thesis on tenses

How to Use Tenses within Scientific Writing

Written by: Chloe Collier

One’s tense will vary depending on what one is trying to convey within their paper or section of their paper. For example, the tense may change between the methods section and the discussion section.

Abstract --> Past tense

• The abstract is usually in the past tense due to it showing what has already been studied.

Example: “This study was conducted at the Iyarina Field School, and within the indigenous Waorani community within Yasuni National Park region.”

Introduction --> Present tense

• Example: “ Clidemia heterophylla and Piperaceae musteum are both plants with ant domata, meaning that there is an ant mutualism which protects them from a higher level of herbivory.”

Methods --> Past tense

• In the methods section one would use past tense due to what they have done was in the past.
• It has been debated whether one should use active or passive voice. The scientific journal Nature states that one should use active voice as to convey the concepts more directly.
• Example: “In the geographic areas selected for the study, ten random focal plants were selected as points for the study.”

Results --> Past tense

• Example: “We observed that there was no significant statistical difference in herbivory on Piperaceae between the two locations, Yasuni National Park, Ecuador (01° 10’ 11, 13”S and 77° 10’ 01. 47 NW) and Iyarina Field School, Ecuador (01° 02’ 35.2” S and 77° 43’ 02. 45” W), with the one exception being that there was found to be a statistical significance in the number count within a one-meter radius of Piperaceae musteum (Piperaceae).”

Discussion --> Present tense and past tense

• Example: “Symbiotic ant mutualistic relationships within species will defend their host plant since the plant provides them with food. In the case of Melastomataceae, they have swellings at the base of their petioles that house the ants and aid to protect them from herbivores.”
• One would use past tense to summarize one’s results
• Example: “In the future to further this experiment, we would expand this project and expand our sample size in order to have a more solid base for our findings.”

Present and Past Tenses Used in Research Papers

• First Online: 30 June 2022

Cite this chapter

• Adrian Wallwork 3  

Part of the book series: English for Academic Research ((EAR))

1270 Accesses

Below are some guidelines on the use of the three most common tenses in research papers: present simple , present perfect , past simple . These guidelines are NOT grammatical rules. The guidelines can be broken. They vary depending on the author, the discipline, and the journal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

English for Academics, Pisa, Italy

Adrian Wallwork

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Wallwork, A. (2022). Present and Past Tenses Used in Research Papers. In: Essential English Grammar and Communication Strategies. English for Academic Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95612-7_11

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95612-7_11

Published : 30 June 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-030-95611-0

Online ISBN : 978-3-030-95612-7

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Published on 20 October 2022 by Shane Bryson . Revised on 11 September 2023.

Tense communicates an event’s location in time. The different tenses are identified by their associated verb forms. There are three main verb tenses: past ,  present , and  future .

In English, each of these tenses can take four main aspects:  simple ,  perfect ,  continuous  (also known as  progressive ), and  perfect continuous . The perfect aspect is formed using the verb  to have , while the continuous aspect is formed using the verb  to be .

In academic writing , the most commonly used tenses are the  present simple , the  past simple , and the  present perfect .

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Tenses and their functions, when to use the present simple, when to use the past simple, when to use the present perfect, when to use other tenses.

The table below gives an overview of some of the basic functions of tenses and aspects. Tenses locate an event in time, while aspects communicate durations and relationships between events that happen at different times.

It can be difficult to pick the right verb tenses and use them consistently. If you struggle with verb tenses in your thesis or dissertation , you could consider using a thesis proofreading service .

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

The present simple is the most commonly used tense in academic writing, so if in doubt, this should be your default choice of tense. There are two main situations where you always need to use the present tense.

Describing facts, generalisations, and explanations

Facts that are always true do not need to be located in a specific time, so they are stated in the present simple. You might state these types of facts when giving background information in your introduction .

• The Eiffel tower  is in Paris.
• Light  travels faster than sound.

Similarly, theories and generalisations based on facts are expressed in the present simple.

• Average income differs by race and gender.
• Older people express less concern about the environment than younger people.

Explanations of terms, theories, and ideas should also be written in the present simple.

• Photosynthesis  refers to  the process by which plants  convert sunlight into chemical energy.
• According to Piketty (2013), inequality grows over time in capitalist economies.

Describing the content of a text

Things that happen within the space of a text should be treated similarly to facts and generalisations.

This applies to fictional narratives in books, films, plays, etc. Use the present simple to describe the events or actions that are your main focus; other tenses can be used to mark different times within the text itself.

• In the first novel, Harry learns he is a wizard and travels  to Hogwarts for the first time, finally escaping the constraints of the family that raised him.

The events in the first part of the sentence are the writer’s main focus, so they are described in the present tense. The second part uses the past tense to add extra information about something that happened prior to those events within the book.

When discussing and analyzing nonfiction, similarly, use the present simple to describe what the author does within the pages of the text ( argues , explains , demonstrates , etc).

• In The History of Sexuality , Foucault asserts that sexual identity is a modern invention.
• Paglia (1993) critiques Foucault’s theory.

This rule also applies when you are describing what you do in your own text. When summarising the research in your abstract , describing your objectives, or giving an overview of the  dissertation structure in your introduction, the present simple is the best choice of tense.

• This research  aims to synthesise the two theories.
• Chapter 3 explains  the methodology and discusses ethical issues.
• The paper  concludes with recommendations for further research.

The past simple should be used to describe completed actions and events, including steps in the research process and historical background information.

Reporting research steps

Whether you are referring to your own research or someone else’s, use the past simple to report specific steps in the research process that have been completed.

• Olden (2017) recruited 17 participants for the study.
• We transcribed and coded the interviews before analyzing the results.

The past simple is also the most appropriate choice for reporting the results of your research.

• All of the focus group participants agreed  that the new version  was an improvement.
• We  found a positive correlation between the variables, but it  was not as strong as we  hypothesised .

Describing historical events

Background information about events that took place in the past should also be described in the past simple tense.

• James Joyce  pioneered the modernist use of stream of consciousness.
• Donald Trump’s election in 2016  contradicted the predictions of commentators.

The present perfect is used mainly to describe past research that took place over an unspecified time period. You can also use it to create a connection between the findings of past research and your own work.

Summarising previous work

When summarising a whole body of research or describing the history of an ongoing debate, use the present perfect.

• Many researchers  have investigated the effects of poverty on health.
• Studies  have shown a link between cancer and red meat consumption.
• Identity politics has been a topic of heated debate since the 1960s.
• The problem of free will  has vexed philosophers for centuries.

