past tense essay

Verb Tenses

What this handout is about.

The present simple, past simple, and present perfect verb tenses account for approximately 80% of verb tense use in academic writing. This handout will help you understand how to use these three verb tenses in your own academic writing.

Click here for a color-coded illustration of changing verb tenses in academic writing.

Present simple tense

The present simple tense is used:

In your introduction, the present simple tense describes what we already know about the topic. In the conclusion, it says what we now know about the topic and what further research is still needed.

“The data suggest…” “The research shows…”

“The dinoflagellate’s TFVCs require an unidentified substance in fresh fish excreta” (Penrose and Katz, 330).

“There is evidence that…”

“So I’m walking through the park yesterday, and I hear all of this loud music and yelling. Turns out, there’s a free concert!” “Shakespeare captures human nature so accurately.”

Past simple tense

Past simple tense is used for two main functions in most academic fields.

“…customers obviously want to be treated at least as well on fishing vessels as they are by other recreation businesses. [General claim using simple present] De Young (1987) found the quality of service to be more important than catching fish in attracting repeat customers. [Specific claim from a previous study using simple past] (Marine Science)

We conducted a secondary data analysis… (Public Health) Descriptional statistical tests and t-student test were used for statistical analysis. (Medicine) The control group of students took the course previously… (Education)

Present perfect tense

The present perfect acts as a “bridge” tense by connecting some past event or state to the present moment. It implies that whatever is being referred to in the past is still true and relevant today.

“There have been several investigations into…” “Educators have always been interested in student learning.”

Some studies have shown that girls have significantly higher fears than boys after trauma (Pfefferbaum et al., 1999; Pine &; Cohen, 2002; Shaw, 2003). Other studies have found no gender differences (Rahav and Ronen, 1994). (Psychology)

Special notes

Can i change tenses.

Yes. English is a language that uses many verb tenses at the same time. The key is choosing the verb tense that is appropriate for what you’re trying to convey.

What’s the difference between present simple and past simple for reporting research results?

• Past simple limits your claims to the results of your own study. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers were moody.” (In this study, teenagers were moody.)
• Present simple elevates your claim to a generalization. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers are moody.” (Teenagers are always moody.)

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Biber, Douglas. 1999. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English . New York: Longman.

Hawes, Thomas, and Sarah Thomas. 1997. “Tense Choices in Citations.” Research into the Teaching of English 31 (3): 393-414.

Hinkel, Eli. 2004. Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Penrose, Ann, and Steven Katz. 2004. Writing in the Sciences: Exploring the Conventions of Scientific Discourse , 2nd ed. New York: Longman.

Swales, John, and Christine B. Feak. 2004. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills , 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• 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 .

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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 .

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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 6 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.

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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.

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Introduction to Verb Tenses

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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)

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• Writing Tips

Tense Use in Essays: Past vs. Present

2-minute read

• 16th April 2016

It’s mostly time travellers who worry about the more convoluted aspects of grammatical tense , but the issue of tense use in academic writing is, nonetheless, controversial.

To be specific, there is much disagreement about tense use in essays : specifically, is past or present tense best? Today, we look into this tricky problem.

Present Tense

The present tense is used when discussing current events or states. It will often be the dominant tense used in academic writing due to the number of situations to which it applies:

• Stating general principles or theories (e.g. ‘The third law of thermodynamics states …’)
• Describing a fact (e.g. ‘Catalysts increase the rate of a reaction…’)
• Expressing an opinion or making a claim (e.g. ‘I believe further research is required…’)
• Analysing the results of an experiment (e.g. ‘The results show that…’)

In all these cases, the present tense shows that something applies at the current time or emphasises its relevance to the present.

The present tense can also do this in a literature review, since it frames research in terms of its current significance. This shows that you’re engaged with ongoing debate in your field of study, not simply describing out-of-date research.

The past tense is used when describing events that have already happened. In academic writing, this could be writing up a completed experiment.

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For example, the past tense can be used in methodology and results sections. Likewise, the past tense is useful when writing a case study, since this is almost always about something that has already occurred.

