Question

Are the verb tenses in the sentence consistent, or do they shift unnecessarily?

The pair of students stepped onto the stage and asked the audience for quiet.
a. The verb tenses are consistent.
b. The verb tenses shift.

Answer 1

Thank you so much taskmaster

Answer 2

a.) The verb tenses are consistent.

The first verb is stepped and the second verb is asked. Both are in the past tense form.

For the verb tenses to shift, one verb must be in one type of tense and the other verb in another type of tense.
For example: verb tense shift from past tense to present tense.

The pair of students stepped onto the stage, asking the audience for quiet.

First verb is stepped, past tense. Second verb is asking, present tense.