Similarly, when mentioning research that took place over an unspecified time period in the past (as opposed to a specific step or outcome of that research), use the present perfect instead of the past tense.

• Green et al.  have conducted extensive research on the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction.

Emphasising the present relevance of previous work

When describing the outcomes of past research with verbs like fi nd ,  discover or demonstrate , you can use either the past simple or the present perfect.

The present perfect is a good choice to emphasise the continuing relevance of a piece of research and its consequences for your own work. It implies that the current research will build on, follow from, or respond to what previous researchers have done.

• Smith (2015) has found that younger drivers are involved in more traffic accidents than older drivers, but more research is required to make effective policy recommendations.
• As Monbiot (2013)  has shown , ecological change is closely linked to social and political processes.

Note, however, that the facts and generalisations that emerge from past research are reported in the present simple.

While the above are the most commonly used tenses in academic writing, there are many cases where you’ll use other tenses to make distinctions between times.

Future simple

The future simple is used for making predictions or stating intentions. You can use it in a research proposal  to describe what you intend to do.

It is also sometimes used for making predictions and stating hypotheses . Take care, though, to avoid making statements about the future that imply a high level of certainty. It’s often a better choice to use other verbs like  expect ,  predict,  and  assume to make more cautious statements.

• There  will be a strong positive correlation.
• We  expect  to find a strong positive correlation.
• H1  predicts a strong positive correlation.

Similarly, when discussing the future implications of your research, rather than making statements with will,  try to use other verbs or modal verbs that imply possibility ( can ,  could ,  may ,  might ).

• These findings  will influence  future approaches to the topic.
• These findings  could influence future approaches to the topic.

Present, past, and future continuous

The continuous aspect is not commonly used in academic writing. It tends to convey an informal tone, and in most cases, the present simple or present perfect is a better choice.

• Some scholars are suggesting that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars suggest   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars have suggested   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.

However, in certain types of academic writing, such as literary and historical studies, the continuous aspect might be used in narrative descriptions or accounts of past events. It is often useful for positioning events in relation to one another.

• While Harry is traveling to Hogwarts for the first time, he meets many of the characters who will become central to the narrative.
• The country was still recovering from the recession when Donald Trump was elected.

Past perfect

Similarly, the past perfect is not commonly used, except in disciplines that require making fine distinctions between different points in the past or different points in a narrative’s plot.

Sources for this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Bryson, S. (2023, September 11). Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 21 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/english-language/verb-tenses/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Is this article helpful?

Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

Other students also liked

Subject-verb agreement | examples, rules & use, english mistakes commonly made in a dissertation | examples.

Dissertations & projects: Tenses

• Research questions
• The process of reviewing
• Project management
• Literature-based projects

On this page:

“You will use a range of tenses depending on what you are writing about . ” Elizabeth M Fisher, Richard C Thompson, and Daniel Holtom,   Enjoy Writing Your Science Thesis Or Dissertation!

Tenses can be tricky to master. Even well respected journals differ in the guidance they give their authors for their use. However, their are some general conventions about what tenses are used in different parts of the report/dissertation. This page gives some advice on standard practice.

What tenses will you use?

There are exceptions however, most notably in the literature review where you will use a mixture of past , present and present perfect tenses (don't worry, that is explained below), when discussing the implications of your findings when the present tense is appropriate and in the recommendations where you are likely to use the future tense.

The tenses used as standard practice in each of these sections of your report are given and explained below.

In your abstract

You have some leeway with tense use in your abstract and guidance does vary which can sometimes be confusing. We recommend the following:

Describing the current situation and reason for your study

Mostly use the present tense,  i.e. "This is the current state of affairs and this is why this study is needed."

Occasionally, you may find the need to use something called the present perfect tense when you are describing things that happened in the past but are still relevant. The present perfect tense uses have/has and then the past participle of the verb i.e. Previous research on this topic has focused on... 

Describing the aims of your study

Here you have a choice. It is perfectly acceptable to use either the present or past tense,  i.e. "This study aims to..." or "This study aimed to..." 

Describing your methodology

Use the past tense to describe what you did, i.e. "A qualitative approach was used." "A survey was undertaken to ...". "The blood sample was analysed by..."

Describing your findings

Use the past tense to describe what you found as it is specific to your study, i.e. "The results showed that...", "The analysis indicated that..."

Suggesting the implications of your study

Use the present tense as even though your study took place in the past, your implications remain relevant in the present, i.e. Results revealed x which indicates that..."

Example abstract 

An example abstract with reasoning for the tenses chosen can be found at the bottom of this excellent blog post: 

Using the Present Tense and Past Tense When Writing an Abstract

In your methodology

The methodology is one of the easiest sections when it comes to tenses as you are explaining to your reader what you did. This is therefore almost exclusively written in the past tense.

Blood specimens were frozen at -80 o C.

A survey was designed using the Jisc Surveys tool.

Participants were purposefully selected.

The following search strategy was used to search the literature:

Very occasionally you may use the present tense if you are justifying a decision you have taken (as the justification is still valid, not just at the time you made the decision). For example: 

Purposeful sampling was used to ensure that a range of views were included. This sampling method maximises efficiency and validity as it identifies information-rich cases and ... (Morse & Niehaus, 2009).

In your discussion/conclusion

This will primarily be written in the present tense as you are generally discussing or making conclusions about the relevance of your findings at the present time. So you may write:

The findings of this research suggest that.../are potentially important because.../could open a new avenue for further research...

There will also be times when you use the past tense , especially when referring to part of your own research or previous published research research - but this is usually followed by something in the present tense to indicate the current relevance or the future tense to indicate possible future directions:

Analysis of the survey results found most respondents were not concerned with the processes, just the outcome. This suggests that managers should focus on...

These findings mirrored those of Cheung (2020), who also found that ESL pupils failed to understand some basic yet fundamental instructions. Addressing this will help ensure...

In your introduction

The introduction generally introduces what is in the rest of your document as is therefore describing the present situation and so uses the present tense :

Chapter 3  describes  the research methodology.

Depending on your discipline, your introduction may also review the literature so please also see that section below.

In your literature review

The findings of some literature may only be applicable in the specific circumstances that the research was undertaken and so need grounding to that study. Conversely, the findings of other literature may now be accepted as established knowledge. Also, you may consider the findings of older literature to be still relevant and relatively recent literature be already superseded. The tenses you write in will help to indicate a lot of this to the reader. In other words, you will use a mix of tenses in your review depending on what you are implying.

