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Verb Tense in Lab Reports. Writing Consultant Presentation EG 1003: Intro to Engineering and Design NYU ’ s Polytechnic School of Engineering. Verb Tense in Lab Reports. How verb tense works Primary verb tenses Avoiding common mistakes. Do not write reports like a story. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Verb Tense in Lab Reports
Writing Consultant PresentationEG 1003: Intro to Engineering and DesignNYU’s Polytechnic School of Engineering
Verb Tense in Lab Reports
How verb tense works
Primary verb tenses
Avoiding common mistakes
Do not write reports like a story
Abstract and introduction are not written with the future tense (will test)
Procedure (test!)
Data/observation is not the present (is tested)
Conclusion is not past tense (was tested)
Lab reports require different tenses
The format is a logical argument, not a chronological retelling
Laboratory work is finished
Writer is now an expert, supporting hypothesis
Most parts of the report refer to procedures, data, and observations in the past tense
Verb Tense in Lab Reports
How verb tense works
Primary verb tenses
Avoiding common mistakes
Report all action in past tense
A microphone was constructed by the team
The gear ratio was too large for the robot’s purpose
Common household objects were used to construct a microphone
General condition present
Things that are always true take the present tense:
Precision is the repeatability of the result.
Present also for all printed material:
The authors report their results in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Use conditional for hypotheses
Appropriate for conclusions:
Inverting the cup would have reduced heat loss.
Better wheels would improve the robot’s speed.
Breadboards should be used.
Use subjunctive for contrary to fact
If the car was lighter, it would have traveled farther.
If the car were lighter, it would have traveled farther.
Verb Tense in Lab Reports
How verb tense works
Primary verb tenses
Avoiding common mistakes
Passive voice is a mood, not a tense
The robot is found to be accurate, but not precise.
The robot was found to be accurate, but not precise.
The robot should be found to be accurate, but not precise.
Future is rare in lab reports
Future tense (“will construct”) implies certainty
No certainty in science until ideas are tested
Use conditional tense for things that might happen (even future work)
Use verbs consistently
Introduction
Procedure
Data/Observation
Conclusion
Present
Past
Past
Conditional/subjunctive
Verb Tense in Lab Reports
How verb tense works
Primary verb tenses
Avoiding common mistakes
