Common mistake Missing past tense with '...last year/month/etc.'
Missing past tense with '...last year/month/etc.'
One common mistake that English language learners make is forgetting to use the past tense when referring to events that happened in the past. Specifically, this mistake often occurs when using the phrase "last year/month/week/etc." to talk about something that took place in a previous period of time.
Forgetting to change the verb tense
When using the phrase "last year/month/week/etc.," it is important to remember that this indicates a finished event of the past. Therefore, it is necessary to check the predicate's tense and ensure that it is in the past tense.
For example:
- Incorrect: I go to the beach last month.
- Correct: I went to the beach last month.
In the incorrect example, the verb "go" is in the present tense, but it should be in the past tense "went" to match the time frame indicated by "last month."
Similarly, when talking about events that took place in the past using phrases like "last year," "last week," or "last night," it is crucial to use the past tense of the verb.
Here are a few more examples:
- Incorrect: She cooks dinner for her family last night.
- Correct: She cooked dinner for her family last night.
Incorrect: We start the project last year.
Correct: We started the project last year.
Make sure to double-check your sentences to ensure that the verb tense matches the timeframe you are referring to.
Linguix grammar checker can be a helpful tool in catching these types of errors and assisting you in improving your writing. It provides real-time suggestions to help you correct verb tense mistakes and make your sentences grammatically accurate.
Missing past tense with '...last year/month/etc.' mistake examples
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Correct:I choose to go to Italy last year.
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Correct:She leaves school last year.
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Correct:I will not go last month.
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Correct:I might go to India last year.
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Correct:I'll never forget shaking the President's hand last year.
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Correct:I couldn't go to Australia last year.
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Correct:I could not go to Paris last year.
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Correct:I’m quitting Starbucks and this is my last week.
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Correct:Dave, I am sending you my accomplishments for the last year.
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Correct:Kevin, I want to apologize for not attending the meeting last week.
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Correct:What a great performance by the rookie WR last week.
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Correct:Here are my notes from our meeting last week.
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Correct:I apologize for not attending those three meetings last week.
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Correct:That is down from 8.54% last week.
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Correct:Tom was my last roommate last year.
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Correct:Thanks for your support last week.
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Correct:I apologize for not getting back with you all last week.
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Correct:The Last Month Report
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Correct:I was a first year student last year.
