of punctuation
where a semi-colon or period is needed.
Incorrect Examples - The Comma Splice
John is a musician, he plays the guitar for a living.
The girl walked home, she decided not to ride the bus.
He could only guess at the number of guests who attended
the party, the entire yard was filled with people.
In each of the examples above, the two sentences are
incorrectly joined by a comma, thus "splicing" two
complete sentences together into one run-on sentence. To
correct these run-on's, the comma should be replaced by a
period, thus creating two separate sentences, as shown
below.
Correct Examples
John is a musician. He plays the guitar for a living.
The girl walked home. She decided not to ride the bus.
He could only guess at the number of guests who attended
the party. The entire yard was filled with people.
Incorrect Examples - Lack of Punctuation
There is a problem with the television however no one is
available to fix it.
Nobody knows what really happened the policeman said
there was a fight.
That is the problem when people have conflict they attack
each other personally.
In each of the examples above, some type of punctuation
is needed to separate the two parts of the sentence: either
a semi-colon or a period.
Correct Examples
There is a problem with the television; however, no one is
available to fix it. 
There is a problem with the television. However, no one
is available to fix it.
Nobody knows what really happened; the policeman said
there was a fight.
Nobody knows what really happened. The policeman said
there was a fight.
That is the problem when people have conflict; they
attack each other personally.
That is the problem when people have conflict. They
attack each other personally.
Subject-Verb Agreement
In order for a sentence to be grammatically correct, the
subject and verb must both be singular or plural. In other
words, the subject and verb must agree with one another
in their tense. If the subject is in plural form, the verb
should also be in plur al form (and vice versa). To ensure
subject-verb agreement, identify the main subject and
verb in the sentence, then check to see if they are both
plural and singular. Consider the examples below.
Incorrect examples - Subject-Verb Agreement
"The group of students are complaining about grades."
The main subject in this sentence is "group," which is
singular. The main verb is "are complaining," which is
plural.
"A recipe with more than six ingredients are too
complicated."
The main subject in this sentence is "recipe," which is
singular. The main verb is "are," which is plural.
"The facts in that complex case is questionable."
The main subject in this sentence is "facts," which is
plural. The main verb, "is," is singular.
"The people is wearing formal attire."
The main subject in this sentence is "people," which is
plural. The main verb is "is wearing," which is singular.
Correct examples
"The group of students is complaining about grades."
"A recipe with more than six ingredients is too
complicated."
"The facts in that complex case are questionable."
"The people are wearing formal attire."
A variation of the subject-verb agreement is pronoun-
reference agreement. In the case of pronoun-reference
agreement, all of the pronouns should agree with one
another in singular or plural tense. Consider the examples
below.
Incorrect examples - Pronoun-Reference Agreement
"A manager should always be honest with their
employees."
The subject in this sentence, "manager," is singular. The
corresponding pronoun, "their," is plural.
"Organizations must be careful about discriminating
against its employees."
The subject in this sentence is "organizations," which is
plural. The corresponding pronoun, "its," is singular.
"If you really care about somebody, let them make their
own choices."
In this sentence, the pronoun "somebody" is singular, but
the corresponding pronouns, "them" and "their" are plural.
Correct examples
"A manager should always be honest with his (or her)
employees."
"Organizations must be careful about discriminating
against their employees."
"If you really care about somebody, let him (or her) make
his (or her) own choices."
Parallel Structure
The parallel structure of a sentence refers to the extent to
which different parts of the sentence match each other in
form. When more than one phrase or description is used
in a sentence, those phrases or descriptions should be
consistent with one another in their form and wording.
Parallel structure is important because it enhances the
ease with which the reader can follow the writer's idea.
Consider the following examples.
Incorrect examples - Parallel Structure
Example One: "He is strong and a tough competitor."
Notice that "strong" and "a tough competitor" are not the
in the same form. "Strong" and "competitive" are
consistent in form.
Example Two: "The new coach is a smart strategist, an
effective manager, and works hard."
Notice that "a smart strategist" and "an effective
manager" are consistent with one another, but not
consistent with "works hard."
Example Three: "In the last minute of the game, John
intercepted the football, evaded the tacklers, and a
touchdown was scored."
Notice that the first two phrases in this sentence are
consistent with one another: "intercepted the football" and
"evaded the tacklers." However, the final phrase, "and a
touchdown was scored" is not consistent with the first two
phrases. 
+Correct examples
Example One: "He is strong and competitive."
Example Two: "The new coach is a smart strategist,
an effective manager, and a hard worker."
Example Three: "In the last minute of the game, John
intercepted the football, evaded the tacklers, and scored a
touchdown."
SHIFTS
Avoid needless shifts in person and number.
Shift: If a person is going to improve, you should work
harder. [shift from third person to second person]

SENTENCE SPRAWL
The hearing was planned for Monday, December 2, but
not all of the witnesses could be available, so it was
rescheduled for the following Friday, and then all the
witnesses could attend.
The hearing, which had been planned for Monday,
December 2, was rescheduled for the following Friday so
that all witnesses would be able to attend.
When writing a proposal, an original task is set for
research.
When writing a proposal, a scholar sets an original task
for research.