Findings only applicable in the specific circumstances

Use the past tense . For example: 

In an early study, Sharkey et al. (1991)  found  that isoprene emissions  were doubled  in leaves on sunnier sides of oak and aspen trees. 

Using the past tense indicates that you are not implying that isoprene emissions are always doubled on the sunnier side of the trees, just that is what was found in the Sharkey et al. study.

Findings that are still relevant or now established knowledge

Mostly use the present tense , unless the study is not recent and the authors are the subject of the sentence (which you should use very sparingly in a literature review) when you may need to use a mixture of the past and present. For example:

A narrowing of what 'graduateness' represents damages students’ abilities to thrive as they move through what will almost certainly be complex career pathways (Holmes, 2001).

Holmes (2001) argued strongly that a narrowing of what 'graduateness' represents damages  students’ abilities to thrive as they move through what will almost certainly be complex career pathways

Both of these imply that you think this is still the case (although it is perhaps more strongly implied in the first example). You may also want to use some academic caution too - such as writing 'may damage' rather than the more definite 'damages'.

Presenting your results

As with your methodology, your results section should be written in the past tense . This indicates that you are accepting that the results are specific to your research. Whilst they may have current implications, that part will not be considered until your discussion/conclusions section(s).

Four main themes were identified from the interview data.

There was a significant change in oxygen levels.

Like with the methodology, you will occasionally switch to present tense to write things like "Table 3.4 shows that ..." but generally, stick to the past tense.

In your recommendations

Not everyone will need to include recommendations and some may have them as part of the conclusions chapter. Recommendations are written in a mixture of the present tense and  future tense :

It is recommended that ward layout is adapted, where possible, to provide low-sensory bays for patients with autism. These will still be useable by all patients but...

Useful links

• Verb tenses in scientific manuscripts From International Science Editing
• Which Verb Tenses Should I Use in a Research Paper? Blog from WordVice
• << Previous: Writing style
• Next: Voice >>
• Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 1:09 PM
• URL: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/dissertations
• Login to LibApps
• Library websites Privacy Policy
• University of Hull privacy policy & cookies
• Website terms and conditions
• Accessibility
• Report a problem

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

Mastering the Use of Tenses in Your Research Paper 

Many students and early career researchers find themselves grappling with various aspects of academic writing. One critical aspect is ensuring correct grammar, most importantly the appropriate use of tenses in your research paper. In this article, we explain the basics of using tenses in scientific writing and list best practices for different sections of your academic manuscript. By understanding the role of tenses in your research paper and applying them accurately, you can enhance the clarity and credibility of our research work. 

Table of Contents

• Understanding the basics: Using tenses in research papers 
• The simple past tense: Literature review, methods 
• The past perfect tense: Methods, conclusion 
• The simple present tense: Introduction, results, tables and figures  
• The present perfect tense: Introduction, literature review 
• The future tense: Discussion, conclusions 
• How Paperpal can help you ensure correct usage of verb tenses in academic writing?  

Understanding the basics: Using tenses in research papers

Tenses in scientific writing serve as valuable tools to indicate the time frame in which certain actions or ideas take place. The simple past tense and simple present tense are the most used tenses in research papers. They are supplemented by the present perfect, past perfect, and occasionally the future tense. Consistency and precision are crucial in academic writing, so let’s into the basics of tenses in your research paper and discuss the recommended tenses for each section.

Fix language and grammar, including tense errors, in minutes with Paperpal. Try it for free!    

The simple past tense: Literature review, methods

Use this tense in your research paper when talking of or describing specific actions or events that occurred in the past; they should not be linked to the present in the same sentence. The simple past tense is used predominantly in the literature review to talk about existing research on the topic, for example, “Watson and Crick published their landmark paper on the structure of DNA in 1953.” It is also typically used in the methods section to describe the methods used in previous studies; what you did and how you did it. For example, “We selected five samples at random.” This tense in scientific writing can also be used to state facts that were once believed to be true but have since been invalidated, for example, “Bats were thought to be blind.”  

The past perfect tense: Methods, conclusion

Best used to describe two related events that occurred at different times in the past, this tense is typically used in the methods section, especially when describing earlier stages of the experimental procedure. For example, “By the time the temperature and humidity reached optimal levels, the plants had already begun to revive,” or “Respondents who had been grouped into different control groups were given a placebo instead of the new formulation.” Use the past perfect tense in your research paper to describe research or experiments that may have already been completed at the time of writing the manuscript and in the conclusion to summarize the research findings.  

The simple present tense: Introduction, results, tables and figures

A researcher or academic writer can use simple present tense in the introduction when stating the objectives of the study, to interpret the results, discuss the significance of the findings or to present conclusions. Use the simple present tense in your research papers when referring to results presented in tables and figures in your writing. For example, “Fig.3 shows that…”. The present tense an also be used to talk about the research paper as a whole, for example, “Section 4.1 discusses…”. 

This tense in scientific writing is also used to state what is generally true and what is unlikely to change. For example, “The Earth revolves around the sun” or “Human babies generally start speaking when they are 2 years old.” This tense works well in the results section , which indicates what one believes to be true and relevant to the present research. For example, “Robinson maintains that soaking seeds in strong acid helps in breaking seed dormancy.”  

Avoid inconsistent verb tenses in academic writing. Check your writing with Paperpal now!

The present perfect tense: Introduction, literature review

The present perfect tense in scientific writing is used to talk about a past event that is linked to the present or to talk about trends or events that have occurred recently. One may need to use this tense in the introduction while providing a background to the study. For example, “The demand for more sophisticated 5G devices has increased significantly over the past few years.” Additionally, the present perfect tense is also used frequently in the literature review sections while referring to previous research that is fairly recent. For example, “Recent experiments on the samples collected have revealed high levels of saline.”  

The future tense: Discussion, conclusions  

Use the future tense in your research paper when describing events that are expected to occur in the future; this is not very common in academic writing. Typically, its use is limited to the discussion section toward the end, when one needs to make recommendations or indicate a future course of action based on the research results. It is usually recommended that parts of the conclusion section be written in the future tense. For example, “These research findings will open up new possibilities for the effective use of Epsom salt in agriculture.”  

Remember that the grammar and tense guidelines provided above are not hard and fast rules, which can make it more confusing, especially for those who do not have English as their first language. Ask peers to proofread your work carefully for incorrect or mixed tenses in a single sentence or paragraph or turn to trusted AI academic writing tools like Paperpal. 

