Verb Tenses

COMMON MISTAKES
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Subject Verb Agreement
 It is important that the verb agrees with the subject in
present simple and present perfect tense. To do this,
identify the subject. This is more complicated when there
is a long noun phrase. The subjects in the examples
are underlined. 
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Subject Verb Agreement
Examples
Error Correction Explanation
The variety of online courses The variety of online ‘The variety of’ is used
available at courses available at with singular verb form
university have increased university has increased (has). 
since 2008.  since 2008. 
This graph show the types of This graph shows the types ‘This graph’ is a 3rd
dwellings of Melbourne of dwellings of Melbourne person singular subject, so
residents in 1988 and in residents in 1988 and in add -s to the verb in
2000.  2000.  simple present.
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Past Simple and Past Participle Form
 Simple past tense and past participle can be difficult to
form as some verbs are regular and some are irregular. 
Working on improving your knowledge of the correct form
of these verbs is important. 
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Past Simple and Past Participle Form
Example
Error Correction Explanation
The number of The number of employees in The verb ‘rise’ is
employees in the retail the retail and hospitality irregular in the simple
and hospitality sectors rose by 6,000 from past, so it does not
sectors rised by 6,000 January to July.  follow the regular -
from January to July. ed ending. 
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Using Present Perfect with a Specific Time
 Present perfect can be used with the time markers ‘since’
and ‘from’ to show change over time but it should never be
used for a completed action at a specific time. To express
something which happened at a specific time or on a
specific date, use simple past tense.  
Verb Tenses: Common Mistakes
Using Present Perfect with a Specific Time
Examples
Error Correction Explanation
In 1999, there has been an In 1999, there was an increase of In both these examples, the
increase of 5% in people 5% in people working in the verb is a completed
working in the tourism tourism industry.  action which occurred at a
industry.  specific time in the past
(1999 / the second half of
2020). Therefore, use simple
The amount of debt per The amount of debt per past (was / rose).
household has risen by 10% household rose by 10% in the
in the second half of 2020.  second half of 2020.