Question

Does the following text have an inappropriate shift in verb tense? If so,

Between 1925 and 1934 light bulbs on the Eiffel Towerspelled out the name of the French automobile company Citroën Charles Lindbergh uses the lights as a beacon when he lands in Paris after his transatlantic flight

Answer 1

The text has an inappropriate shift in verb tense, changing from the past to the present tense when describing historical events. The correct consistent tense to use for this historical context is the past tense.

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, the text provided does contain an inappropriate shift in verb tense. The first part of the sentence refers to a historical event that took place between the years 1925 and 1934, using the past tense verbs "spelled out" to describe the actions of the light bulbs on the Eiffel Tower displaying the name of Citroën.

However, when mentioning Charles Lindbergh, the sentence incorrectly shifts to the present tense with the phrase "Charles Lindbergh uses the lights as a beacon." The correction to maintain a consistent past tense would be "Charles Lindbergh used the lights as a beacon when he landed in Paris after his transatlantic flight."