How Paperpal can help you ensure correct usage of verb tenses in academic writing?   

Academic writing demands high-quality standards; it’s essential to adhere to grammar and style conventions. This ensures conformity with institutional and field-specific standards, and clarity in communicating what was studied, when it happened, and from which perspective the research is discussed. To determine the flow and coherency of your paper, using the right verb tenses is essential.  

Here’s how Paperpal, an AI academic writing assistant, can help you maintain consistency in verb tenses so that readers can easily follow the progress of your ideas and arguments: 

• Sign Up or Log In: Start by creating an account or logging into Paperpal . 
• Paste your content: Once logged in, paste your research paper’s content onto the writing document. 
• Get language and grammar suggestions: Click on the Edit icon on the right pane. Paperpal analyzes your text to identify errors, including verb form, tense usage, spellings, punctuations, word choice, and grammar. 
• Fix errors and review: You can accept the relevant suggestions, and reject the irrelevant ones, and correct all the errors in a go.  

Researchers need to familiarize themselves with the correct use of tenses in research papers, but with Paperpal, it gets easier. Paperpal is not just a grammar and language checker. It also provides rewriting, word reduction, and academic tone checks to align your writing with academic conventions. You can even build your writing skills and learn how to avoid such errors in the future with Paperpal’s detailed writing “tips” with simple explanations for editing suggestions.    

Understanding and implementing the appropriate use of tenses in different sections of your research paper is essential for effective communication of your ideas. By mastering the use of tenses in your research paper, you can ensure clarity, consistency, and accuracy and elevate the quality of your academic writing.  

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

• Differences Between Editing and Proofreading
• Raise vs. Rise: The Right Usage
• Is there a Difference Between ‘Among’ and ‘Between’?

How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively

Getting it right: inquire vs. enquire in research writing, academic translation and more: 4 ways paperpal meets real-world researcher needs , you may also like, academic editing: how to self-edit academic text with..., how to use ai to enhance your college..., how to use paperpal to generate emails &..., word choice problems: how to use the right..., 4 types of transition words for research papers , paraphrasing in academic writing: answering top author queries, sentence length: how to improve your research paper..., navigating language precision: complementary vs. complimentary, climatic vs. climactic: difference and examples.

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Video Transcripts: Grammar for Academic Writers: Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing

Grammar for academic writers: common verb tenses in academic writing.

Last update 2/6/2018

Visual: Walden logo at bottom of screen along with notepad and pencil background.

Audio: Guitar music.

Visual: The video’s title is displayed on a background image of books on a table. The screen opens to the following slide: Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing

Simple Present

• The hospital  admits  patients whether or not they have proof of insurance.

Simple Past

• Zimbardo (1998)  researched  many aspects of social psychology.

Present Perfect

• Numerous researchers in the field  have used  this method.
• I will conduct semistructured interviews.

Audio: So, in academic writing, really there are four main tenses that make up the majority of sentences. Even though there are the many tenses in the English language, the most common ones in academic writing are the four that I have on the slide here. So, the simple present, the simple past, the present perfect, and the future tense.

The simple present is often used for general truths. Things that are true, you know, maybe they were true in the past, they are true now, and they will very likely be true in the future. So, “The hospital admits patients whether or not they have proof of insurance.” So, this is something that is generally true, in the past, now, and likely in the future, so we would use the simple present tense.

The simple past is used to talk about things that happened at a specific point of time in the past and/or something that was completed in the past: “Zimbardo researched many aspects of psychology.” Also, you might know that the simple past tense should be used when discussing what authors and researchers did or said in their published works, because their works are already published because it’s something that happened in the past. So, for example, “the researcher claimed” or “the authors explained,” you’d use the simple past tense.

Present perfect tense is often used to explain an action that happened over a period of time in the past. So, like the example, “Numerous researchers in the field have used this method.”

And then finally, the future tense. In academic writing, the future tense is often used when writing about maybe a study that you will conduct, such as a capstone study at Walden. And so, like the example here, “I will conduct semi-structured interviews.” So, talking about actions that you will conduct in the future.

Visual: The screen changes to end with the words “Walden University Writing Center” and “Questions? E-mail [email protected] .”

• Previous Page: Engaging Writing: Examples of Incorporating Transitions
• Next Page: Grammar for Academic Writers: Advanced Subject–Verb Agreement
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

• Deutschland
• United Kingdom

• Journal Proofreading
• Dissertation Proofreading
• Scientific Editing
• PhD Thesis Editing

PhD Thesis Proofreading

• Master’s Proofreading
• Bachelor’s Proofreading
• Book Proofreading

Manuscript Proofreading

• Scientific Proofeading
• Report Proofreading
• Research Proofreading
• Conference Proofreading
• Grant Proofreading

Medical Proofreading

• Bioscience Proofreading
• Biomedical Proofreading
• Nursing Papers
• Psychology Proofreading
• Economics Proofreading
• Philosophy Proofreading
• Sociology Proofreading
• Chemistry Proofreading
• Material Science
• Planetary Science
• Physical Sciences
• Biosciences
• Veterinary Science
• Pharmaceutical Science
• Plant Science
• How It Works

Select Page

Using the Past Tenses of English Verbs in Theses and Dissertations

Posted by rene | Apr 20, 2021 | Help with Perfecting Grammar in Academic & Scientific Writing | 0 |

Using the Past Tenses of English Verbs in Theses and Dissertations Thesis and dissertation students who struggle with writing English prose that effectively presents their research often have difficulties when it comes to conjugating verb tenses. In this post, I therefore provide advice on forming the past tenses of English verbs and provide some examples of correct usage. Please note that the verb forms I am discussing are set in uppercase letters in these examples, but only for clarity – full capitalisation of this kind should not be used in scholarly writing.

The simple past tense is the most commonly used of the English past tenses. ‘I WAS busy,’ ‘you SANG well,’ ‘he RAN daily’ and ‘they SLEPT this afternoon’ all use the simple past, which describes action or events that occurred in the past and are completely finished. When extra emphasis is required, the simple past of the verb ‘to do’ can be used along with the simple present of the main verb for a slightly different construction, as in ‘you DID SING in the choir.’ ‘Did’ is also used as an auxiliary verb when forming a negative statement, in which case the word ‘not’ should be inserted between the auxiliary verb and the main verb, as in ‘we DID not SLEEP in the afternoon.’ A question in the simple past often uses ‘did’ as well, but before the subject instead of after it. ‘DID she SING in the choir?’ is therefore correct. The verb ‘to be’ behaves a little differently, with the word ‘not’ added after the verb to make the meaning negative – ‘you WERE ill’ thus becomes ‘you WERE not ill’ – and the verb simply changes places with the subject in a question: ‘WERE you ill?’

