Ghave. What do strawberries have now? Press conferences? Because strawberries and seeds are
linked for eternity, go for present tense.
Hwere. One particular strawberry had 45 seeds, but another strawberry may have a different
number. Because this sentence expresses a changeable and not an eternal truth and because
the sentence as a whole is in past tense, past tense is appropriate for the last verb as well.
Iknew. Marty (contrary to the opinion of every single one of her teachers) can learn, so this
statement expresses a fact that may change. The past tense works best here because the sen-
tence is talking about a previous time.
Jdoes. Vegetarian diets never include meat. The definition is set, so present tense is needed here.
KPeering. Here the two actions take place at the same time. The researchers check out the sub-
jects’ teeth and check for trouble. The perfect form (with having) is for actions at different
times.
Lhearing. Once again, two actions take place at the same time. Go for the plain form.
MRefusing. The “not in this universe will I open my mouth” moment is simultaneous with an “if
looks could kill” glare, so the plain form is best.
Nhaving been completed. The plain form completed would place two actions (the completing
and the tabulating) at the same time. Yet common sense tells you that the tabulating follows
the completion of the research. The perfect form (with having) places the completing before
the tabulating.
Ohaving gone. The decision to stop market research is based on the fact that it’s too late; the
tooth whitener, in all its glory, is already being manufactured. Because the timeline matters
here, and one action is clearly earlier, the perfect form is needed.
Pto interview. The have form places the action of interviewing before the action expressed by
the main verb in the sentence. But the legal department objected first. Dump the have form.
Qgetting. Three actions are mentioned in this sentence: scheduling, succeeding, and getting.
The first action is placed in the future, so don’t worry about it. The last two actions take place
at the same time, because the minute somebody signs a legal paper, the attorneys are success-
ful. As it expresses a simultaneous action, the plain form of the verbal (without having) is
appropriate.
RSending. The CEO’s statement places two things, sending and being sure, at the same time.
Bingo: The plain form is best.
SWeeping. The interviewers are all choked up as they clap their hands and hope for a very big
raise. Plain form works because the two things happen at the same time.
Thaving been. The celebration and “time to get back to work” movement take place at the same
time as the announcement. No perfect tense is needed.
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164 Part III: The Pickier Points of Correct Verb and Pronoun Use
UThe proceeding and the noticing took place at roughly the same time, so the plain form is the
one you want here.
VThe noticing and the coming of the smoke were more or less simultaneous, so go for the plain
form here. The perfect form would place one action earlier than another, which is contrary to
the intended meaning.
74
05
35
45
6
4
84
94
15
25
5
5
GMT Industries
Incident Report
Date: 8/29/05 Time: 1:10 a.m.
Place: Loading dock Guard on duty: P. Samuels
Proceeding from the locker room where Grammarian Idol Factor was on television,
I noticed smoke coming from a doorway that leads to the loading dock. Knowing
that no deliveries were scheduled, I immediately became suspicious and took out
my two-way radio. I alerted the other guard on duty, M. Faulkner, that trouble might
be brewing. Faulkner, not having turned off the television, couldn’t hear me. Upon
screaming into the radio that I needed him right away, I crept up to the door.
I noticed that the smoke was not hot. As I waited, touching the door to see
whether it was getting hot, I sincerely wished to find Faulkner and to strangle him
for not replying when I called. Arriving, Faulkner apologized and explained that
the adverb competition was his favorite. He also said that he had a clogged ear
that he had not been able to clean out, no matter how many toothpicks he used.
“Speaking of heating up,” I remarked, “I don’t sense any heat from this door.” I
reminded him that fire is hot, and where there’s smoke there is fire. Then Faulkner
and I, hearing a buzz from the other side of the door, ran for shelter. I told Faulkner
that the buzz was not from a bomb, but neither of us being in the mood to take
chances, we headed for the locker room. We did not put the television on again,
Grammarian Idol Factor having been over for more than ten minutes, but we did
plug in a CD as we waited for the police to arrive, having called them some time
before. Therefore we didn’t hear the director yell, “Cut!” In no way did we intend
to disrupt the film crew’s work or to ruin the dry ice that caused the “smoke.”
Having respected Hollywood for many years, Faulkner and I wish Mr. Scorsese
only the best with his next film.