While you can use the past tense in a literature review, saying that someone ‘believed’ something may imply that they changed their mind. As such, the past tense can be used for discussing ‘dead’ ideas (i.e. things that no-one holds true any more) or something that someone has since disavowed.

Future Tense

The future tense is useful for discussing things that are yet to happen, such as when we commit to doing something (e.g. ‘I will continue to research this issue’).

Generally, you won’t need to do this too often in academic writing. However, the future tense can be useful in the following situations:

• Making predictions about the future
• Offering recommendations based on your results
• Suggesting new avenues of research

In all these cases, the future tense will help you express yourself more clearly.

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What Is The Past Tense?

• I jumped in the lake.
• I was happy.

Table of Contents

Video Lesson

The four past tenses explained, simple past tense, examples of the simple past tense, past progressive tense, examples of the past progressive tense, past perfect tense, examples of the past perfect tense, past perfect progressive tense, examples of the past perfect progressive tense, interactive verb conjugation tables.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

More about the Four Past Tenses

• I played when I was younger.
• I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. (Italian sculptor Michelangelo)
• Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing. (Actor and comedian Robert Benchley)
• Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do . (French writer Voltaire)
• I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one. So I got a cake. (Comedian Mitch Hedberg)
• I have never played a hero before so I jumped at the chance. (Actor Adrian Edmondson)
• My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.

• I was playing for an hour.
• I was falling asleep when the phone rang.
• We were preparing a picnic, and then it started to rain.
• I feel like I sort of missed the eighties. At the time, we didn't know we were having fun, which is probably the way it always is. (Novelist Tama Janowitz)
• She was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers, and a bartender. (Comedian Rodney Dangerfield)
• I told my therapist I was having nightmares about nuclear explosions. He said don't worry it's not the end of the world. (Comedian Jay London)
• I have an idea that the phrase 'weaker sex' was coined by some woman to disarm the man she was preparing to overwhelm. (Poet Ogden Nash)
• I was having trouble making ends meet, and my beginnings weren't meeting either. (Author Allan Sherman)

• I had played already.
• I had crossed the line. I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. (Political activist Harriet Tubman)
• I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different. (Poet T S Eliot)
• There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today. (Journalist Mignon McLaughlin)
• I phoned my dad to tell him I had stopped smoking. He called me a quitter.
• When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.
• If we had had more time for discussion we should probably have made a great many more mistakes. (Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky)
• What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I' d realized it sooner. (Author Sidonie Gabrielle Colette)
• I had always seen myself as a star; I wanted to be a galaxy. (Dancer Twyla Tharp)

• I had been playing since I was ten.
• I had been weeding my garden for weeks, but I just surrendered to the weeds in the end.
• The jury had been considering its verdict for several hours when the judge effectively ordered them to find Jones guilty.
• I was coming home from kindergarten. Well, they told me it was kindergarten. I found out later I had been working in a factory for ten years. (Comedian Ellen DeGeneres)
• I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it. (Author Thomas Perry)
• I thought that I was learning how to live, but I had been learning how to die. (Polymath Leonardo da Vinci)
• Even though I had been boxing for three years, I had no idea that I could beat somebody in the ring.
• Many people had been asking me to write an autobiography. I thought I'd better tell my story before other people told it for me. (Comedian Michael Palin)
• It was funny to read a script that was so similar to what had been going on in my life. (Actress Piper Perabo)
• I' d been shouting and shouting and no one wanted to hear me. (Singer Brenda Fassie)

Top 10 Regular Verbs

Top 10 Irregular Verbs

All 4 Past Tenses

All 4 Present Tenses

All 4 Future Tenses

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Past, Present, and Future Tense in Essays: How to Switch

Past, Present, and the Future Tenses in Your Essay

Choosing the correct grammatical tense for your essay can be a challenge. You have to decide whether to use past, present, or future tense. A wrong choice impacts your essay negatively. It will lack clarity and flow. This is not a situation that you ought to find yourself in.

Most students struggle with choosing the right tense. For some, it is due to the lack of guidance on using grammatical tenses. Others are careless with their writing. The result is a poorly written essay that a reader cannot understand. However, it is a problem that you can deal with once and for all.