The past continuous tense is formed by using the simple past tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ and the present participle of the main verb. ‘She WAS DOING well,’ ‘you WERE SHOPPING when I left’ and ‘they WERE READING at the library’ are good examples. The word ‘not’ should be inserted between the auxiliary verb and the present participle for negative statements, as in ‘we WERE not READING at all.’ In a question, the auxiliary verb should appear before the subject, as it does in ‘WAS she WRITING when you arrived?’ The past continuous is used to express what was in the process of happening or being done at some particular time in the past. It can be used in combination with the simple past, in which case the past continuous expresses a long or ongoing action in the past, whereas the simple past expresses a short action that happened while the longer action was occurring. ‘You WERE SHOPPING when I left’ demonstrates this, as does ‘WERE they READING when it happened?’

Dissertation Proofreading Services

The past perfect tense uses the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ in the simple past along with the past participle of the main verb. Examples include ‘they HAD VACATED the building that afternoon,’ ‘he HAD RUN through the park before the festival’ and ‘you HAD BEEN ill.’ The word ‘not’ is inserted between the auxiliary verb and the main verb for a negative meaning, as in ‘we HAD not WRITTEN the paper that afternoon.’ Questions are formed by exchanging the positions of the subject and the auxiliary verb: ‘HAD he SUNG for an audience before?’ The past perfect tense is often used to express an action or event in the past that occurred b efore another action or event in the past, as is the case in ‘we arrived just after the ship HAD SAILED.’

The past perfect continuous tense is the most complicated of the past tenses. It uses two auxiliary verbs as well as the main verb: the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ appears in the simple past, while the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ appears as a past participle and the main verb appears as a present participle. ‘They HAD BEEN READING that morning,’ ‘he HAD BEEN SINGING in the choir for months’ and ‘we HAD BEEN SHOPPING every day’ are correct examples. ‘Not’ should be inserted after the first auxiliary verb when the meaning is negative – ‘I HAD not BEEN READING that morning’ – and the subject should exchange places with the first auxiliary verb when an interrogative statement is intended: ‘HAD you BEEN SINGING for long?’ Similar to the past perfect tense, the past perfect continuous describes a longer action in the past that occurs before another action that is also in the past, as is the case in ‘they HAD BEEN READING every day before they lost the book.’

Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services? At Proof-Reading-Service.com we offer the highest quality   journal article editing ,   phd thesis editing   and   proofreading services   via our large and extremely dedicated team of academic and scientific professionals. All of our proofreaders and editors are native speakers of English who have earned their own postgraduate degrees, and their areas of specialisation cover such a wide range of disciplines that we are able to help our international clientele with research editing to improve and perfect all kinds of academic manuscripts for successful publication. Many of the carefully trained members of our   expert editing   and proofreading team work predominantly on articles intended for publication in scholarly journals, applying painstaking   journal editing   standards to ensure that the references and formatting used in each paper are in conformity with the journal’s instructions for authors and to correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation or simple typing errors. In this way, we enable our clients to report their research in the clear and accurate ways required to impress acquisitions editors and achieve publication.

Our   scientific editing services   for the authors of a wide variety of scientific journal papers are especially popular, but we also offer   manuscript editing services   and have the experience and expertise to proofread and edit manuscripts in all scholarly disciplines, as well as beyond them. We have team members who specialise in   medical editing services , and some of our experts dedicate their time exclusively to   PhD proofreading   and   master’s proofreading , offering research students the opportunity to improve their use of formatting and language through the most exacting   PhD thesis editing   and   dissertation proofreading   practices. Whether you are preparing a conference paper for presentation, polishing a progress report to share with colleagues, or facing the daunting task of editing and perfecting any kind of scholarly document for publication, a qualified member of our professional team can provide invaluable assistance and give you greater confidence in your written work.

If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book,   Guide to Journal Publication , which is available on our   Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals   website.

Academic Proofreading Services

Journal article proofreading.

Journal article proofreading services

PhD thesis proofreading services

Scientific Proofreading

Scientific proofreading services

Medical proofreading services

Academic Proofreading

Academic proofreading services

Manuscript proofreading services

Summary Using the Past Tenses of English Verbs in Theses and Dissertations

Related Posts

Why English Verbs Should Not Be Split and Other Writing Tips

April 24, 2020

Formatting Numbers (Dates & Time) in Academic & Scientific Writing

April 22, 2020

Plurals and Punctuation of Numbers in Academic and Scientific Writing

April 26, 2020

Dashes or Rules in Academic and Scientific Writing

February 12, 2021

Recent Posts

Recent Reviews

• Responding to Peer Reviewer Comments: A Free Example Letter Score: 96%
• Example of a Quantitative Research Paper for Researchers Score: 95%
• How To Write the Findings Section of a Research Paper Score: 94%
• Free Sample Letters for Withdrawing a Manuscript from a Publisher Score: 98%
• Why Does Google Scholar Not Find My Research Paper? Score: 92%
• Advice & Discussions for Postgraduates on Writing Theses & Dissertations (81)
• Advice & Discussions on Preparing & Submitting Journal Articles for Publication (210)
• Advice on Constructing Academic References & Bibliographies (18)
• Advice on How To Deal Successfully with Journal Paper Rejection (5)
• Articles for Professional Proofreaders, Editors & Copyeditors (5)
• Communicating Successfully with Journal Editors about Your Paper (14)
• Help with Perfecting Grammar in Academic & Scientific Writing (71)
• Help with Writing and Responding to Peer Reviews of Journal Papers (9)
• Our 10 Most Popular PRS Blog Posts on Academic Writing and Publishing (3)
• Our Top 5 Blog Posts on Academic and Scientific Writing and Publishing (2)
• Using Abbreviations Effectively in Academic and Scientific Writing (8)
• Writing a Cover Letter To Submit a Research Paper for Publication (5)

English for Uni

Tenses in Academic Writing

Ms parrot: you've got talent.

View the video, then try the tenses exercises to test your knowledge! Watch the whole story, or see sections of the story below . All the videos have captions that you can view on YouTube.

View the video on Chinese channel youku .

View the individual video chapters

To view the individual chapters of the above video, you can either click the 'PLAYLIST' menu item in the above YouTube video and select the chapter from there, or, you can click one of the pictures below and view the individual video on YouTube. All the videos have captions that you can view on YouTube.

