Identify the sentence with inconsistent verb tense.

Identify the sentence with inconsistent verb tense.

• A. She walked to the store and buys bread.
• B. She walked to the store and bought bread.
• C. She walks to the store and buys bread.
• D. She walked to the store and is buying bread.

Answer: (A)

Keeping verb tenses in agreement within a single sentence is essential. When you start describing actions that share the same time frame, the verbs should reflect the same tense. In the sentence “She walked to the store and buys bread,” the first verb is in the past tense (walked) while the second is in the present tense (buys). There’s no time cue that signals a shift to a different time frame, so the mix of past and present tenses stands out as inconsistent.

To fix it, choose one time frame for both actions. If you’re describing a past sequence, say “She walked to the store and bought bread.” If you’re describing a present routine, say “She walks to the store and buys bread.” The other options maintain a consistent tense across both verbs, which is why they fit the rule of tense agreement.