Reading the instructions will enlighten you on which tense to use in writing your essay. Your tutor can also guide you on how to use grammatical tenses. You get the guidelines of when to use a particular tense. The help prevents you from choosing the wrong tense.

The type of your essay also reveals which tenses you ought to use. All essays are not the same. They have some distinct rules that create a significant difference. You must be aware of those rules and follow them to the latter. For instance, using the right tense is something you must take seriously. 

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Should an Essay be in Present, Past, or Future Tense?

Many students might find it challenging to choose the right tense. Some are yet to learn by heart the rules governing the use of tenses. They end up making the wrong choice.

Ultimately, the impact of their essay score is negative. Fortunately, it is a problem you can work on. 

Every essay needs to be clear and engaging, where the reader needs an easier time reading it. But, that is not the case with all students. Some find themselves using the wrong tenses.

Instead of using the present tense, they write essays in the past tense. But perhaps they do not know when to use a present, past, or future tense.

You can use present, past, and future tense in your essay. But there is a catch. Before you write your essay, you must know which tense fits it. You can either get guidance from your tutor or do your research. Above all, ensure the tense you use is consistent and clear.

Most essay writers use the present tense. It is simple and direct to the point. You can write short sentences that are easier to read and understand. The reader will use little time to read your essay. It will not be tiring to read it since the message is clear.

The present tense is common in academic writing. It allows you to write about current states of events more candidly. By using the present tense, you can easily describe theories. It will be easier to explain an event that is happening now. Generally, the present tense is ideal for writing essays.

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Instances to Use Present Tense in an Essay

You do not have to write every essay in the present tense. There are instances under which it becomes a must. At that juncture, you have to play ball.

You must shun the past and future tenses to make your essay consistent. Deviating from the present tense might distort your sentence structure thereby complicating your essay.

The present tense is ideal for creating a sense of immediacy. The reader gets to experience every action as it unfolds. It is easier to grasp the information the writer is passing across. The clarity in the essay engages the reader .

This is one of the reasons why writing in the present tense is common.

Writing an essay in the present tense is much easier. You can write your essay within the shortest time possible, and meeting deadlines will not be an issue. Your essay will be simple and clear to the point, without any sophistication.

Use present tense in an essay where you refer to existing facts. The present tense shows that the fact is indeed true. It becomes easier for the reader to believe in what you are writing. Also, it describes the findings of a study in the present tense. That is also the case when expressing people’s claims and opinions .

Instances to Use Past Tense in an Essay

You must be careful with the tense you use in your essay. Each tense does come with its demands. For instance, past tense is ideal for emphasizing that people do not accept a particular idea. Use past tense to describe that idea for easier understanding.

If your essay describes historical events, you have to use past tense. It makes the description clearer to the reader. This is a clear indication that they can get a picture of the turn of events. This is very crucial for the flow of your essay.

Reading it becomes engaging and enjoyable without any sense of struggling to understand ideas.

People Also Read: Thesis Defense Steps: Full Guide How to Prepare and Present

Instances to Use Future Tense in an Essay

Not often do students use the future tense in essays. They either use present and past tenses, the former being the most common.

But some instances permit the use of future tense. It does play a significant role.

Use future tense to describe your essay’s research predictions, methods, and aims. It becomes easier to demystify what the researcher is up to.

Besides, if you recommend research sources or state the application of study findings, then use future tense. You can easily describe something that is yet to happen or likely to occur in the future.

Can You Combine All Tenses in Essay Writing?

You can also use all tenses in your essay. However, you need to take this step with a lot of caution. Remember, the reader needs to get your message. You have to do that with some pomp to make your essay an enticing read .

Combining all tenses will certainly do that job for you.

Describe the cause and impact of interlocking events in an essay by combining all tenses. Your target audience can now get the hang of the events from a much broader perceptive. However, you have to respect time settings.

It is crucial to avoid any confusion that might distort your message. Ensure you get rid of any sophistication bound to disturb the flow of thoughts in your write-up.

Combining all tenses can be a win or a loss for you. It depends on the context of your essay. Besides, you need to mind your reader.

Your essay should be on a standard that is easier to comprehend. Thus, proceed with caution. 