Many tourists visit Arlington National Cemetery, where

veterans and military personnel are buried every day from
9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Every day from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., many tourists
visit Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans and
military personnel are buried.

Incorrect: Jason was planning to attend his friend’s

wedding on June 30, but at the last minute he found out
he had jury duty, so he couldn’t attend the wedding, and
he felt really guilty about it.
Correct: Unexpectedly Jason was called for jury duty and
couldn’t attend his friend’s June 30 wedding. He felt
guilty about missing it.

Verb Shift and Tense Errors

You need to learn three ideas to keep your tenses straight.
The first is that you should be consistent in your use of
tenses. Don't switch from one tense to another without
reason. That holds true both within single sentences and
between sentences. The second idea is that when writing
about two events in a sentence, you must make sure that
the sequence of events is clear. If one action happened
before the other, you must adjust the tenses of each
action's verb. The third is that true statements are always
expressed in the present tense. This holds true for
scientific truths - "Mt. Everest is the world's tallest peak."
- as well as literary truths - "Cassius is jealous of Caesar."
In English essays this last rule is frequently forgotten.
Remember: Odysseus is always waiting on Kalypso's
island, and Huck is always floating down the Mississippi.
I. Keeping Tenses Consistent

Sometimes the shift error happens within a single

sentence:
Fred told me that he found out that Ethel helps at her
father's store, but I think that Fred knows that since
they started going together.

But more common is the unnecessary shift between

sentences of a paragraph:
Jane was ostracized by the rest of the team members.
They believe that her behavior was an embarrassment to
the entire team.

The shift from past to present is confusing - especially

since the team must have come to some judgment before
ostracizing Jane.
II. Coordinating Past Actions

If one of two past actions happened before the other,

make that clear by casting the earlier action in the past
perfect tense:
The students realized the fruit was spoiled after they had
purchased twelve crates of grapes. If they had inspected
the grapes at all, they would have seen the grapes'
condition. Having struggled to get the
grapes home, they were frustrated with their efforts. Now,
they are embarrassed to have made so foolish an error.

In every sentence of the above little story, there are two

actions: the purchasing and the realization. Because the
whole point is that the purchasing takes place before the
students' realization, each sentence carefully adjusts the
verbs to make that action that took place during their
purchase in a tense further in the past than their
realization.
III. Keeping Universal Truths in the Present Tense

A universal truth is always true. That's part of its being

universal. We express this by casting such statements in
the present tense: "The earth's gravity hold us on the
planet's surface." To put such a statement into the past
sets us adrift among the heavenly bodies. The same rule
applies when writing about literature. Huck is always
floating down the Mississippi, and Ahab is always
chasing the white whale. Of course, there will be times
when writing about the sequence of events in a book that
you will have to use a tense other than the present, but
keep your base tense the present tense: "It turns out to be
true that Gatsby had been an officer during the war."

Learn when it is appropriate to mix verb tenses.

When there is a shift in time frame (often marked by a
transition), for example, from general description
(present tense) to a specific occasion (past tense):
Tom Sawyer is a clever boy who doesn’t like to follow
the rules, and as a result, he often gets into trouble. On
one occasion, he convinced the boys in his neighborhood
to pay him for the privilege of whitewashing a fence.
When relating current mental activity (present tense)
about past events (past tense):
I don’t remember when I met him, but
I think it was about ten years ago.
The author describes the path of development that
Japan took after WWII.
Preferences can vary. For example, literary criticism is
usually written in present tense, whereas the methods
section of a lab report is in past tense.
Use the simple present (argue/argues, is/are) to
discuss general truths, habitual actions, works of
literature, and an author’s ideas or arguments.
Friends are as important in old age as they are during
childhood.
Barn swallows usually nest in small colonies and
also hunt together.
Clark believes this is a significant problem
and suggests various solutions.
Use the simple past (argued, was) to describe events
that happened at a specific time in the past and are now
finished, as in history papers, news reports, narrative
examples, lab results, etc.
This tense is often used with a time phrase like “in 1980”
or “last summer” or “ten years ago.”
In 1066 William of Normandy invaded England
and claimed the throne.
I graduated from high school when I was seventeen.
Use the present perfect (have argued, have been) for
events that happened in the indefinite past.
In other words, use the present perfect when you don’t
know the specific dates, or when they are not important:
Several studies have examined the effect of...
It is also used for recent events:
The president has announced his new cabinet members.
It is also used for situations that began in the past but
include the present:
I have worked here for six months. 
(I started working here six months ago and I still work
here today.)
Use the past perfect (had argued, had been) in
conjunction with simple past tense to establish a
relationship between two completed events—use past
perfect for the event that happened prior to the other.
This tense is often used with “already” or “by the time”:
My mother had already finished her studies when
she met my father.
He entered the building unnoticed because the guard had
stepped out for a cup of coffee.

