If you’ve ever stared at a sentence in your literature review wondering, “Should this be ‘found’ or ‘finds’?”, you’re not alone. Graduate writers wrestle with verb tense all the time. It’s one of those small details that actually shapes how your readers understand the research conversation you’re joining. Let’s break down when to use past, present, and present perfect tense—and why it matters.
Why Verb Tense Matters in Research Writing
Your choice of verb tense signals whether something is a completed action, a current truth, or an ongoing research trend. That’s why APA Style (7th edition) encourages consistency across sections:
- Past or present perfect tense for literature reviews
- Past tense for results
- Present tense for implications and conclusions (American Psychological Association, 2020).
When Past Tense Is the Best Choice
Use past tense when describing what another researcher actually did—the methods, data collection, or specific findings. You’re reporting a completed study.
Correct:
- Brown (2020) found that early feedback improved student confidence.
- Johnson and Lee (2019) reported decreased motivation after week ten.
Incorrect:
- Brown (2020) finds that early feedback improves student confidence.
(This makes it sound like the study is still in progress.)
APA style recommends past tense for completed actions or studies (American Psychological Association, 2020).
When Present Tense Keeps the Idea Alive
Use present tense when focusing on what an idea or finding still means—part of ongoing scholarly understanding or accepted theory.
Correct:
- Brookfield (2017) argues that reflection enhances learning.
- Research supports the view that metacognition strengthens self-regulation.
Incorrect:
- Brookfield (2017) argued that reflection enhanced learning.
(This makes the idea sound outdated or no longer valid.)
Purdue OWL advises using present tense when discussing ideas that remain current (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2017).
When Present Perfect Connects Past and Present
Use the present perfect tense (has/have + past participle) when describing lines of research that started in the past and continue today.
Correct:
- Researchers have examined how social media influences student engagement.
- Scholars have explored strategies for building teacher resilience.
Incorrect:
- Researchers examined how social media influences student engagement.
(This implies the investigation ended long ago.)
This form highlights the ongoing nature of scholarly inquiry, especially useful in literature reviews (American Psychological Association, 2020; Wordvice, 2025).
Common Reporting Verbs for Academic Writing
To add variety and nuance, use reporting verbs that indicate the author’s stance or the strength of evidence. The APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) offers these categories:
| Tentative | Neutral/Descriptive | Strong/Assertive |
|---|---|---|
| suggested | reported | argued |
| implied | described | asserted |
| proposed | noted | demonstrated |
| speculated | explained | established |
Choosing your verbs carefully shows your critical engagement with the literature (American Psychological Association, 2020).
Quick Test for Your Writing
Ask yourself:
- Am I describing what the author did? → Use past tense
- Am I explaining what the idea or research still means? → Use present tense
- Am I referring to a continuing research trend? → Use present perfect tense
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2017). APA stylistics: Basics. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/verb_tenses/index.html
Wordvice. (2025, April 1). Verb tenses to use in a research paper. https://blog.wordvice.com/video-which-verb-tenses-should-i-use-in-a-research-paper/
