Which Verb Tenses to Use in a Research Paper
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of adhering to grammar and style conventions in academic writing to ensure clear communication. It explains the use of verb tenses—simple present, past, and present perfect—in different sections of a research paper. The simple present is used for general facts and future applications, the past tense for completed events, and the present perfect for ongoing or recently completed events without a specific time. The script provides guidelines for verb tense usage in abstracts, introductions, literature reviews, methods, discussion, and conclusions. It advises checking journal guidelines and reading examples for better understanding and concludes with the golden rule of academic writing: always verify the formatting guidelines and practice to improve.
Takeaways
- 📜 **Follow Conventions**: Adhering to grammar and style conventions is crucial for clear communication and meeting journal standards.
- 📝 **Verb Tenses**: Understanding when to use past, present, and present perfect tenses is essential for effective academic writing.
- 🕒 **Tense Usage**: The choice of verb tense depends on the section of the paper and the nature of the information being conveyed.
- 🔍 **APA, AMA, MLA**: Familiarize yourself with the specific formatting styles like APA, AMA, MLA, as they guide tense usage.
- ✅ **Completed Work**: Use the past tense to describe events, studies, or experiments that have been completed.
- 🔬 **Ongoing or Recent Work**: The present perfect tense is suitable for describing events with no specific time or those that are still ongoing.
- 📊 **Abstract Tenses**: The abstract typically uses the simple present tense for general statements and the present perfect for recent findings.
- 📚 **Introduction Tenses**: Discuss effects and previous research using the present and past tenses, respectively.
- 🧬 **Methods Section**: Use the past tense to detail what was done in your study, favoring the passive voice for actions.
- 📈 **Discussion Tenses**: Summarize your findings with the simple past tense and use the present tense to interpret their significance.
- ✍️ **Conclusion Tenses**: Use the present perfect to confirm lasting relevance and the present tense to suggest further research.
- 📘 **Formatting Guidelines**: Always check the journal's guidelines and read examples to understand how to correctly structure your paper.
Q & A
Why is it important to follow grammar and style conventions in academic writing?
-Following grammar and style conventions is important in academic writing to abide by the accepted journal, institution, and domain standards, and to clearly communicate the research process, timing, and perspective to the reader.
Should I always use the past tense when writing an academic paper since everything has already been completed?
-No, not always. Knowing which tense to use requires understanding the formatting style (such as APA, AMA, MLA, etc.) and discretion in choosing the tense that makes the most sense for a given statement.
What are the three main verb tenses used in a research paper?
-The three main verb tenses used in a research paper are present simple, past simple, and present perfect.
What is the general usage of the present tense in academic writing?
-The present tense is used to talk about general facts, discuss current meanings and implications, and suggest future applications.
How is the simple past tense used in academic writing?
-The simple past tense is used to talk about events that have already been completed, such as studies, experiments, or phenomena that occurred in a locatable time or place in the past.
What is the purpose of the present perfect tense in a research paper?
-The present perfect tense is used to describe events that have occurred at some unidentified time in the past or have recently been completed or are still ongoing.
Which verb tense is generally used in the abstract of a research paper?
-In the abstract, the simple past is generally used, or the present perfect for general statements of facts and analysis of findings.
How should verb tense be used in the introduction of a research paper?
-In the introduction, the present tense is applied when discussing effects with earlier research, and the past tense is used for efforts by the author or another group.
What verb tense should be used in the methods section of a research paper?
-In the methods section, the past tense should be used to talk about what was done, such as experimental procedures.
How does verb tense usage differ in the discussion section of a research paper?
-In the discussion section, the simple past is used to summarize findings, and the present tense is used for interpreting the significance of those findings.
What is the golden rule of research papers regarding verb tense according to the script?
-The golden rule is to check the formatting guidelines of the journal or conference to which you are submitting and read plenty of examples to understand how authors construct their papers.
Outlines
📚 Academic Paper Writing: Verb Tense Essentials
This paragraph discusses the importance of adhering to grammar and style conventions in academic writing, particularly the correct use of verb tenses. It clarifies that while past tense is often used to describe completed research, present and present perfect tenses are also crucial for discussing general facts, implications, and future applications. The paragraph provides examples of each tense and suggests that authors should refer to specific formatting style guides like APA, AMA, or MLA for detailed rules. It also outlines general usage rules for present simple, past simple, and present perfect tenses in the context of different sections of a research paper, such as the abstract, introduction, literature review, and methods.
