A SHORT CUT TO UNDERSTANDING TENSES by Ilse Evertse

(stpubus@gmail.com)
These notes are focussed on the use of tenses as academics need to use them.
I Present Tense
a) This tense is used when an event occurs in the present time and something is
generally regarded as true.
Currently, there are many studies that focus on
Although this study was done in !"#, it is still applicable
b) $sing the %resent Tense when telling a &story', such as when writing a case
study, ma(es it more interesting)
*ohn +mith, C,- of A.a/ and Co., thrusts his hands deep into his poc(ets,
al!s to the window stares down at the hustle and bustle below him. 0e is
very worried.
E"ce#tions an$ s#ecific use
a) Currently, academics also use the %resent Tense when doing a literature
review, as it is argued that if you use the %ast Tense, this means that the
findings of the authors whose wor( you are reviewing are no longer
applicable, which is not true.
1lac( and 2hite (!"#) %aintain that the best method is..
1rown and 1lac( (3##4) in$icate that, although 2hite and 1rown (3##5)
#rove that
b) $sing the %resent Tense to indicate what is coming (i.e. the 6uture Tense) is
also far more reader friendly if you use it correctly. The best e/ample is when
describing a paper, dissertation or boo(7s outline)
This paper is structured as follows) 8n the first section, the bac(ground to is
provided, which is followed by a literature review. The following section
$escribes the methodology and . A recommendation for practice conclu$es
the paper.
II Present Perfect Tense
This tense is mostly used to&ether ith the %resent Tense. 8t is safe to say that
when you use the %resent Tense, you are at some time or another going to need to
use the %resent %erfect Tense
a) $se it when there is no $efinite in$ication of ti%e in the #resent)
There have been many studies on this topic.
This argument has lea$ to a great many counterarguments.
b) $se it when using &time words' such as since, ever, never, 'ust, etc.
Throughout this e/amination, we have never been able to verify that 1lac(7s
assertion is true .
+ince the acceptance of the abc theory, scholars have use$ it to verify
whether
c) $se it when one event happens before or after another event in the present.
9ote that the action that occurs first is in the Present Perfect Tense and the
most recent one is in the Present Tense)
Although the findings by 1lac( and 2hite (!"#) have been verified, 1rown
(3###) insists that they cannot be applied in every instance.
2hile there have been many prior studies on, none of them focus on
-nce the team has reache$ consensus on the :uestions, the survey is
underta(en.
d) $se it when one event clearly occurred before or after in the past and another
in the present. 9ote that the action that occurs first is in the Past Tense and the
most recent one is in the Present Perfect Tense)
+ince 2hite7s findings ere published in the !!#s, there have been a great
number of studies on this topic.
8n the !!#s, many studies focusse$ on , but none of them has been
empirically validated
I( Present Continuous Tense
There is no need to use this tense (am;are;is < ing) in academic writing, unless
your (nowledge of ,nglish is e/tremely good. 8 realise that most non=,nglish
academics seem to (now this tense the best, but do not use it>
NOT This paper is discussing various aspects of )UT This paper discusses
various aspects of
( *uture Tense
This is not a tense (shall;will < infinitive) with which academics have trouble.
(I Past Tense
?ery few academics have trouble with this tense. %lease remember, though, that the
%ast Tense of build @ built, lend @ lent, bend @ bent.
This tense is used when an event occurred in the past or a fact was generally
accepted in the past.
8n the !5#s, there ere studies that see%e$ to prove that cigarette as
harmless
This study as underta(en before the dotcom crash
This e/amination as carried out in *une 3##4
(II Past Perfect Tense
This tense is mostly used to&ether ith the %ast Tense (as the %resent %erfect is
used together with the %resent Tense). 8t is safe to say that when you use the %ast
Tense, you are at some time or another going to need to use the %ast %erfect Tense
a) $se it when there is no $efinite in$ication of ti%e in the #ast)
1efore 2hite7s study, there ha$ not been many studies on this topic
This argument ha$ lea$ to a great many counterarguments
b) $se it when one event happened before or after another event in the past.
9ote that the action further in the past, is in the Past Perfect Tense and the
one closer, is in the Past Tense)
After the team ha$ reache$ consensus on the :uestions, the survey as
underta(en and #oste$ in Aay 3##".
2hite7s findings ha$ first been published in *une 3###, after which there
ere a great many responses in various .ournals.
%rior to 1lac(7s study, which as published in 3###, there ha$ never been
any other on this topic.
Throughout our e/amination, we ha$ never been able to verify that 1rown7s
.
+i"in& tenses hen ritin&
Bo remember that you will sometimes have to use :uite a few tenses.
This research as underta(en in the summer of 3##" after 1rown7s study on efg
(3##5) ha$ been published. The first step as to underta(e a survey, which is an
accepted approach for studying efg. Aany prior studies have also in$icate$ that a
survey is an appropriate method. 1y applying this approach, it as possible to
establish whether x and z are comparable, which scholars have always $oubte$.