• You've Got Talent - The TV Show
• You've Got Talent - Teaching on Tenses
• Exercise 1: Present simple, past simple or present perfect
• Exercise 2: Present simple, past simple or present perfect
• Exercise 3: Explaining tense usage
• Exercise 4: Present simple or present perfect
• Exercise 5: Verbs and actions
• Exercise 6: Subject and verb agreement

You can view the video transcript here. You can also view the information on this page as a PDF or as a Word document and download the exercises as a PDF or as a Word document. And remember that you can see the video from China on youku .

Tenses in different languages Teachers' notes

Using tenses

Writers use tenses to give a particular meaning. The writer might be trying to emphasise the currency, regularity or even ownership of an idea. Some tenses are therefore used more than others in academic English.

The simple tenses are used for events which are immediate facts (or strong predictions in the future), complete or unchanging.

The perfect tenses are used to show the prior nature of an event in relation to some other point in time.

The continuous/progressive tenses are used for an event which is not complete, or is temporary or changing. (N.B. The word 'continuous' is used in British and Australian grammar books, while US grammar books use the word 'progressive' for these tenses.)

Here is a timeline to show you some tenses commonly used in academic writing:

Simple and perfect, present and past tenses are used most in academic writing. How many tenses did you spot in the video?

Present simple

- A general principle Talent shows usually allow people to demonstrate their creative abilities.

- Someone's opinion Professor Grahamarian thinks that talent shows are important.

- The results of an experiment The judges' scores show that X is the clear winner.

- A habitual action in the present People nearly always feel nervous before they perform on stage.

- A theory Bobby Dylan's theory about talent contests is that one should not judge by appearances.

- A claim Bobby Dylan claims that talent shows are the best way for people to become famous.

- A fact Talent shows are exciting.

Past simple

- What happened There were two acts. Prince Wolfgang won the competition.

- What happened in the past but is different now In the past, shows were simpler.

- Ideas that were held in the past but are no longer held People thought that talent contests were bad.

Used to is also used to compare the past to the present

People used to win smaller prizes. [This implies that the situation has changed.]

Present perfect

- Something that has changed over time Recently, talent contests have become bigger and more glamorous.

- Recent research and its present impact Recently, research has shown that such talent contests can make people nervous.

Tenses less used in academic writing

Generally, academic writing is based on research or theories that already exist, have already happened, or refer to a current event or view. This means that the various forms of the future are less likely to be used in essays, although they might be used in reports.

- ‘going to' future: They are going to research this next year.

- future simple: They will research this next year.

- future continuous:  They will be playing some music by Mozart.

- future perfect:  At the end of August they will have had over 150 rehearsals.

The continuous/progressive forms are less common in academic writing because they indicate something temporary.

- present continuous/progressive: They are researching this now.

- present perfect continuous/progressive: They have been researching this for many years.

- past perfect continuous/progressive: They had been researching this for many years before they found any significant results.

- future perfect continuous/progressive: By 2025, they will have been researching this for eleven years.

The past perfect situates one activity in the past before another activity. It is sometimes used in academic writing.

- past perfect: They had researched this for many years before they found any significant results.

The difference between the past perfect and the past perfect continuous is that the continuous form puts more emphasis on the length of the activity.

Stative verbs

Some verbs are called ‘stative verbs'. These are verbs that refer to states or preferences rather than to physical actions. They are not normally used in continuous or progressive forms. Here are some examples:

e.g. We say They agree rather than They are agreeing.

(Visit the Perfect English Grammar website for a comprehensive list of stative verbs and explanations about how to use them.)

Consistency of verb tenses

Jumping from tense to tense can make reading difficult and confusing. Within a sentence there needs to be a logical sequence to the ideas or events. From sentence to sentence within a paragraph there also needs to be a logical relationship.

Incorrect: The study ended suddenly because many of the participants have moved away.

This is confusing because the writer starts by looking back at the past ( ended ) but then changes their perspective to the present perfect ( have moved ).

Correct: The study ended suddenly because many of the participants had moved away.

This is better, because all the action is situated in the past.

Future tenses

It is sometimes hard to choose which future tense to use in English, as the differences in meaning can be very small. For example, the future continuous is more informal than the future simple. Here are some examples:

They will leave tomorrow. (prediction)

They leave tomorrow. (formal)

They are leaving tomorrow. (planned event; arrangements already made)

They are going to leave tomorrow. (planned event; focuses on intention)

They will be leaving tomorrow. (less definite; informal)

They will have left before you arrive tomorrow. (situates the event before another event)

Verb tenses when citing sources

When you are reporting on research in the past, then a past tense is mostly used. e.g. According to the findings by Henderson (2008), all the interviewees reported negative side effects from the drug. However, in a literature review or a paragraph that is trying to stress that certain ideas are still relevant, the present perfect tense may be used.

e.g. Even though linguists have argued that language learning is an incremental process, young children have shown that risk taking and game playing speed up the process (Chen 2009; Brown 2003).

In addition, if research results are still meaningful then the present simple is used. e.g. The data collected from Green's (2004) research suggest that exposure to stress reduces language fluency. (N.B. data can be either singular or plural.)

Subject/verb agreement

Present simple. All the verb endings are the same in regular verbs, except in the third person singular ( he/she/it ). Verbs after he/she/it add - s or -es .

Most verbs in the present simple add - s in the third person .

-es is added to verbs ending in - o , -ch , -sh , - ss , - tch , - x and -z .

Verbs ending in a consonant + y (e.g. deny , rely ) change the y to an i and add -es .

When there are several nouns, check which is the subject of the verb to see how it agrees. The subject may not be the word closest to the verb.

e.g. The use of these procedures is recommended by the university. (In this example, it is the word use which is the subject.

e.g. Recent discoveries in the area have led to an improvement in treatment.

Noun + noun = plural verb

e.g. A girl and a dog were sitting on the library steps.

Difficult cases - The number of + singular verb. The number of cases is declining.

- A number of + plural verb. A number of people are waiting for their results.

There is/There are Turn the sentence round to see if you need there is or there are .

e.g. There is an excellent article in this journal = An excellent article is in this journal.

e.g. There are some excellent articles in this journal = Some excellent article s are in this journal.

Aspect - for advanced grammar lovers

The word ‘tense' is often used to cover the two terms ‘tense' and ‘aspect'. ‘Tense' refers to the time when something happens (present, past or future). ‘Aspect' refers to how we experience the action (as something which is complete, ongoing or before another action). In English we usually refer to three aspects: simple, perfect and progressive/continuous.

