To accommodate the information requirements of the discussion section, writers often use statements that are complex in grammatical structure-that is, that contain a main clause and a noun clause. Typically, the researcher's position is carried by the main clause while the information being reported is contained in the noun clause.
Verb Tenses Used in Discussion Statements
The verb tenses used in the discussion section depend on the type of information you want to present. Remember that the first information elements of the discussion refer specifically to the study and its findings. The verb tense most commonly used in referring to the purpose, the hypothesis, and the findings is the simple past.
NOTE: In some fields the present perfect tense may be used in referring to the purpose.
In discussion statements that explain possible reasons for, or limitations to, the findings, the past, present, or modal auxiliaries may be used. The choice depends on whether the explanation for the specific findings is restricted to your study (past) or whether it refers to a general condition (present). Modal auxiliaries may also be used to emphasize the speculative nature of these statements.
When comparing your findings to those of other researchers, use the present tense.
As you move from the specific considerations of your study to broader, more general statements about the importance of the study as a whole, use simple present tense and modal auxiliaries/tentative verbs.
Expressions Indicating the Researcher's Position
The main clause of a complex sentence in the discussion section often contains special expressions that indicate the researcher's own point of view, or position, towards the information contained in the noun clauses. At the beginning of the discussion section, certain expressions make it clear that you are reconsidering the hypothesis of your study.
Other expressions are typically used when you need to explain your findings.
Still other expressions are used when you wish to suggest the implications of your findings.
The language features of the abstract correspond to those we have already seen in the four major portions of the experimental research report. Here we briefly review the conventions that govern the use of verb tenses, tentative verbs, and modal auxiliaries.
SEE WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW
Pretest
An abstract from a report in the field of agronomy is given here. Fill in each blank space with any appropriate word.
