Common Tense Errors

These are the mistakes that appear most often in error-spotting and sentence-improvement questions. Read each pair aloud until the correct version sounds natural.

1. Present perfect with a finished past time

✗ He has joined the school last year.  |  ✓ He joined the school last year.

2. Stative verbs in the continuous

✗ She is having two brothers.  |  ✓ She has two brothers.

Note that have can take the continuous when it means an activity: We are having lunch.

3. 'Will' inside a time clause or if-clause

✗ Wait here until I will return.  |  ✓ Wait here until I return.

4. 'Since' with a simple past

✗ He is ill since Monday.  |  ✓ He has been ill since Monday.

5. Wrong sequence after a past reporting verb

✗ He said that he is busy.  |  ✓ He said that he was busy.

6. Missing past perfect for the earlier action

✗ The patient died before the doctor came.  |  ✓ The patient had died before the doctor came.

7. Confusing V2 and V3

✗ He has went to Patna.  |  ✓ He has gone to Patna.

8. 'Used to' written as 'use to' after 'did'

✗ He did not used to smoke.  |  ✓ He did not use to smoke.

Quick Self-Check

Correct these five sentences, then compare with the answers below.

1. I am living in Patna since 2018.
2. She said that the sun rose in the east.
3. No sooner he had entered when the bell rang.
4. If it will rain, we shall cancel the trip.
5. By the time you arrive, I will finish the report.