One of the more common errors students make in writing is shifting from one form to another in the middle of a sentence. Whether this shift is in person, number, subject, voice, or tense, this can be confusing for readers.
In this video, the speaker gives examples of different types of sentence shifts and demonstrates how to fix them:
| Type of Shift | Explanation | Example |
| Person | Person refers to the point of view. A writer might write in first person (I/we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they). It’s important to keep the person consistent. | Incorrect: When a writer edits his work, you should be sure to check spelling errors. (shift from 3rd to 2nd person) |
| Number | Number refers to whether something is singular or plural. If a sentence starts out singular, it should not shift to plural mid-stream. | Incorrect: A student should always revise their work. (shift from singular to plural) |
| Subject | The subject here is the subject of the sentence. In a compound sentence, and even in a paragraph, it’s important to be consistent with the subject to avoid confusion. | Incorrect: Students look forward to graduation, but people don’t always enjoy graduation. (shift from students to people) |
| Voice | Voice refers to active or passive voice. With rare exceptions, all parts of a sentence should maintain the same voice. | Incorrect: Most students expect to graduate, but challenges should be expected. (shift from active to passive) |
| Tense | Tense refers to the tense of the verb, i.e. past, present, future. The tense should not change in a sentence. | Incorrect: When the class began, students are working hard. (shift from past to present tense) |
Attribution
Content created by Dr. Karen Palmer and licensed under CC BY NC.
