diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3e2fd9c..eb36bc7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@fortawesome/fontawesome-free": "^5.15.4",
     "@lingdocs/lingdocs-main": "^0.2.0",
-    "@lingdocs/pashto-inflector": "^1.6.7",
+    "@lingdocs/pashto-inflector": "^1.6.8",
     "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.11.4",
     "@testing-library/react": "^11.1.0",
     "@testing-library/user-event": "^12.1.10",
diff --git a/src/components/VerbPicker.tsx b/src/components/VerbPicker.tsx
index febf111..4fb4b9f 100644
--- a/src/components/VerbPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/components/VerbPicker.tsx
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ function VerbPicker({ onChange, subject, changeSubject, verb, verbs }: {
         }
         onChange(makeVerbSelection(v, changeSubject, verb));
     }
-    function onTenseSelect({ value }: { label: string | JSX.Element, value: VerbTense | PerfectTense }) {
-        if (verb) {
+    function onTenseSelect(o: { value: VerbTense | PerfectTense } | null) {
+        const value = o?.value ? o.value : undefined; 
+        if (verb && value) {
             if (isPerfectTense(value)) {
                 onChange({
                     ...verb,
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ function VerbPicker({ onChange, subject, changeSubject, verb, verbs }: {
             onChange(verb.changeStatDyn(c));
         }
     }
+    const tOptions = (verb?.tenseCategory === "perfect") ? perfectTenseOptions : tenseOptions;
     return <div style={{ maxWidth: "225px", minWidth: "175px" }}>
         <div>Verb:</div>
         <Select
@@ -236,18 +238,11 @@ function VerbPicker({ onChange, subject, changeSubject, verb, verbs }: {
         <div>Tense:</div>
         <Select
             isSearchable={false}
-            value={verb && verb.tense}
-            // @ts-ignore
+            // for some reason can't use tOptions with find here;
+            value={verb && ([...tenseOptions, ...perfectTenseOptions].find(o => o.value === verb.tense))}
             onChange={onTenseSelect}
             className="mb-2"
-            // @ts-ignore
-            options={verb?.tenseCategory === "perfect" ? perfectTenseOptions : tenseOptions}
-            placeholder={verb ? (() => {
-                const label = (verb.tenseCategory === "perfect")
-                    ? perfectTenseOptions.find(o => o.value === verb.tense)?.label
-                    : tenseOptions.find(o => o.value === verb.tense)?.label;
-                return label || "Select Tense...";
-            })() : undefined}
+            options={tOptions}
             {...zIndexProps}
         />
         {verb && verb.changeStatDyn && <div className="text-center">
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 24dc8af..175da32 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1684,10 +1684,10 @@
     pbf "^3.2.1"
     rambda "^6.7.0"
 
-"@lingdocs/pashto-inflector@^1.6.7":
-  version "1.6.7"
-  resolved "https://npm.lingdocs.com/@lingdocs%2fpashto-inflector/-/pashto-inflector-1.6.7.tgz#958d7cf8a27db44f960d0a76a9b8f04a9537b5a3"
-  integrity sha512-DnhSL2Uiphm+z2Y0eTVsYCtq73JG+eqf00Txo1fDx0928w7dRQuaaTquuiuk2W+HSR/HuGTTDi+yHjRTMDj13w==
+"@lingdocs/pashto-inflector@^1.6.8":
+  version "1.6.8"
+  resolved "https://npm.lingdocs.com/@lingdocs%2fpashto-inflector/-/pashto-inflector-1.6.8.tgz#adc94c84c49cc067e26fb3066fae2a13b9d25d03"
+  integrity sha512-BGzMP0URWm6fEGdUUX653oImSMEkn11S/3vxeQILrQDCUNjGpNPQlORF27OlzCs8+n9lDBMDQHVjfhBlAZFN4w==
   dependencies:
     classnames "^2.2.6"
     pbf "^3.2.1"