Make your point in a manner that captures the reader’s attention. Using all tenses can help you achieve that feat. However, the tenses should not appear haphazardly. If you are not careful, you might make it hard for your reader to understand your insinuating description.

People Also Read: Can Literature Reviews Be Published: Can I Publish on my Own

Choosing the right tense for your essay is fundamental. It ensures that you can engage your reader in a comprehensive context easily. It starts by knowing when to use present, past, and future tense or combine them.

If your essay is about current events, it must be in the present tense. The reader gets to know what is happening at the very moment.

Use past tense to write an essay on past events. Describing those events will be much easier. You will do it with clarity hence not causing any confusion. On the other side, the future tense suits the description of events yet to occur.

You can also use the future tense to predict events that are about to happen. And if you want to polish your essay, care to combine all tenses, but do it with caution.

Watch this video to learn more about this.

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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A Complete Guide to the Past Tenses

Posted by David S. Wills | Sep 29, 2017 | Grammar | 0

Introduction

In this previous article , we briefly looked at what verb tenses are and then explored the present tenses of the English language. In this chapter, we will look into the past tenses.

As with the present, there are four aspects to the past tense in English, and each can be divided into positive, negative, and question forms. They look like this:

Let’s look at each tense in turn.

Past Simple

This is a really common and basic part of the English language, and knowledge of it is essential to IELTS success . Generally speaking, we form the past simple by adding “-ed” to a verb. However, in English there are hundreds of irregular verbs . So, whereas you might say “I walked” or “She watched,” there are also cases like “We ate” or “They wrote” for which you simply need to remember the correct past form. Here is an example using an irregular verb:

When to Use Past Simple

• I graduated in 2007.
• She left home two years ago.
• We called her every day.
• He spoke with his grandmother often.

Past Continuous

Like the present continuous, the past continuous is formed using “to be” with “verb+ing”. However, as this is a past tense, “to be” is changed into the past (“was” or “were”) while the present participle (“verb+ing”) remains.

When to Use Past Continuous

There are three uses that all suggest an act that was ongoing for a period of time.

• We were walking our dogs last night.
• I was brushing my teeth at ten o’clock.
• I was washing the dishes when I cut my hand.
• She was driving to work when the accident happened.
• They were listening to music when the doorbell rang.
• It was sleeping when the fireworks started.

Past Perfect

While the present perfect uses “has” or “have,” the past perfect simply uses “had” before the past participle of the main verb.

When to Use Past Perfect

The past perfect is used to refer to an event or action that took place prior to the time period considered. Therefore, in the examples above, the conversation would revolve around an event that took place in the past, but the eating took place before that. For example:

A: Do you remember last year when we first arrived at the hotel? B: Yes, I remember. Oddly enough, I recall being very hungry! A: Well, you had not eaten for hours.

In this case, we use the past perfect to show that the eating took place (or in this case, didn’t take place) before the arrival at the hotel.

Here are some more related uses:

• We had lived in that house for six years.
• By then, they had studied for a long time.
• I wasn’t afraid because I had expected the worst.
• He felt confident because he had already prepared.

You can learn about the difference between the past perfect and present perfect tenses here .

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous is essentially the same as the present perfect continuous except that the point of reference is in the past.

When to Use Past Perfect Continuous

This tense describes an action that occurred further back in time than the other events, but that overlaps them.

• They had been studying for several hours when the phone rang.
• She had been working in a hospital before the war began.

Past Tenses for IELTS Writing Task 1

Not only is the past simple incredibly common in everyday speech, but it is also very useful for the writing exam. In particular, in task 1 you will mostly be using the past simple to describe details in a line graph or table because they will likely feature dates that are from the past. Here are some examples:

• Prices rose in the first quarter.
• The interest rate went up between 1999 and 2001.
• French people consumed more wine than Italian people during the period.
• In 1860, the population stood at four million.

You may also use the past perfect in order to explain relationships between points in time with greater clarity. As we discussed previously in the past perfect section, this tense shows an action that occurred prior to another action in the past. Here are some examples:

• After it had risen to forty-six, the total volume then dropped to thirty-eight.
• Sales returned to a higher level after they had fallen to just six thousand.