The following chart is the same as the chart at the top of this page, but includes aspect as a separate category.

The simple aspect is used for facts or strong predictions.

I work in the maths department.

I cycle to the university every day.

I have an exam next week.

I submitted my assignment last week.

I will study engineering next year.

The perfect aspect is used to indicate that something happened before another point in time and is still relevant at that point in time.

I have submitteed my report.

She had left before we arrived.

He will have graduated before we even enrol.

The progressive aspect is used for an event which is not complete, or is temporary or changing.

He is busy entering the data. (= at the moment)

They are getting harder to approach.

She was working on her literature review all night.

He will be leaving at 10 am tomorrow.

A lot of the information on this page is based on Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book (2nd ed). US: Heinle & Heinle.

The Plagiarism Checker Online For Your Academic Work

Start Plagiarism Check

Editing & Proofreading for Your Research Paper

Get it proofread now

Online Printing & Binding with Free Express Delivery

Configure binding now

• Academic essay overview
• The writing process
• Structuring academic essays
• Types of academic essays
• Academic writing overview
• Sentence structure
• Academic writing process
• Improving your academic writing
• Titles and headings
• APA style overview
• APA citation & referencing
• APA structure & sections
• Citation & referencing
• Structure and sections
• APA examples overview
• Commonly used citations
• Other examples
• British English vs. American English
• Chicago style overview
• Chicago citation & referencing
• Chicago structure & sections
• Chicago style examples
• Citing sources overview
• Citation format
• Citation examples
• College essay overview
• Application
• How to write a college essay
• Types of college essays
• Commonly confused words
• Definitions
• Dissertation overview
• Dissertation structure & sections
• Dissertation writing process
• Graduate school overview
• Application & admission
• Study abroad
• Master degree
• Harvard referencing overview
• Language rules overview
• Grammatical rules & structures
• Parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Methodology overview
• Analyzing data
• Experiments
• Observations
• Inductive vs. Deductive
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative
• Types of validity
• Types of reliability
• Sampling methods
• Theories & Concepts
• Types of research studies
• Types of variables
• MLA style overview
• MLA examples
• MLA citation & referencing
• MLA structure & sections
• Plagiarism overview
• Plagiarism checker
• Types of plagiarism
• Printing production overview
• Research bias overview
• Types of research bias
• Example sections
• Types of research papers
• Research process overview
• Problem statement
• Research proposal
• Research topic
• Statistics overview
• Levels of measurment
• Frequency distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Measures of variability
• Hypothesis testing
• Parameters & test statistics
• Types of distributions
• Correlation
• Effect size
• Hypothesis testing assumptions
• Types of ANOVAs
• Types of chi-square
• Statistical data
• Statistical models
• Spelling mistakes
• Tips overview
• Academic writing tips
• Dissertation tips
• Sources tips
• Working with sources overview
• Evaluating sources
• Finding sources
• Including sources
• Types of sources

Your Step to Success

Plagiarism Check within 10min

Printing & Binding with 3D Live Preview

Tenses – A Guide to Using Tenses in Academic Writing

How do you like this article cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Adherence to the correct tenses is essential in academic writing , directly impacting its conciseness, clarity, and readability. At times, deciding on the appropriate tense could be somewhat perplexing, entailing a careful application of language rules . Yet, the situation is not as complex as it may initially seem. As indicated by Cambridge University Press, the majority of students will only need a handful of tenses to express their ideas effectively, once they grasp the associated language rules.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Tenses – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Tenses
• 3 Most commonly used tenses in academic writing
• 4 Tenses used in different sections of a paper

Tenses – In a Nutshell

Certain verb tenses are suitable for specific situations. Here are some main takeaway points:

• Three verb tenses will suit the majority of your academic writing needs.
• Each tense can be used when addressing specific scenarios .
• Using the correct tense can help to convey insight and clarity .
• Do not hesitate to refer back to this article for future reference.

Definition: Tenses

Verbs alert the reader that a specific action is occurring or has occurred. However, these very same vehicles illustrate slightly more when found within an academic paper.

Tenses are often employed to display how the author feels about the subject being reported. They may also be leveraged to demonstrate the chronology of specific events.

Most commonly used tenses in academic writing

Three tenses are commonly used in academic writing: the present simple, the past simple, and the present perfect. The following paragraphs introduce the functions as well as give examples.

The present simple

Often considered to be the most common tense, the present simple serves several functions:

• To emphasize the primary focus of the article.
• To reinforce what is presently known about a topic.
• To make general observations and statements.
• To reference previous papers as well as current tables and figures.
• This study highlights the effects of climate change.
• Research indicates that a gender pay gap exists.
• Scholars agree that professional careers are regarded as the best way to earn more money.
• This chart presents the results from prior control groups.

The past simple

Let us now examine when the past simple can be used as well as some examples:

• Reporting findings from a previous study where the author is named.
• Discuss what methods and/or data were utilized.
• Highlighting the results of ongoing research.
• Emphasizing that an event occurred in the past.
• Smith et al. found that the initial results were spurious.
• Quantitative analyses were employed.
• Our team implemented a double-blind study.
• The subjects had to report back weekly.

The present perfect

Let’s finally discuss the present perfect tense, as well as when it is most often used.

• When introducing new subject matter.
• Generally summarizing what has already taken place.
• Citing prior findings without mentioning other authors.
• Making connections between the past and the present.
• An impressive body of research has shown.
• Prior findings have been illustrated.
• Others have discovered.
• Previous research has indicated a relationship.

Tenses used in different sections of a paper

A scientific paper is made up of different sections, like the abstract or methodology . Each of these requires a certain tense. The following segments will state and explain which tense is used in which component.

Tenses in the abstract

Most experts agree that the present simple tense is best utilized within the abstract. This is a clear way to state facts and highlight the subsequent results. ㅤ

Tenses in the introduction

Introductions are normally used to present background details as well as information that is already assumed to be valid. Therefore, both the present perfect and the present simple tense can be used.

• Depression correlates with weight gain.
• Research indicates that a relationship exists.
• Present perfect : Research has shown that mutations protect plants against certain illnesses.
• Present simple : Our study shows that confirmation bias exists.

Tenses in the theoretical framework

Theoretical frameworks are intended to reinforce an existing theory, as well as why the issue in question exists. Therefore, the majority of the information should be addressed with the present simple or the present perfect.

