Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

Time marches on—but at the same pace
Parallel bars and balance beams

DON’T BE LAX ABOUT TENSE CHANGES

Granted, anyone knows that two weeks on a diet passes more slowly than two weeks on a vacation. But technically speaking, two weeks is two weeks. So if you’re talking about the present time frame, keep all the verbs in the present tense. If you’re talking about something that happened in the past, keep all the verbs in the past tense. Flip-flopping between tenses confuses people. Here’s an example.

Mixed Tenses:

We have been trying to hire a marketing director for several months. Having checked résumés from several online sources, we have been disappointed in the candidates that we have chosen to interview. Several candidates hype their experience but do not bring portfolios of their work. Many do not want us to contact previous supervisors. We contacted recruiters about helping us to fill the position for a fee of 25 percent. Some have estimated that it may take up to three to six months to fill the position with the right person. We have set a target date of June 1 to have the position filled.

Question: Is this manager currently using a recruiter to fill the position? That’s unclear because of the unnecessary tense change here: “We contacted recruiters about helping us to fill the position for a fee of 25 percent.” (Past tense—an action that’s over and done with, completed, terminado, finito.) Yet all the other verbs in the paragraph are present perfect tense (the time frame describing actions begun in the past and still ongoing in the present).

That one odd tense change creates the confusion.

Consistent:

We have been trying to hire a marketing director for several months. Having checked résumés from several online sources, we have been disappointed in the candidates that we have chosen to interview. Several candidates hype their experience but do not bring portfolios of their work. Many do not want us to contact previous supervisors. We have contacted recruiters about helping us to fill the position for a fee of 25 percent. Some have estimated that it may take up to three to six months to fill the position with the right person. We have set a target date of June 1 to have the position filled.

With the verb tense consistent, it’s clear that they are still contacting recruiters and considering their help.

If you’re talking about different time periods, by all means, you’ll need to switch tenses:

Pudge bought (past) a new Mercedes yesterday and had (past) a wreck in it this morning. The tow truck is pulling (present) the car into the repair shop now. Pudge plans (present) to babysit the car at the body shop until they repaint (present) it. He will not return (future) to work until Friday.

If you have reason to change tenses, do so. If not, don’t.

Memory tip

As poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau put it, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” Just make sure your drummer can keep a consistent beat.