Usage of Tenses in Academic Writing

The choice of tense in academic writing represents a lot of things and many students and academic writers tend to skip this fact of‘ write my essay. This is the reason that there are mistakes associated with the choice of tense which does not leave a lasting impression on the readers. 

Here’s what the usage of a specific tense does for the readers…

1. Alerts the readers about a specific action or event taking place
2. Represents chronology
3. Portrays the degree of generality
4. Shows the writer’s attitude towards the theories and ideas behind the academic papers

You must be wondering that how many types of tenses can be used in academic writing.. Right??

98% of the academic writing is comprised of three tenses in which the simple present tense takes the essay writing service lead and is followed by the past simple tense and the present perfect tense. Let’s take a look at the usage and significance of these three so that things can get more clear.

Simple Present Tense

Hmmm.. sounds familiar. But why is this most widely used in academic writing and how it is used? 

These are valid questions and we have the answers…

A simple present tense is most commonly used for incorporating generalizations, simple truths and common facts that are not affected as time passes.

For example, 

“The King Edward Medical College teaching hospital admits patients coming from college essay far-flung areas whether or not they have proof of insurance.”

The word “admits” is the simple present tense of the verb “admit” and implies a common fact or generalization about the said hospital.

In academic writing, a simple present tense is also used for 

• Stating the key points of a study which can also be regarded as the overview
• To sum up the opinions of the author in a concise and generalized manner

Next up is the Past Simple Tense

This tense is used to describe all those events which have been completed in the past and specifically in academic writing, it is also used to report the findings of the previous research. For instance, in the systematic narratives of the literature review, the past simple tense is used to report whatever previous researches have found about the topic in consideration. 

Let’s take a look at its usage, shall we?

“He conducted extensive research and wrote the papers for all of her classes last month.”

Freud (1998) researched many aspects of criminal deviance.”

In the above sentences, “conducted”, “wrote”, and “researched” are some of the verbs used in past simple tense and they describe that something has already been done in the past. 

If you are wondering about the choice of tense in your next academic paper and there’s not enough time for essay help, then feel free to reach out 24/7 online services who can assign an expert essay writer to accommodate your specific needs. 

Let’s look at the third and last tense which is most frequently used in academic writing. 

Present Perfect Tense 

This tense is used to signify such action or event that has taken place in the past but still holds a certain amount of relevance in the present. It also sets the mood of a paper and introduces the reader to the background information of a topic. After the readers are well aware of the background information of an essay writer, the past is changed into a simple past. 

Here’s an example:

Numerous researchers have used this empirical method for evaluating the behavior of specific societies in the education sector. They found a 78% statistical significance in this method. 

Useful Resources:

5 Tips for Writing an Excellent Essay for any Class

30+ English Literature Essay Topics for a Great Essay

Interesting Difference between Fiction & Nonfiction