Understanding Verb Tenses in Academic Writing

Tenses

Tenses are a fundamental aspect of language that help convey the relationship between events and the present moment. In English, tenses primarily serve three purposes: they express the time when actions or states occurred or exist, and they relate these actions or states to a context, including the speaker's perspective and the sequence of events. This article provides essential information about the use of verb tenses in academic writing, focusing on three primary tenses: present, past, and perfect.

Present Tense

The present tense is used to discuss general facts, ongoing processes, and present meanings. It describes actions or states that occur regularly or habitually, as well as current implications and future applications. When writing in the present tense, you are indicating that the subject performs the action continuously or that the event is generally valid. An example of the present tense in a research paper would be stating a known condition like "diabetes accounts for a higher number of deaths in the US than previously calculated."

Past Tense

The past tense is employed to talk about concluded events or actions that happened at a specific, identifiable point in time. It is particularly useful for conveying historical information, retelling stories, and reporting outcomes of previous investigations. For instance, "Scientists in Wales discovered a new enzyme in the liver" illustrates the use of the past tense.

Perfect Tense

The perfect tense refers to actions or events that have been completed up until the present moment but may not necessarily be ongoing. It helps establish background information and highlights the relevance of these past events to the current context. An example of the perfect tense would be "Many studies have focused on glucagon as an important regulating hormone." In this case, the perfect tense provides a brief history of research efforts related to the topic.

Choosing Appropriate Verb Tenses for Research Paper Sections

Abstract

In the abstract section, use the simple past tense to concisely summarize the study's findings and methods. For instance, "Zimbardo (1998) researched many aspects of social psychology" indicates that a study was conducted by Zimbardo in 1998.

Introduction

To introduce your study and provide necessary background information, you can use either the present perfect or the present tense. Examples include "Recent studies of glucagon and insulin production have led to breakthroughs in medicine" (present perfect) and "Diabetes accounts for a higher number of deaths in the US than previously calculated" (present).

Results

When presenting the outcomes of your research, employ the past tense to describe the specific tasks performed and the data analyzed. For example, "Protocol X was used to analyze the data."

Conclusions

For conclusions, use the present tense to discuss implications of your findings and present recommendations based on your research. This could be stated as "Efforts should be made to understand more about this process," emphasizing the importance of future investigations.

To ensure consistent verb tense usage throughout your paper, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the specific guidelines provided by various formatting styles. Additionally, seek professional editing services to correct any errors and improve the overall quality of your writing.