The other past tenses are not particularly useful in the IELTS writing exam , but can greatly improve the accuracy of your overall English. Therefore, they may come in useful for other parts of the IELTS  exam.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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My last holiday

Learn how to write about your last holiday.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

Grouping_MjI2NzU=

My last holiday was a five-day trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. I know Prague well because I lived there when I was at university, more than ten years ago.

Instead of staying in a hotel, I stayed with one of my old friends. It was so much fun, and a little bit like my old life. I wanted to do all the same things I did in my university days, so I visited the university. It has changed a lot and looks more modern. I also went to the supermarket near my old house. I loved seeing all the different foods. I was really happy to find my favourite cheese and chocolate biscuits but they were a bit more expensive than I remember!

We did some touristy things too. We walked up beautiful Petrin Hill and around the castle. The views of the city are amazing up there. We walked across the historic Charles Bridge. My friend's flat is very near the TV Tower so we saw the famous baby statues climbing up it. Those things haven't changed, of course.

1. Try to make your writing interesting for the reader. To do this, you can make it personal with your own memories and experiences.

2. Use adjectives to add detail to your descriptions.

3. Write clear and simple sentences and organise your ideas in short paragraphs. Give each paragraph a different topic.

4. Use so, but, and, because and other linking words.

Where was your last holiday?

Language level

I want you to know that I am very happy and enjoying my vacation quite a bit. The destination on this vacation has been the Colombian Caribbean coast, We arrived two days ago, this is a very nice experience. Yesterday I discovered the window to the world that is located in Barranquilla, as well as the boardwalk, they are very warm places but above all very visited, as the afternoon fell I went to visit some of my husband's brothers. Tomorrow we will get up very early to travel a few kilometers and be able to visit Cabo de la Vela, in La Guajira, we will leave at 6 am, because we must be in Uribia Guajira at 3 pm, there the tour guide will be waiting for us, who will be the one in charge of directing this adventure. I also had the opportunity to visit Cartagena de Indias and its beautiful beaches, I really liked getting to know the beach, the sea and the people who live there, But what I liked most was being able to visit Cabo de la Vela and learn a little about the reality of the Wayuu culture, being able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and sunsets that this beautiful place offers.

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My last was holiday three-week trip to Fez in Morocco. Fez it’s my hometown so I know it well because I lived there for 26 years. I went to visit my family there and I stayed at home, every day I was invited by my sisters and brothers, they made me delicious dishes and we had a good time together. I’ve been seeing my friends every day in the café, we’ve been seeing football matches and we’ve been talking about different topics. In this holiday I made many things important for me, I had driving courses to be confident when I’m going to buy a car, in the same time I had English courses.  

My last holiday was a three-day trip to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam. I always want to go there, so in the summer of last year, I decided to take a trip to Hue with my family.

We booked a small hostel near Hue Walking Road. We stayed in a twin room, which was clean and had full amenities. The owner was very friendly; he showed us good restaurants, attractions, and how to deal with sellers in the market. We tried local foods such as Bun Bo Hue, Banh Xeo, Banh Bot Loc, etc. The food in Hue is cheap and amazing; I thought that I could eat it all day!

We did some touristy things too. We visited Hue Capital and had a chance to learn more about Vietnam's history. The architecture is very majestic and beautiful. We also went to Thien Mu Pagoda. It is one of the most sacred temples in Vietnam, so we prayed for health and happiness and wished everyone good luck. In the evening, we walked across the historic Trang Tien Bridge. It was so beautiful at night; there were a lot of people walking there. 

It was three amazing days. I felt so relaxed and hope to visit more places in Vietnam.

My last holiday was a two-day trip to Baguio in the Philippines. I had lived there before for five months. So I decided to go back for just a visit on my holiday. Unfortunately, there was heavily raining as we got off the bus. Otherwise, getting a taxi was super hard, and we were waiting for around an hour. Fortunately, I got home safely and I made so much fun with my friends. I visited the old places that I often did because it made me happy and refresh. In conclusion, I had so much fun spending my last holiday in Baguio.

