The rules
- Every sentence needs a main verb with a subject; an -ing word, “to” + verb, or “having” + verb can’t be one: “The comet appeared,” not “The comet appearing.”
- Keep the tense the passage uses for its story: “In 1953, the climbers reached the top and returned safely.”
- Use the present tense for things that are always true: “Water boils at 100 °C at sea level.”
- Use the past perfect (had + verb) for something that happened before another past event: “When we arrived, the bus had left.”
- Use the present perfect (has/have + verb) with “since” or “so far,” but never with a stated past date: “Since 2015, the museum has added ten rooms.”
- Use the passive (is/was + past participle) when the subject receives the action: “The temple was built in 1702.”
- A participial phrase describes a noun and needs a main verb elsewhere in the sentence: “Built in 1702, the temple still stands.”
This time: 0 right, 0 wrong