• Present perfect : Prior research has uncovered …
• Present simple : The table below presents details…

Tenses in the methodology and results section

The methodology of the study and the results will always occur before a conclusion is reached. Therefore, it is best to employ the past simple tense.

• Our team established specific parameters…
• The subsequent studies correlated with…
• The results seemed to reinforce…

Tenses in the conclusion

In many cases, a combination of past and present tense verbs can be used when presenting a conclusion (depending upon what is being discussed).

Tenses in the literature review

As literature reviews discuss and interpret previous findings, the past simple tense is often the best choice. ㅤ

• Past simple : Our research indicated …
• Present perfect : These results have shown that…
• Present simple : Ultimately, evidence indicates that…
• In his groundbreaking study, Smith et al. found that…
• Longitudinal analyses confirmed that…
• Exploratory research coincided with our ultimate findings.

What tenses are frequently seen within academic papers?

Three verb tenses represent the lion’s share of those utilized within an academic paper. The most common tenses are:

• Present simple
• Past simple
• Past perfect

Why might only three tenses be necessary?

One of the main reasons behind this approach involves clarity . Superfluous text can be confusing to the reader, and it may even detract from the subject material being presented. Simplifying verb conjugations will also free up space for additional information.

Could other verb conjugations be used?

There are certain times when other tenses can be used.

One example may occur if the writer wishes to convey the importance of a prediction or possible event. In this case, the future simple tense (the results will show…) may be employed.

Are there any online tools that can assist?

Three popular options include:

• ProWritingAid
• GrammarCheck.me

Note that each of these provides free demonstration versions.

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.

• External Media

Individual Privacy Preferences

Cookie Details Privacy Policy Imprint

Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.

Accept all Save

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.

Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information

Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.

Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent.

Privacy Policy Imprint

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Introduction to Verb Tenses

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Only two tenses are conveyed through the verb alone: present (“sing") and past (“sang"). Most English tenses, as many as thirty of them, are marked by other words called auxiliaries. Understanding the six basic tenses allows writers to re-create much of the reality of time in their writing.

Simple Present: They walk.

Present Perfect: They have walk ed .

Simple Past: They walk ed .

Past Perfect: They had walk ed .

Future: They will walk.

Future Perfect: They will have walk ed .

Usually, the perfect tenses are the hardest to remember. Here’s a useful tip: all of the perfect tenses are formed by adding an auxiliary or auxiliaries to the past participle, the third principal part.

1 st principal part (simple present): ring, walk

2 nd principal part (simple past): rang, walked

3 rd principal part (past participle): rung, walked

In the above examples, will or will have are the auxiliaries. The following are the most common auxiliaries: be, being, been, can, do, may, must, might, could, should, ought, shall, will, would, has, have, had.

Present Perfect

The present perfect consists of a past participle (the third principal part) with "has" or "have." It designates action which began in the past but which continues into the present or the effect of which still continues.

1. Simple Past : “Betty taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught in the past; she is no longer teaching.

2. Present Perfect : “Betty has taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught for ten years, and she still teaches today.

1. Simple Past : “John did his homework so he can go to the movies.” In this example, John has already completed his homework.

2. Present Perfect : “If John has done his homework, he can go to the movies.” In this case, John has not yet completed his homework, but he will most likely do so soon.

Present Perfect Infinitives

Infinitives also have perfect tense forms. These occur when the infinitive is combined with the word “have.” Sometimes, problems arise when infinitives are used with verbs of the future, such as “hope,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” or “want.”

I wanted to go to the movies.

Janet meant to see the doctor.

In both of these cases, the action happened in the past. Thus, these would both be simple past verb forms.

Present perfect infinitives, such as the examples below, set up a sequence of events. Usually the action that is represented by the present perfect tense was completed before the action of the main verb.

1. I am happy to have participated in this campaign! The current state of happiness is in the present: “I am happy.” Yet, this happiness comes from having participated in this campaign that most likely happened in the near past. Therefore, the person is saying that he or she is currently happy due to an event that happened in the near past.

2. John had hoped to have won the trophy. The past perfect verbal phrase, “had hoped,” indicates that John hoped in the past, and no longer does. “To have won the trophy” indicates a moment in the near past when the trophy was still able to be won. Thus, John, at the time of possibly winning the trophy, had hoped to do so, but never did.

Thus the action of the main verb points back in time; the action of the perfect infinitive has been completed.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense designates action in the past just as simple past does, but the past perfect’s action has been completed before another action.

1. Simple Past : “John raised vegetables.” Here, John raised vegetables at an indeterminate time in the past.

2. Past Perfect : “John sold the vegetables that he had raised .” In this sentence, John raised the vegetables before he sold them.

1. Simple Past : “Renee washed the car when George arrived.” In this sentence, Renee waited to wash the car until after George arrived.

2. Past Perfect : “Renee had washed the car when George arrived.” Here, Renee had already finished washing the car by the time George arrived.

In sentences expressing condition and result, the past perfect tense is used in the part that states the condition.

1. If I had done my exercises, I would have passed the test.

2. I think Sven would have been elected if he hadn't sounded so pompous.

Further, in both cases, the word if starts the conditional part of the sentence. Usually, results are marked by an implied then . For example:

If I had done my exercises, then I would have passed the test.

If Sven hadn’t sounded so pompous, then he would have been elected.

Again, the word then is not required, but it is implied.

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense is used for an action that will be completed at a specific time in the future.

1. Simple Future : “On Saturday, I will finish my housework.” In this sentence, the person will finish his or her housework sometime on Saturday.

2. Future Perfect : “By noon on Saturday, I will have finished my housework.” By noon on Saturday, this person will have the housework already done even though right now it is in the future.

1. Simple Future : “You will work fifty hours.” In this example, you will work fifty hours in the future. The implication here is that you will not work more than fifty hours.

2. Future Perfect : “You will have worked fifty hours by the end of this pay period.” By the end of this pay period, you would have already worked fifty hours. However, as of right now, this situation is in the future. The implication here is that you could work more hours.

1. Judy saved thirty dollars. (past—the saving is completed)

2. Judy will save thirty dollars. (future—the saving has not happened yet)

3. Judy has saved thirty dollars. (present perfect—the saving has happened recently)

4. Judy had saved thirty dollars by the end of last month. (past perfect—the saving occurred in the recent past)

5. Judy will have saved thirty dollars by the end of this month. (future perfect—the saving will occur in the near future, by the end of this month)