I remember last year when I went with friend to the beach in summer. My Lastsummer holidays was 2days and 3 nights trip to Ngwe Saung Beach in Myanamr . Ngwe Saung, is a beach resort located 48 km west of Pathein, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. In 2014, the town of Ngwesaung had 10,732 people.The beach is 5hours drive with no traffic away from the principal city of Yangon. Ngwe Saung is well know for An unspoilt 15 kilometres stretch of silvery sand and modern amenities have made Ngwe Saung a popular destination for less budget conscious tourists from Lower Myanmar. I booked for our stay at a hotel near the beach, name was "Grand Paradise Hotel ". My friend and i prepared everything we needed on our trip as light food and soft drinks to have on the way to the hotel. And also we prepared necessary clothing for the sea, sun cream and some essential medicines. After 5hours of driving we arrived the hotel at 12PM afternoon and went to our rooms to rest change clothes and take all what we need to go to the beach. This Hotel is near the beach,all services was good and room are cleaned, wide and nice. We put our bags on the table and went to swim in the sea and then went out for lunch that my friend ordered from a fish restaurant . The Crab ,Lobster and fish was fresh and tasty and we enjoyed our meal very much. After lunch we sat under the canopy enjoying the sea view, refreshing breaths ,listening to music and playing fun games. OH really nice Ngwe Saung beach Myanamr.

My last holiday was far away in time in different reasons. We were at black sea coast on September so there where not so much other people. We was drinking a wine that was cheap there and going some excursions

My last holiday. Last summer, in particular on the last weekend of June, I decided to visit Granada, an amazing city in Spain. I visited Granada for the second time with my family, my wife, and two daughters. I was so happy because I visited Granada sights, especially Alhambra Palace, and Civilization Museum. We arrived at the hotel by bus at 11 a.m. The hotel was wonderful and clean, and the food they offer was delicious. My family really liked the traditional typical dishes of Granada, in particular the dish named Baella. During the holiday, I met some of my Spanish colleagues and they invited us to visit their house which is located in a nice village in the city suburb. Really, I liked this place for the large landscape, calmness, and the kind people who live in. On the fifth day of our holiday, we walked around the city and saw the old city which has been built above the mountain. So, you can see the whole city from above it. Despite the enjoyment that we have got, the negative thing about that holiday was that we spent so much money and also many friends need to buy some things from there, so I bought some souvenirs and I hope that I can keep one for myself to remind of that divine place. By and large, this holiday was great and unforgettable thanks to my Spanish friend, Gaspar, who provided me with a Guidebook which makes my trip easy and coy.

My last holiday was four days on São Miguel dos Milagres with my family. We stay on the beach house of my grandpa. There is a pool, and four rooms in that. There we go to the beach, to some interesting restaurants, to a beach clube and to an ice cream shop. I love that travel and i'd love go back to São Miguel dos Milagres.

On the first weekend in March, we took an amazing trip to Barcelona. We went by train from Atocha station and the journey lasted two and a half hours.

When we arrived at the historic Barcelona Sants station, we took the metro to Plaza de Tetuan, which is where we had the apartment. We left our baggage and went to visit the city centre, Las Ramblas, Plaza Catalunya, La Boqueria Market, Paseo de Gracia, etc. On Sunday, we saw the beautiful Sagrada Familia which is my favourite landmark. Later, we went to the incredible Nou Camp stadium to see the Barça game against Valencia. After the game we visited the official store and did some shopping but everything was very expensive. On Monday, before returning to Madrid we went back to the Nou Camp to take a guided tour of the trophy room, changing rooms, benches, and the VIP box.

At the end, we went to the apartment to take the suitcases and so, we took the metro to the Sants station where we boarded the high speed train back to Madrid.

I go to Thailand for a camping holiday, It was fun I go caving on the first day, I see many bets are sleeping on top of the cave.(no time to finish)

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Past Tenses – Free Exercise

Choose the correct options so that each tense appears once (s imple past, past progressive, past perfect simple, past perfect progressive).

