writing – Write to Reason

Maintaining consistent and appropriate verb tenses in a book prevents confusion related to past, present, and future events. A book’s main narrative verb sense stays the same throughout. However, verb tenses vary in spoken dialogue, inner dialogue, memories, and flashbacks. Verb forms are also based on whether the person/thing performing the action (subject) is singular or plural, but for this article, I won’t be addressing that aspect.

English nonfiction books tend to be written in present tense, but not all. Nonfiction books focused on historical events—for example, memoirs and biographies—are written in past tense. Poetry can be written in any verb tense, based on the perspective of the poet.

English fiction novels are typically written in past tense, but not always. For example, young adult fiction books are sometimes written in present tense because it’s more engaging and creates an increased sense of involvement.

Did you know that English has twelve main verb tenses? Along with basic past, present, and future tenses, we all use variations of the basics on a daily basis, despite most of us not being able to name them. If you’ve ever studied a foreign language, then you know that mastering any language involves learning the proper verb forms.

Following is a list of the twelve verb tenses, along with two short examples for each. The relevant verbs are in bold print.

present simple
- I want to go home.
- She wants to go home.
present continuous
- I am helping my friend.
- They are helping each other.
present perfect
- I have tried Japanese food.
- He has never tried sushi before.
present perfect continuous
- I have been waiting forever.
- She has not been waiting long.
past simple
- I started the car.
- You started the meeting.
past continuous
- I was looking away when he walked by.
- We were looking at the screen when it turned off.
past perfect
- I had finished my meal when she called.
- They had finished the job by the time the owner arrived.
past perfect continuous
- I had been wondering where you were when you texted.
- He had been wondering what to do when you left.
future simple
- I will walk to work today.
- She will walk to the store later.
future continuous
- I will be visiting a friend next week.
- He will be visiting his parents on Thanksgiving.
future perfect
- By Friday, I will have used all of my crafting paint.
- They will have used most of their mobile date before the end of the month.
future perfect continuous
- I will have been driving for hours by the time I reach the hotel.
- She will have been driving the new truck by then.

Other verb forms often considered separate tenses:

future in the past
- I thought I would finish the project by Saturday.
conditional
- He could sing if he wanted to.
imperative
- “Stop the bus!”
subjunctive
- She insisted that he leave.

Below is an excerpt from the story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” published in Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892). Tenses for six highlighted verbs have been changed to demonstrate how using the wrong verb tense alters the meaning of a passage and can confuse the reader. See if you can determine what the appropriate verb tense should be in each case. Then keep reading to see the original text with the correct verb tenses reinserted.

(incorrect verbs highlighted)

Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive glances. “You must not fear,” said he, soothingly, bending forward and patted her forearm. “We are setting matters right, I have no doubt. You have come in by train this morning, I see.”

“You know me, then?”

“No, but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you will have had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station.”

The lady gave a violent start, and stared in bewilderment at my companion.

“There is no mystery, my dear madam,” said he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket was spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver.”

“Whatever your reasons may be, you would be perfectly correct,” said she. “I started from home before six, reached Leatherhead at twenty past, and came in by the first train to Waterloo. Sir, I could stand this strain no longer; I shall go mad if it continues. I have no one to turn to—none, save only one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be of little aid. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you had been helping in the hour of her sore need. It was from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think that you could help me, too, and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness which surrounds me? At present it is out of my power to reward you for your services, but in a month or six weeks I shall be married, with the control of my own income, and then at least you shall not find me ungrateful.”

Holmes turned to his desk, and unlocking it, draws out a small case-book, which he consulted.

Here is the original text with the correct verbs. Explanatory notes are included below each affected paragraph.

Sherlock Holmes ran her over with one of his quick, all-comprehensive glances. “You must not fear,” said he, soothingly, bending forward and patting her forearm. “We shall soon set matters right, I have no doubt. You have come in by train this morning, I see.”

Incorrect: are setting – present continuous
Correct: shall set – future simple
“Are setting” infers that the action had already begun. 
“Shall set” correctly indicates that their action will happen in the future.

“You know me, then?”

“No, but I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads, before you reached the station.”

Incorrect: will have had - future perfect
Correct: had - past simple
“Will have had” infers that her drive will be completed by a certain time in the future.
“Had” correctly indicates that her drive happened in the past.

The lady gave a violent start, and stared in bewilderment at my companion.

“There is no mystery, my dear madam,” said he, smiling. “The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh. There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver.”

Incorrect: was – past simple
Correct: is – present simple
Using “was” here refers to the action of spattering mud, which he did not witness.
Using “is” here correctly indicates that he currently sees spattered mud on her jacket.

“Whatever your reasons may be, you are perfectly correct,” said she. “I started from home before six, reached Leatherhead at twenty past, and came in by the first train to Waterloo. Sir, I can stand this strain no longer; I shall go mad if it continues. I have no one to turn to—none, save only one, who cares for me, and he, poor fellow, can be of little aid. I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes; I have heard of you from Mrs. Farintosh, whom you helped in the hour of her sore need. It was from her that I had your address. Oh, sir, do you not think that you could help me, too, and at least throw a little light through the dense darkness which surrounds me? At present it is out of my power to reward you for your services, but in a month or six weeks I shall be married, with the control of my own income, and then at least you shall not find me ungrateful.”

Incorrect: would be – conditional
Correct: are – present simple
“Would be” infers that the accuracy of his conclusion is conditional based on something else. Yet, she does not specify a condition.
“Are” correctly indicates that his conclusion is currently definitely correct, regardless of which reason he associated with his conclusion.

Incorrect: had been helping – past perfect continuous
Correct: helped – past simple
“Had been helping” infers that he helped Mrs. Farintosh in the past and continued to over a period of time.
“Helped” correctly indicates that he helped the woman in the past at a specific time.

Holmes turned to his desk, and unlocking it, drew out a small case-book, which he consulted.

Incorrect: draws – present simple
Correct: drew – past simple
If the narrative tense throughout the book were present tense, then “draws” would be fine. But the narrative tense throughout the book is past tense, so “drew” is correct, and indicates that he performed the action in the immediate past.

When editing, if I ever really get stuck on a verb that is clearly wrong that I’m not sure about, first I ask the client what their intentional meaning is, then I consult Perplexity AI to confirm the correct tense/form. It’s very helpful with solving complicated grammar issues.