The secret to using tenses in scientific writing

The use of tenses in a language as versatile as English can be rather confusing. The situation gets even more muddled when you have to decide which tense to use while writing a scientific research paper. In scientific writing, tense usage depends upon the section of the paper being written. Different sections of the IMRaD format warrant the use of different tenses. These variations within tense usage get even finer and more complex depending upon which aspect of the research process is being discussed. This infographic will help you choose the correct tenses while writing your research paper and take you one step closer to preparing a publication-ready manuscript.

Feel free to download a PDF version of this infographic and print it out as handy reference.

References:

• Using past and present tenses in research writing
• What tense should I use when writing a literature review?
• Getting the tenses right: Materials and methods section
• Which tense should be used in the results and discussion section of a paper?
• Sequence of Tenses
• Using tenses in scientific writing