CONSISTENT VERB TENSE

Verbs express a particular action (throw) or state of
being (was). In addition, verbs help express who or
what performs the action (person), how many
people or things perform the action (number), the
speaker's attitude toward or relation to the action
(mood), and whether the subject is the giver or
receiver of the action (voice). Perhaps the most
obvious characteristic of verbs, however, is how the
verb tenses express time.
Different verb forms are used in combination to
express when actions occur. The simple present,
past, and future tenses simply place events in time.
The perfect tenses (they occur with have, has,
and had) express events or actions completed; the
progressive tenses (-ing  verbs used together with
helpers such as is, was, and were) show actions or
events that are continuing.
Intentional shifting of verb tense
A statement such as the following intentionally
mixes verb tenses:
I had decided to add Anthropology 11 when
I discovered it already had filled up and the
instructor would not be accepting any more
students.
The mixed verb tenses here are intended to convey
in what order things happened, what actions are
completed, and what actions are continuing. The
class had filled and the speaker had decided (both
actions completed in the past) before he or she
discovered the class was full. And the instructor is at
present turning away students and will continue to
turn them away for the foreseeable future.
In the following example, a statement about past
actions is followed by a statement of a general
truth:
I had decided to add Anthropology 11 when
I discovered it already had filled up; it is unwise
to wait until the last minute to add a required class.
Generalities and truisms like this (it is unwise to
wait) are expressed in the simple present tense,
even if they are imbedded in a statement written in
a past tense.
Unintentional shifting of verb tense
Clearly, intentionally shifting verb tenses can convey
a great deal of information. However, when verb
tenses shift for no good reason, meaning becomes
garbled. In general, avoid unnecessary changes in
verb tense. This is a particular problem in personal
narratives, where it is common to see something like
this:
I was undecided about my major when I was a
freshman. I wanted to study journalism but
I like art, too. I find that sketching is relaxing
and helped reduce stress, while journalism was a
high-energy, often stressful class.
The verb shifts are unnecessary and make it more
difficult for the reader to follow. Here is the
statement revised to a consistent past tense:
I was undecided about my major when I was a
freshman. I wanted to study journalism but
I liked art, too. I found that
sketching was relaxing and helped reduce stress,
while journalism was a high-energy, often stressful
class.
In personal narratives, you may choose to use either
past or present tense verbs. Just do not mix them as
this writer did:
He turns the key in the ignition, but
only heard the relentless, useless chugging of an
engine unwilling to turn over. He glanced left, then
right. He cannot see the approaching train
through the driving rain, but he could hear it, a
low moaning wail still distant enough that
he thought he still might be able to save the car.
Revised to a consistent past tense, this story is more
coherent:
He turned the key in the ignition, but
only heard the relentless, useless chugging of an
engine unwilling to turn over. He glanced left, then
right. He couldn't see the approaching train
through the driving rain, but he could hear it, a
low moaning wail still distant enough that
he thought he still might be able to save the car.
In this case, however, you might be more successful
in recreating the suspense of the moment by
keeping to a consistent present tense:
He turns the key in the ignition, only to hear the
relentless, useless chugging of an engine unwilling
to turn over. He glances left, then right.
He cannot see the approaching train through the
driving rain, but he can hear it, a low moaning wail
still distant enough that he thinks he still might be
able to save the car.
The literary present tense
For discussing literary works, the preferred tense is
the present:
Author Michael Crichton
frequently addresses bioethical questions of this
sort. His Jurassic Park character Ian Malcolm isa
kind of devil's advocate, a doomed protagonist
who asks the unasked question: "We can--but
should we?"
This statement includes one about the author and
his intentions or techniques, and another about a
character in one of his books; both are constructed
in the literary present tense. Use literary present
tense for book and article reviews, summaries, and
critiques.
Critiques of musical performances, art shows or
other artistic works also may use the literary present
tense.