Hello, everyone. This is Emily from uni-edit answering today's question: what if the
journal editor tells you to use a specific verb tense in your introduction
section? Today's video will be about four minutes in length. Imagine that you've
just received feedback from your journal editor. You are anxious to make the
necessary corrections. However, in some cases you need a balance with what the
editor says and what they really mean. When you read the feedback from journal
editors, you might hear a statement like you should use X X X tense in your
introduction section. This might cause you, the writer, to feel as though you
must follow this suggestion explicitly, so you end up changing the verb tense in
all areas. The editor's statement might feel like it contradicts what you
learned from your professor or what you read in textbooks. Let me explain what is
going on. What the editor is trying to communicate is a bit more complex than
just changing verb tenses. when the journal asks for a tense, what they
really mean is: the rules of English grammar permit the author to choose from
various acceptable verb tenses. Where the rules of grammar allow options for the
author this journal prefers the xxx tense.
Although the tenses should be varied, as would naturally occur when communicating
in English. So what happens if the journal editor tells you to use a
specific tense in your introduction section? Basically the journal editors
comment should not be taken so literally or directly. To explain, here's an example.
This paragraph could be representative of the author's original work: I have
highlighted the verbs used in the original piece of academic writing. You
can see showed, found, discovered, obtained, argued, and showed again. Uh-oh! When the
editor returns their commentary, they tell the author to use present tense in
the introduction section. Sometimes academic
writers take the editors request to directly. Here is an example paragraph
for when the author changes too many verbs to present tense. I've highlighted
the verbs in this rewrite such as: contain, are, shows, are, argues. What we
need is a balanced edit. Ultimately, what the journal editor wants to read is
something more like this. Notice again, the verbs and verb phrases: have been
shown, debate, stating, claiming, argued, had shown. Here is the original piece of
academic writing and the balanced edit together. Notice the arrows pointing out
a few differences in the original and balanced writing. Showed became have been
shown. Argued stayed as argued. Showed became had shown.
Why is the journal editor asking for this if the writer begins using a
balance of verb tenses in the introduction section? This helps to show
which literature is still current and valid compared to which literature is
becoming or is already old or possibly outdated. This helps to
position your research within other research.
Although the writer didn't change every verb to the present tense, the overall
impression is that the present tense is being used, and therefore, that these
findings and debates are current and ongoing. That is the goal of the
suggestion that the editor made. Keep the findings current. Once again, this is
Emily from uni-edit. We hope you enjoyed this tip. Have a wonderful day