There doesnt seem to be a definitive rule to using either present or past tense i.e. , though switching from one to the other can be problematic and should only be done within grammatical conventions. I tend to get into all sorts of tangles with tense, so i try to be consistent and use the present tense. It feels more immediate and dynamic, centralising the key arguments within contemporary debate rather than the historical perspectives of individual academics. From a doctoral perspective, this approach seems favourable to the role of the literature review in enabling the emerging researcher to locate herself within the key debates she has chosen to explore, and to developing an active rather than passive voice. The only occasion i tend to use the past tense is when a specific historical or developmental context becomes the key focus, such as describing a change of opinion or evolution of an idea or concept. For example: …seems to be a significant re evaluation of the perspective she adopted in her previous study smith, 1989 , when she argued… this entry was posted on thursday, may 5th, 2011 at pm and is filed under posts.

Or trackback from your own site. i actually have less trouble with the literature review because it makes sense to say, he or she wrote rather than he or she writes. What really gets dicey is writing up your results as i have both what i observed and how i interpret that past and present. Fortunately this is an area where my committee members excel my dissertation is in workplace writing so they all have some background in writing. I admit using the present tense in reviewing literature can seem counterintuitive. Review it can be problematic when describing methodology and findings, especially if one is trying to develop a highly recursive and reflective narrative. Disability studies has a convention of using the active voice, where biblical studies does not.

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Thats a whole new discussion! my feeling is the use of i is less reliant on consistency for or against, but can be used strategically or appropriately, such as emphasising assertiveness or clarifying personal opinion or actions. The debate generated such interest that andy coverdale wrote an entry on his blog clarifying the social science by melanie dawson amp joe essid when you write an essay, an exam answer, or even a short story, you will want to keep the verbs you use in the same tense. Mallory sees her returning son and, in her excitement, twisted her ankle rather badly. In this example, the verb twisted is the only verb that appears in the past tense.

It should appear in the present tense, twists, or the other verbs should be changed to the past tense as well. the literary present when you quote directly from a text or allude to the events in a story as in a brief plot summary , you should use the literary present. We write about written works as if the events in them are happening now, even though the authors may be long dead. Annie dillard wrote pilgrim at tinker creek when she lived in virginia's mountains. Is a deliberate gift, the revelation of a dancer who for my eyes only flings away her seven veils 17.

Here, both wrote and lived are in the past tense since they refer to dillard's life, not her writings. Contends, however, appears in a statement about dillard's writing, so it is in the present tense. Mallard, in the story of an hour, whispers 'free, free, free!' after learning of her husband's supposed death.

The above examples are a plot summary and a direct quotation, both of which use the literary present. You can remember to write about literature in the present tense because you are currently reading or thinking about it. Every time you open a book it seems as though the events are currently happening every time you read an essay it is as though you are currently speaking to the writer.

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If you are writing a paper in another subject, notably the sciences and social sciences, these rules will not necessarily apply. In history classes, for example, the events you are writing about took place in the past, and therefore you should use the past tense throughout your paper. However, if you are citing articles in the paper, as you probably should, then you should check with your professor to see if he or she would prefer that you use the literary present or the past tense when referring to these articles.

Verb tenses tell readers when events or actions occured in time mdash in the past, present, or future. The present tense is used to express anything that is happening now or occurring in the present moment. Present participle add ing to the verb you have seen that movie many times. have you seen that movie many times? you have not seen that movie many times. We use the present perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. You cannot use the present perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when i was a child, when i lived in japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We can use the present perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

have you read the book yet? nobody has ever climbed that mountain. A: has there ever been a war in the united states? b: yes, there has been a war in the united states. It is best to associate present perfect with the following topics: you can use the present perfect to describe your experience. You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. Maybe you have been there once, or several times. i have been to france three times.