What does consistent verb tense mean? Consistent verb tense means that you vary your chose of verbs throughout your report. Verb tense relates to the place in time that your writing is speaking in: past, present, or future. Your writing should keep the same verb tense throughout the report. Consistent verb tense means that you use the same verbs consistently throughout your report. Verb tense relates to the intensity of the verbs that you choose to use in your report.