56 57
58 59
60
61 62
63
64 65
66
67
68 69
70
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WThe suspicions arose from the knowledge that no deliveries were scheduled, so the knowing
and the act of suspecting are simultaneous, calling for the plain verbal.
XThis sentence emphasizes the order of events. Because the television was not turned off first,
Faulkner couldn’t hear. The perfect form works to show an earlier action (not turning off the
television).
YThe screaming and the creeping are simultaneous; go for the plain form.
zThe touching of the door and the waiting are simultaneous, calling for a plain (no sprinkles
added) verbal.
ZThe narrator wished to find Faulkner (everyone’s looking for him, including his bookie), and the
wishing and finding are more or less simultaneous. Plain form doesn’t set up any special order
of events.
1The plain infinitive to strangle is appropriate because the narrator wished to find and to strangle
Faulkner all at the same time. The actions are presented equally, not in time order.
2The calling and replying are presented as simultaneous acts, so go for plain, not perfect.
3The apologizing and the arriving are going on at the same time; a plain form is therefore best.
4This verb expresses summarized speech, so past tense is what you want.
5Another speech summary is expressed by this verb, so go for past tense.
6In summarizing speech, always opt for past tense.
7All these verbs fall into the category of summarized speech and thus take the past tense.
8The Iin the sentence is speaking now, so the plain form is needed.
9Fire is always hot, so present tense works here.
0This unchangeable fact (fire is never without smoke) calls for present tense.
!These two cowards took off at exactly the same time they heard a buzz — no time lag here! The
perfect form would indicate two consecutive events, but these events were simultaneous and
thus need the plain form.
@Summarized speech, indicated by told, calls for past tense.
#Being keeps the speakers in the moment. The writer is not placing the mood before another
action. Go for plain form.
$The perfect form is appropriate because the speaker is putting events in order. First, the show
ends. Second, they put on a CD.
%In hopes of saving his job, the writer emphasizes the order of events, using the perfect form to
place the calling of the police earlier on the timeline.
^The intending and the disrupting are simultaneous, so plain form is best.
&Plain form works here because the intending and the ruining occur at the same time.
*Here the writer is emphasizing a longstanding respect for the film world. The perfect form
extends the respectful feeling into the past.
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Chapter 13
Are You and Your Verbs
in the Right Mood?
In This Chapter
䊳Understanding the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods of verbs
䊳Choosing verbs for statements, commands, and condition-contrary-to-fact sentences
No, they’re not pregnant or in the midst of midlife crises; nevertheless, verbs do have
mood swings. One minute they’re indicative, the regular, plain-vanilla, just-the-facts
sort of verb. (The dishes are dirty. No one has washed them. Little colonies of mold estab-
lished themselves all over the sink a couple of days ago.) Suddenly they’re issuing orders in
imperative mood. (Wash the dishes. Stop whining. Don’t think your allowance is off limits!)
And when you least expect a change, subjunctive pops up. (If I were rich enough to hire a
maid, I wouldn’t ask for your dishwashing help. I’m not a millionaire, so I request that 7 p.m.
be the official dishwashing hour.)
Got the idea? Of the three verb moods, you’re probably the most familiar with indicative.
Every statement of fact is in indicative mood, as are nearly all the sentences in this book. The
imperative mood gives commands, usually to an understood you who doesn’t appear in the
sentence. The subjunctive, the one designed to give you a headache, shows up in condition-
contrary-to-fact and in certain command/wish sentences. In this chapter I take you through all
three, with a little extra attention on the hard one, also known as the subjunctive.
Stating the Obvious: Indicative Mood
Just about everything I say about verbs in this book actually applies to indicative verbs,
which, as the name implies, indicate facts. Indicative mood is the one you use automatically,
stating action or being in any tense and for any person. Do you want to see some samples of
indicative verbs? No problem. Every verb in this paragraph is in indicative mood. I have
placed all the verbs in italics so you can locate them easily.
Indicative verbs change according to the time period you’re talking about (the tense) and,
at times, according to the person doing the action. I cover these issues in Chapters 1 and 2.
If you’re in the mood, circle the indicative verb that works best in each of the following sen-
tences. The verb choices are in parentheses.
Q. Mr. Adams (holds/held) a performance review every June.
A. holds. Both choices are indicative, but the present tense works better. The clue is the
expression every June.
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