Verb Tense in Lab Reports Writing Consultant Presentation

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 Ø Abstract and introduction are not written with the future tense (will test) Ø Procedure (test!) Ø Data/observation is not the present (is tested) Ø Conclusion is not past tense (was tested)

Lab reports require different tenses Ø The format is a logical argument, not a chronological retelling Ø Laboratory work is finished Ø Writer is now an expert, supporting hypothesis Ø 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 Ø A microphone was constructed by the team Ø The gear ratio was too large for the robot’s purpose Ø 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: ØInverting the cup would have reduced heat loss. ØBetter wheels would improve the robot’s speed. ØBreadboards 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 Ø Future tense (“will construct”) implies certainty Ø No certainty in science until ideas are tested Ø Use conditional tense for things that might happen (even future work)

Use verbs consistently Introduction Present Procedure Past Data/Observation Past Conclusion Conditional/subjunctive

Verb Tense in Lab Reports How verb tense works Primary verb tenses Avoiding common mistakes