This document provides guidelines for using tenses in different sections of a research paper. It recommends using future tense for proposals, past tense for methodology and results, and either past or present tense for introductions and literature reviews depending on whether facts are still true. Present perfect can be used for unknown time frames. The conclusion and future work sections typically use present perfect or future tense. Past perfect is used for citing past work no longer true.

1. Tenses in a Research Paper October 21, 2016
TENSES IN A RESEARCH
PAPER
Which tense to be used where?
COMPLIED BY: ATIQA IJAZ KHAN
Thursday, 23 February, 2017

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WHICH TENSE TO BE
USED WHERE IN A
RESEARCH PAPER
1. GUIDELINES BY RESEARCH PAPER STRUCTURE
Using the general structure of every research paper, they are few pet rules, that are usually
maintained while writing those sections.
1.1. PROPOSAL
It must be written in FUTURE tense.
1.2. ABSTRACT
 It generally uses PAST tense.
 For introductory lines, PRESENT PERFECT can be used.
1.3. INTRODUCTION
It can use a mixture of both PAST and PRESENT tenses.
 Use Present for true facts till current time of writing.
 Use Past for citing the previous researchers.
 For unimportant and unknown time frame researches, use Present Perfect.
 For concluding lines of introduction, you can use: Past or Past Perfect.
1.4. LITERATURE REVIEW
It generally uses:
 Use Present for true facts till current time of writing.
 Use Past for citing the previous researchers.
 For unimportant and unknown time frame researches, use Present Perfect.
1.5. METHODOLOGY
Methodology can be written in:

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 PAST
 PAST PERFECT
 PAST Passive Voice
1.6. RESULTS
It can be written in:
 PAST
 PRESENT
 Active and Passive Voice.
1.7. DISCUSSION
It can use:
 PAST for current findings and results.
 PAST PERFECT for citation.
 PRESENT can be used in some cases.
1.8. CONCLUSIONS/FUTURE WORK/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It uses:
 PRESENT PERFECT for currently holding statements.
 FUTURE or PRESENT for Future/further work.
2. GUIDE BY VERB TENSE
Following is the guide in Tense-wise format. When to use which verb.
2.1. PRESENT TENSE
It is good for writing:
 Truths and facts that won’t change with time.
 Supported facts and figures, that didn’t change with the time of study.
 Something from your current thesis/dissertation/research paper.
o Like: Refereeing some table/figure or paragraph/section.
 The introduction of the paper.
 A reference to current draft paper/thesis findings.

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 Your own conclusions.
 Implications and future work of your results.
2.2. PAST TENSE
It should be used for describing:
 The methodology adopted. As at the time of writing the article, the procedure you used is
completed.
 Researches and studies made by other scientists and researchers ion the past.
 Results/findings of the study.
 Something that was true in the past but no longer valid now in present time.
2.3. FUTURE TENSE
It is mostly used for:
 Complaining proposals.
2.4. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
It can be used for:
 Some introductory phase, if required in abstract.
 Unknown time frame.
2.5. PAST PERFECT TENSE
It can be used for:
 Describing something that was true in past but no longer true now.
 Citing something in your result section.

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COURTESY TO
1. http://www.editage.com/insights/which-tense-should-be-used-in-the-results-and-
discussion-section-of-a-paper
2. http://www.editage.com/insights/using-past-and-present-tenses-in-research-writing
3. https://www.researchgate.net/post/Are_there_any_rules_for_using_tenses_in_scientific_p
apers [accessed Jan 9, 2017].
4. http://services.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/471294/Using_tenses_in_scien
tific_writing_Update_051112.pdf
5. http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/effective-writing-13815989
6. http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic700658.files/Scholarly%20Style%20Manuals/Us
e%20of%20Tense%20in%20Scholarly%20Writing.pdf
7. http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reporterror.html
8. APA. 2010. Writing About Your Research: Verb Tense. Writing About Your Research:
Verb Tense (Feb, 2010): 16-17.