• We   went were going had gone had been going to the cinema last week. standard past tense action (signal: last week ) → simple past
• Once we   chose were choosing had chosen had been choosing our food, the waiter took our order. action that happened before a second past action (signal: once )|action 1: choosing food; action 2: order taken → past perfect simple
• I saw a lovely dress while I   shopped was shopping had shopped had been shopping , maybe I’ll go back and buy it. action that was already in progress when another action occurred (signal: while ) → past progressive
• When their mum got home, the boys   watched were watching had watched had been watching TV for two hours. duration of an action up to a second past action (signal: for ) → past perfect progressive

Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets and the following tenses: simple past, past progressive, past perfect simple, past perfect progressive.

• A plumber (come)     to our house yesterday. standard past action (signal: yesterday ) → simple past
• He (want)     to repair our washing machine that (break)     a few days before. 1. normal narrative past form → simple past|2. action that occurred prior to another point in the past (signal: before ) → past perfect simple
• Before he (ring)     at my door, he (look)     for a parking space for about ten minutes. 1. normal narrative past form → s imple past|2. duration of an action up to a second past action (signal: before; for about ten minutes → past perfect progressive}
• While the plumber (repair)   the washing machine, I (watch)     the news. simultaneous past actions (signal: while ) → past progressive
• Suddenly, I (realise)     that they (show)     our street on TV. 1. newly occurring action → simple past|2. background action that was already in progress → past progressive
• The reporter (say)     that a car (crash)     into a stop sign just before reaching the crossroads. 1. reporting verb → simple past|2. action that occurred prior to a second past action → past perfect simple
• While I (listen)     carefully to what (happen)     , someone (knock)     at my door. 1. action that was ongoing when other actions occurred (signal: while ) → past progressive|2. referring to events that occurred prior to a certain point in the past → past perfect simple|3. newly-occurring action → simple past|past progressive here would sound as if the person had been knocking on the door the whole time
• I (open)     the door and (see)     a police officer standing there. 1. & 2. sequential past actions → simple past
• He (ask)     for the plumber. sequential past action → simple past
• It (be)     our plumber’s car that (roll)     down the street. 1. normal narrative past form → simple past|2. action that occurred prior to a second past action → past perfect simple
• In his haste, the plumber (forget)     to put the handbrake on. action that occurred prior to a second point in the past → past perfect simple

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Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition

Friday briefing: stormy daniels, day two.

Also, Israel-Hamas talks falter again.

By Amelia Nierenberg

A tense day in court for Stormy Daniels

Lawyers for Donald Trump again sought to make Stormy Daniels look as if she was lying yesterday about her account of a 2006 sexual liaison. But Daniels — who took the $130,000 hush-money payment at the heart of the 34 felony charges Trump is facing — pushed back.

“You made all this up, right?” a lawyer asked.

Daniels responded with a forceful “No.”

During a combative cross-examination — which started on Tuesday and continued yesterday — Daniels swung between vulnerability and defiance. When the defense attacked her for hawking gear to supporters, she responded by likening it to Trump’s own merchandising.

Susan Necheles, Trump’s lawyer, searingly questioned Daniels for more than two hours. As Necheles tried to undermine her credibility, Daniels continuously parried. In one exchange, Necheles suggested that Daniels, because of her career in porn, had a lot of experience with “phony stories about sex.”

Daniels shot back, “The sex in the films is very real, just like what happened to me in that room.”

A Daniels-Trump recap: They met in July 2006, but their lives intersected over the next decade and beyond. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline .

Hopes for a Gaza deal shrank as talks stalled

High-level negotiations in Cairo were put on hold yesterday; the Israeli and Hamas delegations left, as did the C.I.A. director, dealing a blow to hopes a deal could be reached soon.

Here’s the latest .

The pause is a setback, given that some had seen signs earlier in the week that a deal might be close. Still, one official said that negotiators were interpreting the suspension as a pause rather than a derailment.

Israel’s actions in Rafah could set the tone for future discussions. On Wednesday, President Biden acknowledged that Israel had used American bombs to kill civilians in Gaza. He said the U.S. would also withhold artillery if Israel were to go ahead with a major operation in Rafah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel reacted defiantly to Biden’s comments: “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.” Fears are growing that a rift with the U.S. could affect Israel’s ability to continue its war. Netanyahu is caught between allies demanding a cease-fire deal and right-wing demands in his own country to go forward with the invasion.

