Tenses 2

In this second video, we consider verb tense usage in academic writing. First, we look at some of the most common forms, and then we explore verb patterns that are typically used for:

  • presenting a thesis
  • citing sources
  • writing about processes
  • indicating change, and
  • referring to the future.

Common forms

The most common verb tenses in academic writing are present and past verb forms. Look at the following abstract - don’t worry about the topic. How many of the verb forms are in the present or past tense? You will notice that most of the verbs are in a present tense or past tense. Now let’s look at some common patterns in academic writing.

Presenting a thesis

First, let’s consider presenting a thesis statement or purpose. Often we use “will” to present a thesis statement or to state the purpose of a text such as an essay, report or proposal. For example:

  • This paper will examine the differences between Japanese and Brazilian cultures with regard to physical proximity.
  • This study will progress what is known on the topic.

Citing sources

Another common part of academic writing is citing sources. This is when we refer to other sources from the literature. We can use the present simple or past simple to do this. For example, we could say:

  • Smith (2009) states that a common issue with students’ writing is the use of tenses.

OR

  • Smith (2009) stated that a common issue with students’ writing was the use of tenses.

The present simple emphasises Smith’s current opinion whereas the past simple emphasises the date of publication or when he made the comment. In academic writing, we often have choices like this - depending what we want to emphasise.

  • If you choose the present simple tense, you are suggesting that the findings in the statement are accepted as fact or that you accept this view.
  • If you choose the past simple tense, you are emphasising the time that the research was conducted.
  • If you choose the present perfect, you are emphasising the ongoing authority of the statement up to now.

If you are unsure, use the simple past in such situations. The most important thing is to be consistent.

Writing about processes

Next let’s consider, writing about processes and methods. Usually, for the steps taken in a process - such as an experiment, or information in the methods section of a paper, we use the past simple tense. This is because the action was completed in the past. For example:

  • We randomly selected ten participants for each group.
  • We conducted the survey with 200 participants.
  • We compared the outcomes of the control group with those of the experiment group.

The past simple passive form is also very common if you want to avoid saying who did the action.

  • Participants were randomly selected.
  • The survey was conducted with 200 participants.
  • Outcomes of both groups were compared

Indicating change

One thing that academic writers often want to do is to indicate change in the field over time. We often use the present perfect to do this, especially towards the beginning of a journal article or chapter to describe change from the past to now:

  • International students have been coming to 色情网站 for higher education for several decades, and issues ….have often been debated in the literature (Benzie, 2010).
  • Since 1997, the number of international students studying in the UK has soared, and their recruitment by British universities has steadily grown (Brown & Holloway, 2008).

The present perfect is often used to refer to previous research up to this point before noting the gap in current research. For example:

  • Many studies have examined the relationship between high blood pressure and salt intake.
  • Although a number of other disciplines have established academic word lists, no list has exclusively targeted the nursing field (Yang, 2015).

The present perfect (simple or passive) can be used to talk generally about previous research without citing the exact study or literature. For example:

  • Previous studies have suggested that feedback does not have a positive effect on performance.

    Many advances have been made in multiple sclerosis research related to the impact of diet.

Referring to the Future

Finally, let’s consider how to refer to the future in academic writing. At the end of an essay, report, journal article or thesis, it is common to refer to future implications, to the impact of our findings, or to possible further research. For example:

  • These findings will / might / should lead to improved outcomes for cancer patients.

If you are very confident and want to show a strong view, you can use ‘will’. However, often, writers choose not to be so definite, and they prefer to use ‘might’ or ‘should’, or ‘may’ or ‘could’.

Summary

Now look at the example abstract below which combines several examples of tense and aspect. Can you find examples of:

  • the present tense
  • the past tense
  • future forms.

You can see, as we mentioned earlier, that present and past are the most common tenses used in academic writing.

In this video, we have looked at some common examples of tense usage in academic writing Try the exercises below for more practice in verb tenses.