Are the 12 aspect combinations helpful for EAP?

The six most common academic uses of the present simple aspect are:

1. forming thesis statements

“This paper evaluates the impacts of second-hand smoking on the vulnerable population.”

2. referring to tables or figures

“The graph in figure four clearly demonstrates this increase.”

3. explaining the results of an experiment

“What these results tell us is that smoking is clearly having a damaging effect.”

4. introducing relevant source-based opinions

“Jones (2012) claims that this decrease is likely due to government campaigns.”

5. writing definitions, explanations and implications

“Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture of carcinogens and impurities.”

6. describing the findings or general ideas of a source

“Bowie’s (2020) analysis indicates a global decrease in smoking among all ages.”

The six most useful academic functions of the past simple aspect are:

1. referring to research results

“The results of the investigation were not as significant as hypothesised.”

2. introducing historical events

“In 1945, the second world war finally came to an end and the fighting stopped.”

3. reporting research processes

“Every participant was provided with a checklist that they had to complete.”

4. using words that indicate a past time

“After the publication, Smith (2020) continued his investigation into these high rates.”

5. providing topical background information

“The concept was coined in 1997 when Johnson published his first paper.”

6. providing the discredited opinions of a source

“Johnson (1997) argued that manufacturers should be blamed for the increased results, but it was later found that the responsibility lay squarely in government policy.”

Finally, the six most common academic uses of the present perfect aspect are:

1. summarising published research

“Many studies have reported an increase in pollution over the years.”

2. restating the thesis statement in the conclusion

“This paper has discussed the reasons for the increase in pollution over the last 50 years.”

3. indicating that something has changed over time

“Over the last few decades, this issue has increased to significantly detrimental levels.”

4. describing research that took place over an unspecific period of time

“Both Johnson and Smith have investigated these issues in significant detail.”

5. emphasising the importance of previous research to the situation today

“Why Johnson’s (2020) research is critical is that it has demonstrated a gap in the research.”

6. describing findings without citing the paper that conducted the research

“It has been clarified over the years that such high levels are unsustainable for human health.”

While the past simple, present simple and present perfect aspects may account for over 90% of all academic expressions, it is still worth mentioning a few other aspect, tense and modality combinations. In particular, students may find themselves needing to use the future simple aspect, especially when forming predictions (“there will be a strong correlation between…”), offering intentions (“the study will investigate…”) or providing hypotheses (“this may have a significant impact on…”).

Likewise, though the progressive aspect is rarely used in academic writing due to its informal tone, it is possible that its past-, present- or future-tense forms may still be required by academics when attempting to offer narrative descriptions (“While John Proctor is arriving at the court with Mary…”) or when relating events to each other in time (“Americans were still recovering from the attacks when…”).