4 Science Research Writing 1.2 Grammar and Writing Skills Th is section deals with four language areas which are important in the Introduction: TENSE PAIRS SIGNALLING LANGUAGE PASSIVE/ACTIVE USE PARAGRAPHING 1.2.1 Tense pairs Present Simple/Present Continuous In order to use tenses correctly in the Introduction, you fi rst need to look at the diff erence between the way the Present Simple tense and the Present Continuous tense are used. Look at these two sentences: (a) I live in Beijing. Present Simple (b) I'm living in Beijing. Present Continuous (a) describes a permanent situation and (b) describes a temporary situation. Because of this, the Present Simple tense is used in science writing to state accepted facts and truths — but what qualifi es as an accepted fact or truth is oft en, surprisingly, your decision. Sometimes the writer considers that research fi ndings have the status of a fact; in that case, s/he can decide to state them in the Present Simple, usually followed by the appropriate research reference. Here is an example from the Introduction in Section 1.1:
Chapter 8