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Verb Tenses Basics

Verbs show action, express states of being, and tell us when things happen. English uses 12 different verb tenses to precisely communicate when and how actions occur. Each tense combines timing (past, present, future) with aspect (simple, progressive, perfect, or perfect progressive) to create clear meaning.

Most Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing

The most used tenses in academic writing are the simple present, simple past, and present perfect (Biber et al., 1999; Caplan, 2012).

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Simple Present

Use the simple present to describe a general truth or a habitual action. 

Example: The hospital admits patients whether or not they have proof of insurance.

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Simple Past

Use the simple past tense to describe a completed action that took place at a specific point in the past.

Example: Zimbardo (1998) researched many aspects of social psychology.

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Present Perfect

Use the present perfect to indicate an action that occurred at a nonspecific time in the past. This action has relevance in the present. 

Example: Numerous researchers have used this method.

Note that future tense is also common among capstone writers. The doctoral study/dissertation proposal at Walden is written in this tense for a study that will be conducted in the future.

Overview of All Verb Tenses

Present tenses in English help you talk about actions happening now, regular activities, and experiences up to the present moment. There are four different present tenses to express varying time relationships and durations.

Present Tenses

Description

Form

Example
Simple Present Use to describe a general truth or a habitual action. This tense indicates that the statement is generally true in the past, present, and future. Subject + base verb (+ s/es for third person) She writes every morning.
Present Progressive Use to describe ongoing actions happening right now or around the current time. This tense indicates activities in progress rather than completed actions or habitual events. Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing She is writing right now.
Present Perfect Use to connect past actions to the present moment. This tense describes completed experiences, recent events, or continuing situations that remain relevant now. Subject + have/has + past participle She has written Chapter 1.
Present Perfect Progressive Use to show actions that began in the past and continue up to now, emphasizing both duration and ongoing nature. Subject + have/has been + verb-ing She has been writing for 2 hours.

STYLE TO FORCE 1/3 TABS

Past tenses in English allow you to describe completed actions, ongoing situations, and the sequence of events that happened before now. There are four past tenses that help express exactly when and how actions occurred in relation to other past events.

Past Tenses

Description

Form

Example
Simple Past Use to describe completed actions at a specific time in the past. It tells us what happened at a definite moment or period that is now finished. Subject + past tense verb She wrote last night.
Past Progressive Use to describe ongoing actions or situations that were happening at a specific moment in the past. It shows what was in progress when something else occurred. Subject + was/were + verb-ing She was writing when he called.
Past Perfect Use to describe actions that were completed before another event in the past. It helps establish the sequence of past events by showing which happened first. Subject + had + past participle She had written Chapter 3 before she started Chapter 4.
Past Perfect Progressive Use to describe ongoing actions that continued up until another moment in the past. It emphasizes both the duration and continuous nature of a past action before something else happened. Subject + had been + verb-ing She had been writing for 2 hours before her friends arrived.

Past tenses in English allow you to describe completed actions, ongoing situations, and the sequence of events that happened before now. There are four past tenses that help express exactly when and how actions occurred in relation to other past events.

Future Tenses

Description

Form

Example
Simple Future Use to express actions or situations that will happen at a later time. It's used for predictions, promises, decisions, and planned events that will occur in the future.

Subject + will + base verb

 She will write tomorrow.
Future Progressive Use to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It shows what will be happening during a particular moment or period yet to come.

Subject + will be + verb-ing

 She will be writing when you arrive.
Future Perfect Use the future perfect tense to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It helps establish the sequence of future events by showing what will have happened by a certain time. Subject + will have + past participle She will have written the books by December.
Future Perfect Progressive Use to describe actions that will be in progress up until a specific point in the future. It emphasizes both the duration and ongoing nature of a future action from its start until another future time. Subject + will have been + verb-ing She will have been writing for 2 hours by the time her friends come over.

APA Style Guidelines on Verb Tense

APA calls for consistency and accuracy in verb tense usage (see APA 7, Section 4.12 and Table 4.1). You should avoid unnecessary shifts in verb tense within a paragraph or in adjacent paragraphs to help ensure smooth expression.

  • Use future tense if you are writing a proposal and describing things that haven’t happened yet (such as data collection and analysis).
  • Use past tense if something happened at a specific, definite point in time in the past.
  • Use the present tense if you are referring to an ongoing truth about reality or constant aspect of a theory or principle, use the present tense.

When explaining what an author or researcher wrote or did, use the past tense.

Patterson (2012) presented, found, stated, discovered…

However, there can be a shift to the present tense if the research findings still hold true.

King (2010) found that revising a document three times improves the final grade.

Verb Tenses When Referring to Your Document

Academic writing requires careful attention to verb tense, especially when referring to your own document. Choosing the right tense helps readers understand the sequence and organization of your work, distinguishing between completed discussions, current analysis, and upcoming content.

To preview what is coming in the document or to explain what is happening at that moment in the document, use the present or future tense:

Present Tense Examples

  • In this study, I describe…
  • In the next chapter, I discuss…

Future Tense Examples

  • In this study, I will describe…
  • In the next chapter, I will discuss…

To refer back to information already covered, such as summaries of discussions that have already taken place or conclusions to chapters or sections, use the past tense.

Past Examples

  • Chapter 1 contained my original discussion of the research questions.
  • In summary, in this section, I presented information on…

Key Takeaways

Understanding verb tenses allows you to communicate exactly when and how actions occur. Each tense has a distinct purpose - from describing ongoing actions, to connecting past events to the present, to expressing future plans. By mastering these tenses, you can convey precise timing and relationships between events in both everyday communication and academic writing.

Check Your Understanding

References

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of written and spoken English. Pearson. https://doi.org/10.1162/089120101300346831

Caplan, N. A. (2012). Grammar choices for graduate and professional writers. University of Michigan Press.