Writing your first paper and unsure whether to write "we found" or "we find"? If English is not your first language, this question can feel especially slippery. The reassuring news is that the rule is consistent once you see the logic, so let's build it up section by section, with examples you can copy straight into your draft.
Here is the short version first. Use the past tense for your methods and results, switch to the present tense for your discussion and conclusions, and use the past or present perfect tense in your literature review. That one pattern covers almost every sentence you will write, and the rest of this guide simply explains why, section by section.
But first, let's clear up why the tense even changes. In a research paper, the tense signals whether you are describing something that happened, or stating something the field treats as generally true. Once you hold that idea in mind, every rule below follows naturally.
Quick answer: tenses by section
If you just need the answer, here is every section in one table. Keep it beside you as you write.
| Section | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Abstract | Mixed, mirroring the paper | This study examined… Results showed… These findings suggest… |
| Introduction | Present, with past for prior studies | Diabetes affects millions… Smith (2023) reported… |
| Literature review | Past or present perfect | Smith found… Researchers have shown… |
| Methods | Past | We recruited 120 participants. |
| Results | Past | Scores increased significantly. |
| Discussion | Present | These findings suggest… |
| Conclusion | Present, future for next steps | This study contributes… Future work should examine… |
APA sets out these conventions in its Publication Manual, as Royal Roads University's guide documents with page references. The sections below explain the reasoning behind each row.
The three tenses you actually need
Academic writing leans on just three tenses. Learn what each one signals, and you can handle almost any sentence with confidence.
The simple past describes a completed action at a definite time. For example: We measured blood pressure at baseline. The present perfect describes a past action with no specific time, or one that continues to now. For example: Researchers have studied this effect for decades. The simple present states something you treat as generally true. For example: Cognitive load increases with task complexity.
The future tense appears rarely in a finished paper. Even so, it works well for research proposals and for describing future directions.
Abstract
Your abstract compresses the whole paper, so its tenses mirror the paper's overall pattern. Describe what you did in the past tense, report your findings in the past tense too, and then state the implications in the present tense.
For example: This study examined recovery times. Patients in the intervention group recovered faster. These findings support early mobilisation. Our guide to writing an abstract covers the full structure.
Introduction
The introduction mixes tenses on purpose, because it does two jobs at once. Use the present tense for established knowledge and for the problem you are addressing, as in: Antibiotic resistance threatens global health.
Then switch to the past tense when you cite a specific study, as in: Chen (2022) identified three risk factors. Finally, state your aim in either the past or the present, since both This study examined… and This paper presents… read well.
Literature review
Here you have a genuine choice, and that choice carries meaning, so it is worth understanding. Use the past tense for what one specific researcher did, as in: Kumar (2021) surveyed 400 nurses. Use the present perfect for a body of work or a pattern across several studies, as in: Several studies have reported similar results.
Reserve the present tense for claims the field now accepts as settled, as in: Exercise reduces cardiovascular risk. That last point matters more than most authors realise, because the present tense implies consensus. So do not use it for a single recent study, or you would overstate its authority. Our literature review guide covers synthesis in more depth.
Methods
The methods section is the simplest of all. You completed the work before writing about it, so write the whole section in the past tense.
For example: We recruited participants from two clinics. Researchers coded the transcripts independently. One caveat applies. Some journals prefer the passive voice here, while others prefer the active, so check the author guidelines. Either way, keep the tense consistently past.
Results
Results follow the same logic as methods, so report what you found in the past tense. For example: Mean scores increased by 12 points. The difference reached significance.
Tables and figures behave differently, though. Refer to them in the present tense, because they exist right now on the page. For example: Table 2 shows participant characteristics.
Discussion
Now switch to the present tense, because in the discussion you interpret, and interpretation is a current act. For example: These results suggest that early intervention improves outcomes.
You will still move between tenses here, however. Use the past tense when you refer back to your own findings or to previous studies, as in: Our participants improved faster than the cohort Ahmed (2020) described. Keep the implications themselves in the present. Our guide to writing a strong discussion section explains the structure around this.
Conclusion
Conclusions sit in the present tense, where you state what your work contributes and what it means. For example: This study demonstrates that brief training improves accuracy.
Then use the future tense, or a modal verb such as "should," for next steps. For example: Future research should test this in larger samples.
Common tense mistakes
Scan this list before you submit, since each one is a frequent and avoidable slip.
- Drifting mid-section, especially in long methods sections.
- Reporting results in the present tense, which overstates certainty.
- Using the present tense for one recent study in the literature review.
- Writing methods in the future tense, which happens when authors reuse a proposal.
- Referring to tables in the past tense, such as "Table 3 showed."
- Mixing tenses inside a single sentence without reason.
Reviewers notice this quickly, so the paper reads as careless even when the science is sound. Our post on common grammatical errors in research papers covers related problems to watch for.
Why consistency matters more than perfection
Readers use tense as a signal. The past tense tells them you are describing an event, while the present tense tells them you are stating something the field accepts. So random shifts scramble that signal, and a reviewer then has to work harder to follow your argument.
APA makes the same point plainly: stay consistent within each section. Ontario Tech University's overview of APA tense recommendations sets out the section-by-section conventions in detail.
A quick self-check before you submit
Run these five checks on your draft:
- Read your methods section alone. Is every verb in the past tense?
- Read your results section alone. Ask the same question.
- Scan your discussion. Do the implications sit in the present tense?
- Check every reference to a table or figure. Are they all present tense?
- Search your literature review for present-tense claims. Can each one really be called settled?
These checks take about fifteen minutes. Moreover, they catch the errors reviewers see first.
Frequently asked questions
What tense should I use in a research paper? Use the past tense for methods and results, the present tense for discussion and conclusions, and the past or present perfect tense in the literature review. The abstract mirrors this pattern in compressed form.
Should the methods section be past or present tense? Past tense. You completed the work before writing about it, so describe what you did in the simple past, for example "We recruited 120 participants." Keep the tense consistent throughout the section.
Do I write results in past or present tense? Write results in the past tense, because you observed them at a specific time. However, refer to tables and figures in the present tense, for example "Table 2 shows participant characteristics."
Which tense should I use in a literature review? Use the past tense for what a specific researcher did, and the present perfect for a body of work across several studies. Reserve the present tense for claims the field treats as settled, since the present tense implies consensus.
Can I use future tense in a research paper? Rarely in a completed paper. The future tense suits research proposals and the future directions part of your conclusion, for example "Future research should examine longer follow-up periods."
Do verb tense rules differ between APA, MLA, and Chicago? The core conventions are similar across styles, and APA states them most explicitly. MLA writing in the humanities more often uses the literary present when discussing texts. Always follow your target journal's guidance where it differs.
Conclusion
Verb tenses follow a clear pattern in academic writing. Describe your work in the past tense, interpret it in the present tense, and handle the literature review with the past or present perfect, depending on how settled the finding is.
Above all, stay consistent within each section, and your reader will follow your argument far more easily, even if English is not your first language.
If English is your second language, tense drift is easy to miss in your own draft. PaperEdit's proofreading services catch these patterns across a full manuscript, and our formatting services align the rest of your paper to your target style.