In this case, you'd write in the present tense because you're talking about the present. Verb tenses tell readers when events or actions occured in time—in the past, present, or future. The results are presented in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. Just take this this way: Imagine that it is the instruction speaking to you does it sound like it is taking to you in the past, in the present or in the future? For example: I will write my paper this weekend. If I want to say some contractual terms are still under negotiation, what tense past, present or present prefect tense should I use? I serarched the Internet and found both past tense and present tense were used when describing an ancient tomb. Use this as your first choice unless you have a good reason to use another tense. When explaining what you did in your inspection, use past tense.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post in the comment box below, email us at or reach out to us through our page. The headlines were analysed into two broad areas. One final note: the terms used to describe aspect have changed over time, and different terms are often used to describe the same aspect. Explain why someone should find this interesting. You might use present tense to discuss your observations and their implications.
Example: Table 4 shows the blood pressure levels of patients before and after administration of the recommended dose of the drug. Keeping this purpose in mind, there are some important things you want to remember when writing your lab report. The present also communicates actions that are ongoing, constant, or habitual. The sentences should provide enough detail so the reader knows what happened, but not so much detail that it gets overwhelming. The historical present is generally used to describe events rather than structures, which is why it wouldn't be my first choice for a description of a tomb that no longer exists.
It's pretty wordy, thanks mostly to a bunch of clunky nominalizations, and it's needlessly passive. The major difficulty I encountered was how to impose the temperature load from the temperature difference across the bridge deck since most reference books just deal with loading is applied to straight continuous beams but seldom to integral or portal frame bridges. It was constructed of marble and the dimensions were exceptional for the period. But when you're writing a book report, you acknowledge that the book is a work of fiction, so the present tense is more appropriate. Generally speaking, both past and present tense should not be used to describe a tomb, whether it exists or not. You will also find this ebook useful: For further reading, you can refer to these posts: With reference to the subject mentioned above, I request your good self to kindly to consider my application for the tutor post in your esteemed institution in the department of Microbiology.
But if they are still there, that should be present tense as well. Incorrect: I measured the temperature at 75°C. You know, something easy to understand for a native may be very hard for a English learner to grasp. Summarize what is currently known about the question. Journals vary considerably in their preferred format for the reference list.
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange! For example, the next two sentences describe one action followed by another, but each achieves a different rhetorical effect by using different verb forms. Am I understanding you correctly? Many of you have asked us questions about seemingly conflicting rules about which tense to use in a research article abstract, so we wrote this article to clarify the issue. The entire lab group laughed when the water spilled out of the test tube. This implies I no longer act. The subject of active present perfect verbs is often general: Researchers have found, Studies have suggested. And we agree since the main reason for reading your research papers is to understand the significance of your findings! You may have to before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
Also available in , , ,! But when talking about the tomb itself, under most circumstances, the writer should have picked one tense and used it consistently. The past tense implies that an idea or a theory has lost its currency or validity, while the present tense conveys relevance or the current state of acceptance. I have checked the link you gave me, but failed to find the answer. We conducted a secondary data analysis … Public Health Descriptional statistical tests and t-student test were used for statistical analysis. A parallel use of the present perfect divorced from the actual time of the event is noticed and commented on by McCarthy 1998:93-94. Hawes, Thomas, and Sarah Thomas. You should explain any ideas or techniques that are necessary for someone to understand your results section.
I am in the process of writing documentation for a software project. But you could indeed use the past tense to talk about the tomb and the present to describe those artifacts that still exist. You can still use the present tense to describe artifacts that do still exist. You need to pick one or the other. Although the stereotypical description of past events by means of the present tense is usual in headlines, it also frequently occurs in narration — both fiction and conversation Dušková 1988:219, Shiffrin 1981. If yes, is there any difference? The plants exposed to full sunlight grew an average of 3 cm in 14 days, while the plants left indoors grew only 0.