The following sentences form a paragraph. Proofread them for inconsistent tense and faulty parallelism. Identify the type of each error in each sentence, or select "correct" if the sentence is free of errors.
-The flash flood starts at 3 p.m. on May 31 when the South Fork Dam burst, spilling out more than 20 million tons of water and destroys six Pennsylvania towns.
A) correct
B) inconsistent tense
C) faulty parallelism

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first part of the sentence is in present tense ("starts"), while the second part of the sentence is in past tense ("burst" and "destroys"). The tense should be consistent throughout the sentence, so it should be revised to, "The flash flood started at 3 p.m. on May 31 when the South Fork Dam burst, spilling out more than 20 million tons of water and destroying six Pennsylvania towns."

The Following Sentences Form a Paragraph