The verbal group: tenses

Basic English Grammar Module: Unit 2B. Independent Learning Resources
© Learning Centre University of Sydney. This Unit may be copied for individual student use.
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Now let's compare the writers in both the Essay and the Research Paper in Exercise 3 to
see when they used the tenses they did.
Present Tense Choices in the Essay & the Research Paper
Text 1: The Essay
Most of the Introduction has been written in the simple present tense. In the
Introduction the writer moves through 4 stages. He/She
1.
introduces us to the topic of the essay,
2.
states the purpose of the essay
3.
states his/her position on the topic
4.
outlines the scope of the paper.
With the exception of the opening sentence, all this is done in the present tense.

Purpose of stage

Tense

Example
give general background to topic
present perfect/simple
present
As television has been labelled as an
"influential teacher" by many professionals,
the claim that "modern children spend
more hours in front of television than they
spend at school" is definitely worth further
investigation.

state purpose
simple present
If it is found that the quality and content of
the children's programs promote the
development of social and cognitive skills
then these citations have, in fact, no
relevance.

state essay's thesis/position
simple present
Unfortunately, however, many studies
show that children's television is lacking
and is even, in some instances, harmful.
The devastating effects of T.V. violence on
the development of the children's
aggressive nature

state scope
simple present
is one of the main concerns when
evaluating the effects of T.V. on children.
In the Body of the essay, the writer again uses the simple present tense to describe the
way a particular piece of research is usually carried out (
paragraph 7
). This constitutes