🔍 Applying Verb Tenses in Research Paper Sections
The second paragraph delves into the application of verb tenses within specific sections of a research paper. It advises using the simple past tense in the methods section to describe actions taken during the research, while the present tense is appropriate for explaining diagrams, figures, tables, and charts. The paragraph also covers the use of tenses in the discussion and conclusion sections, emphasizing the simple past for summarizing findings and the present tense for establishing dialogue with the study. Additionally, it suggests using the present perfect tense for cited information and the present or future tense for suggesting further research. The paragraph concludes with a reminder to consult journal guidelines and read examples to understand verb tense usage in academic writing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Academic Paper
💡Grammar and Style Conventions
💡Verb Tense
💡APA, AMA, MLA
💡Present Simple
💡Past Simple
💡Present Perfect
💡Abstract
💡Introduction
💡Methods Section
💡Discussion Section
💡Conclusion
Highlights
Following grammar and style conventions is crucial for clear communication in academic writing.
Verb tense selection depends on formatting styles like APA, AMA, MLA, and discretion in tense choice.
Three main verb tenses used in research papers: present simple, past simple, and present perfect.
Present tense is for general facts, current meanings, implications, and future applications.
Past tense is for completed events, like studies or experiments, in a locatable time or place.
Present perfect tense is for events with unidentified time in the past or ongoing activities.
Abstracts generally use present tense or present perfect for general statements and findings.
Introductions use present tense for effects and past tense for completed research.
Literature review requires present tense for opinions and past tense for completed research findings.
Methods section uses past tense to describe actions taken during the study.
Present tense is used to explain diagrams, figures, tables, and charts.
Discussion section summarizes findings with simple past and interprets them with present tense.
Conclusion uses present perfect to clarify statements still true at the time of writing.
Present tense is for applying findings, stating implications, and suggesting further research.
Future tense or subjunctive mood can be used for further research or recommendations.
Check journal guidelines and read examples for proper verb tense usage in academic papers.
Practice and reading papers will help in identifying correct verb tense usage in research papers.
Transcripts
[Music]
when writing an academic paper it is
important to follow the grammar and
style conventions not only to abide by
the accepted journal institution and
domain standards but to clearly
communicate to the reader what you did
when you did it and from which
perspective you are discussing the
research in one central element that
will impact how you compose your paper
and how it will be understood by readers
is verb tense everything in this paper
has already been completed so shouldn't
I always use the past tense well no not
exactly
knowing which tends to use requires both
understanding of the formatting style
you're using for example APA AMA MLA etc
and also some discretion in savvy in
choosing the tense that makes the most
sense for a given statement in the paper
without going into specific rules for
each formatting style although new
authors should definitely look at those
rules first let's talk today about some
rules of thumb for when to use the past
and present tense in different sections
of the paper there are three main verb
tenses you should use in a research
paper present simple past and present
perfect now we'll talk about which
section requires which verb tense in a
minute but first let's go over the
general usage rules for each of these
tenses the present tense or as it's also
referred to the simple present tense is
used to talk about general facts discuss
current meanings and implications and
suggest future applications an example
of a general fact would be insulin and
glucagon regulate blood glucose levels
this fact has no temporal change and is
constant throughout time an example of
implications might be increased glucose
levels indicate decreased glucagon
hormones and for further research
further studies about glucagon receptors
are needed the simple past is used to
talk about events that have already been
completed
these are usually discrete events such
as studies experiments or phenomenon
that
happen in a locatable time or place in
the past for an example of an event that
has been completed at a certain time or
place in the course of this study
scientists discovered a new enzyme in
the liver protocol X was used to analyze
the data the president perfect tense is
the least frequently used tense in your
research paper its main purpose is to
describe events that have occurred at
some unidentified time in the past or
have recently been completed or are
still ongoing here are some examples of
the present perfect tense many studies
have focused on glucagon as an important
regulating hormone until recently
researchers have analyzed this kind of
data using a chi-square statistic
efforts have been made to understand
more about this process note that in all
of these examples none of the events are
given specific time or place indicators
