Question

I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now. A. I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now. B. I haven’t been liking cleaning but I’ve finished it all now. C. I have always disliked cleaning but I’d finished it all now. D. I have always dislike cleaning but I have finished it all now. E. I have always disliked cleaning but I’d been finishing it all now.

Short answer

A. I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now.

Step-by-step solution

Analyze the Given Sentence

Look at the original sentence given in the exercise: 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now.' Note that the tenses are present perfect ('have disliked') and present perfect ('have finished').

Identify Tense Consistency

Ensure that the sentence maintains tense consistency between the clauses. The correct combination should have matching or logically consistent tenses.

Examine Each Option

Review each option for correctness: A. 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now.' (Matches original sentence, correct tense)B. 'I haven’t been liking cleaning but I’ve finished it all now.' (Incorrect; 'haven’t been liking' is not correct usage)C. 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’d finished it all now.' (Incorrect; 'I’d finished' suggests past perfect which is inconsistent here)D. 'I have always dislike cleaning but I have finished it all now.' (Incorrect; 'dislike' should be 'disliked')E. 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’d been finishing it all now.' (Incorrect; 'I’d been finishing' is not tense-consistent)

Select the Correct Answer

Identify the answer that maintains correct tense and makes logical sense: Option A: 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’ve finished it all now.'

Key concepts

Tense Consistency

Tense consistency is ensuring that verbs in a sentence are in harmony with each other. It's important for clarity and coherence. When you mix tenses incorrectly, the sentence can become confusing. For instance, if you start with a verb in the present perfect tense, you should stick to it unless there is a reason to change tense.
Option A in the exercise maintains tense consistency: it uses 'have always disliked' and 'I've finished,' both in the present perfect tense.
Contrast this with Option C, which uses 'I have always disliked' with 'I'd finished.' The past perfect 'I'd finished' is jarring because it suggests an action completed before another past action, which isn't logically consistent in this context.
Always make sure your tenses align logically to maintain a clear and easy-to-understand sentence.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense combines the present tense with the perfect aspect. This tense is useful for showing actions that happened at an indefinite time in the past or that began in the past and continue to the present.
For example: 'I have always disliked cleaning.' Here, 'have disliked' suggests that the dislike for cleaning started in the past and is still true. It also shows the relevance of the action to the present.
In the exercise, using 'I’ve finished' (short for 'I have finished') shows that the action of finishing cleaning is completed just now or is relevant now. This tense helps connect past actions to present situations.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense describes actions that were completed before another action in the past. It clarifies the sequence of past events.
For example: 'I had finished cleaning by the time they arrived.' Here, 'had finished' happened before 'arrived.'
In the exercise, Option C incorrectly uses 'I’d finished' (short for 'I had finished') which clashes with the context. 'I have always disliked cleaning but I’d finished it all now' suggests two different past times, which doesn’t fit the intended meaning.
The past perfect is useful, but only when you need to talk about a sequence of past actions.

Grammar Rules

Grammar rules act as the backbone of clear and effective communication. They guide sentence structure, verb tense usage, and much more.
For instance, using the correct tense can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. In the exercise, understanding why 'haven't been liking' or 'I’d been finishing' is incorrect means knowing specific grammar rules.
Use the present perfect tense to connect past actions to the present, and ensure consistency to avoid confusion. Deviating from these rules, as seen in Options B, D, and E, leads to errors and potentially confusing statements.
Maintaining proper grammar is key to ensuring that your writing is clear and that your audience understands your points correctly.