Reading and Writing · 12 · Grammar Foundations
Tenses
Notes
Key points
- Simple: walked / walk / will walk. Progressive: was walking. Perfect: had / has / will have walked.
- Present perfect (has/have + participle): began in the past, still true now.
- Past perfect (had + participle): the earlier of two past actions.
- Time clues decide: “in 1990” → past; “since 1990” → has/have; “by 1990” → had.
- Stay consistent with the passage's other verbs unless the timeline shifts.
- Describing what a text or author says: present tense — “Darwin argues…”
Rules
Keep the passage's time frame.
In 1969, the crew landed and walked on the Moon.
In 1969, the crew landed and walks on the Moon.
“Since” + a point in time → present perfect.
She has lived in Lagos since 2015.
She lived in Lagos since 2015.
Earlier of two past actions → past perfect.
By the time we arrived, the film had started.
By the time we arrived, the film has started.
Common traps
- Choosing the fanciest tense — simple past is usually right if nothing signals otherwise.
- Ignoring the verbs in the sentences before and after the blank.
SAT tip
Tense questions: underline every other verb and time word in the passage, then match them.
Test yourself
10 official SAT questions on Tenses, easiest first.