all have occurred at some unidentified
time in the past or are still being
completed
now let's discuss which tends to use for
each section of your research paper
let's start with the abstract in the
abstract generally the simple path is
used or for a concise introductory
phrase the present perfect is use for
general statements of facts and analysis
of findings or for the paper and cell
use the present tense for abstracts an
introductory phrase use the present
perfect recent studies of glucagon and
insulin production have led to
breakthroughs in medicine for statements
effect as in other parts of your
research paper use the present tense in
the u.s. diabetes is the most common in
de crème de seas you can also use the
simple past for statements of fact that
were determined to be true at a specific
time in 2016
diabetes was the most common endocrine
disease in the introduction the present
tense is applied when discussing effect
with earlier research efforts by you or
another group use the past tense the
same research team discovered a similar
enzyme in their 2012 study for the
concluding statements use either the
simple past or the past perfect prior
research in this area was inconclusive
when discussing something that was
determined to be true but is no longer
true the
perfect is the way to describe this this
team had determined that X was y but
this was later found to be incorrect in
the literature session knowing which
test to use can be a bit tricky as it
depends both on the manual style that
you're using as well as on how exactly
you are incorporating the literature
let's look at some examples use the
present tense when giving your opinion
on another person's research or when
bringing up the results discussion in
conclusion for example riyuku concludes
that there are no additional enzymes
present in the liver a finding this
current study directly refutes some
related terms that might be used are
stresses advocates remarks argues and
claims in the methods section use the
past tense to talk about what you did a
glucose molecule was added to the
mixture to see how the peptide would
respond you will note here that the
passive voice is used if you use the
active than you usually need to use a
pronoun or another subject the passive
is simply more common in most journal
articles use the present tense when
explaining diagrams figures tables and
charts Table five displays the results
of this first isolated test use the past
to talk about actual results the
addition of 0.02 milligrams of glycogen
activated receptor cells no immediate
effect was observed again use the
present tense to explain diagrams
figures tables and charts figure 1.4
shows the measurements of these mixtures
or the measurements of these mixtures
are shown in Figure 1.4 it is generally
okay to mix the active and passive voice
in these sections if only to give your
writing a little bit more variance and
make it easier for the reader to
understand in the discussion section use
the simple past to summarize your own
findings and the perfect tense for cited
information when summarizing your own
findings use the simple past the
experiment yielded a number of results
associated with the processing of
glucose when discussing and interpreting
the significance of your own findings
use the present tense
this study confirms that synthetic
glucagon is 2 3
as effective at decreasing fatty acid
synthesis the reason for using the
present tense here is to establish a
dialogue between yourself and your study
you are essentially analyzing the work
that has already been completed in in
the conclusion you can use the perfect
tense to clarify that these statements
still hold true at the time of your
writing results from this study have led
to a deeper understanding about how
different substrates interact with this
enzyme use the present tense to apply
findings state implications and suggest
further research we can conclude that
endogenous glucagon is more essential in
insulin regulation than previously
understood when discussing further
research that is either needed or
intended to be carried out the future or
present tense or subjunctive mood can
also be used in addition to the present
tense passive voice for example further
clinical studies are needed to isolate
the cause of this reaction further
clinical studies will be needed to
isolate the cause of this reaction or
further clinical studies should be
carried out to isolate the cause of this
reaction follow these general rules
about verb tense and your paper will be
clearer more chronologically correct and
generally easier to read meaning the
important stuff in your paper will be
more easily understood and if you forget
all of these rules remember one golden
rule of research papers check the
formatting guidelines of the journal or
conference to what you're submitting and
read plenty of examples to get an idea
of how these authors construct the paper
you can always go back and edit the verb
tense after you've written the paper and
remember that the more papers you read
the more papers write and the more you
practice in general the easier will be
to identify which birds to use in which
part of the research paper if you would
like to learn more about how to write
your research paper and prepare it for
submissions and journals visit word
viscom and don't forget to Like and
subscribe if this information has been
helpful stay tuned for more and happy
writer
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