A view from the sky: These satellite images of Rafah, taken after Israeli forces entered the city, show widespread damage and clusters of Israeli armored vehicles.

Ukraine strikes deep in Russia

Ukraine struck an oil refinery far inside Russia , officials on both sides said yesterday, as Kyiv works to weaken Russia’s military and its energy industry.

The drone strike on the facility, which is one of Russia’s largest and lies more than 700 miles (over 1,100 kilometers) from Ukraine’s border, shows that Kyiv is increasingly able to reach targets further inside its enemy’s territory.

Background: This attack, along with others on two oil depots, were part of an ongoing campaign. Kyiv hopes to disrupt Russia’s military logistics by targeting the facilities that supply fuel for its tanks, ships and planes. Ukraine also hopes to undermine Russia’s energy industry, which is central to its economy.

Impact: An energy expert in Belgium said the strikes had taken more than 10 percent of Russia’s oil-refining capacity off line, temporarily reducing its ability to turn its crude oil into products like gasoline, diesel and petrol.

MORE TOP NEWS

Russia: The Victory Day celebration was more expansive than last year’s event, a sign of a country that has recovered from the initial shock of the war and holds a battlefield advantage.

Hungary: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, received a rapturous welcome . Hungary is looking to Chinese investment to establish itself as a European manufacturing hub for E.V.s.

Britain: The Bank of England left interest rates steady as inflation eased , but signaled that it could cut them soon.

Climate: At a private meeting, Donald Trump told oil executives and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to his campaign because, if elected, he would roll back environmental rules .

Mexico: Officials are trying to plan for a potential shift in U.S. relations if Donald Trump returns to power in 2025.

Boeing : At least 10 people were injured when a plane went off the runway in Senegal.

South Africa: Rescuers were looking through tons of concrete rubble for dozens of people who were missing after the collapse of a building on Monday.

Soccer: Luis Rubiales, Spain’s former soccer chief, will stand trial on a count of sexual assault for forcibly kissing a player.

Fencing: Suspensions and accusations over refereeing integrity and preferential treatment have cast a shadow over the sport ahead of the Olympics.

MORNING READ

Majid Khan, a former courier for Al Qaeda, spent two decades in Guantánamo Bay and was tortured in C.I.A. custody. In the year since his release , he has reunited with his wife, met his daughter and had a son. They now live in Belize.

“Life is a test,” he said. He sees the next chapter of his life as an opportunity to make things right. He was hurt, he said, and did things that hurt others. “May God forgive.”

For more, listen to the latest season of the “Serial” podcast, which is about Guantánamo .

Lives lived: Steve Albini, a musician and audio engineer who helped define the sound of ’90s alternative rock, died at 61 . Listen to some of his essential recordings .

CONVERSATION STARTERS

New friends: Our tech columnist spent the past month hanging out with some A.I. companions. This is what he learned .

More drugs, less violence: Changing attitudes have prompted Britain’s film ratings board to rerate some classic movies , like “Mary Poppins.”

“Kinkeeping”: The ceaseless work of keeping a family connected has a name. It’s also still mostly handled by women.

ARTS AND IDEAS

How loneliness affects the brain.

Everyone feels lonely from time to time. But for some people, loneliness becomes entrenched in a way that’s bad for their health. Chronic loneliness can even change people’s brains .

Neurologically, chronic loneliness is associated with changes in areas important for social cognition, self-awareness and processing emotions. For years, scientists have known about a connection between loneliness and Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. A study published late last year suggested an association with Parkinson’s disease. It is also linked to depression.

So what can you do? It sounds obvious, but a common recommendation is to put yourself in places and situations where you can meet people and make new friends. Cognitive behavior therapy can also help address the root problem for why it might be hard for you to interact with others.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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Hunt: Which home in France did a retired U.S. teacher buy? (Her budget was $300,000.)

Learn: Can you tell which of these dogs is more inbred? Take this quiz to find out .

Play: Spelling Bee , the Mini Crossword , Wordle and Sudoku . Find all our games here .

That’s it for today. Have a lovely weekend. — Amelia

Email us at [email protected] .

Amelia Nierenberg writes the Asia Pacific Morning Briefing , a global newsletter. More about Amelia Nierenberg