The verbal group: tenses

Past Tense Choices in the Essay & the Research Paper
The Essay
In the Essay there is very little shift to past time. When it does occur, it is not simple past
but the present perfect. Each of the instances indicates something that began in the past
but is still having an effect in the present.
The writer opens the Introduction with:
As television has been labelled as an 'influential teacher' by many professionals, the claim
that....
The use of the present perfect here indicates that television has been described in the
past as an "influential teacher" and continues to be described that way.
In the Conclusion the writer also says:
Although many controls and regulations have been introduced...

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Basic English Grammar Module: Unit 2B. Independent Learning Resources
© Learning Centre University of Sydney. This Unit may be copied for individual student use.
21
These "controls and regulations" were introduced in the past but are still in effect at the
time of writing.
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Exercise 8
Answer the questions after the text.
European occupation of Australia had a catastrophic impact on Aboriginal health. This
resulted in widespread population decline. The most significant cause of depopulation was
smallpox. Epidemics occurred in 1789 and 1829-­‐31. It was noted that about half of the
Aborigines in the neighbourhood of the first European settlement at Port Jackson had died
from smallpox by 1790. This is consistent with the mortality rates among previously
unexposed people in the Americas.
1.
Which tense is used most frequently in this text? Why?
..........................................................................................................................................
2.
Why does the writer use "had died" in the second to last sentence? What is this
tense called?
..........................................................................................................................................
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You can now check the answers in the Answer Key at the back of the unit.