Tense

English translation: the past tense

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Tense
Selected answer:the past tense
Entered by: airmailrpl

13:47 Aug 30, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Medical - Chemistry; Chem Sci/Eng
English term or phrase: Tense
Context: Analysis: On the infrared spectrum of this product there appeared a strong absorbing peak of O-H stretching vibration at 3386cm-1 and a C-O stretching vibration peak at 1205cm-1-, showing that there were phenolic hydroxyl groups in the molecule. There appeared C-H stretching vibration at 3003cm-1 and a C=C stretching vibration peak at 1619cm-1, proving that there were double bonds in the molecule. At 2961-2854cm-1 there were stretching vibration peaks of -CH3, CH2, and at 1455, 1408, 1372 cm-1 there were -C-C stretching vibration peaks, showing there were ¨CCH3 connected with heteroatoms in the structure. There appeared two peaks in the carbonyl peak area, among which the one at 1735cm-1 was the stretching vibration peak of the normal ester; the other at 1741cm-1 was a C=O stretching peak of a five-membered cyclic lactone that moved leftward and the lactone formed a conjugate with a phenyl ring. At 1300-1000cm- there were a C-O stretching vibration peak on the ester bond and a C-O-C stretching vibration peak on the ether. The above-mentioned characteristics showed that this product conforms to xxxxxx in the structure

Question: this is a paragraph from an Infrared Spectrometry test report. Should it in the present tense or the past tense? Honestly speaking I am so so sure. The tense is a problem for Chinese English learners. Please help!

TIA!
Jianming Sun
Local time: 06:13
the past tense
Explanation:
You are reporting a test that was already performed so it is in the past
Selected response from:

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 19:13
Grading comment
Thank you both for kind help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +9the past tense
airmailrpl
4 +1past, not present progressive
RHELLER


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +9
tense
the past tense


Explanation:
You are reporting a test that was already performed so it is in the past

airmailrpl
Brazil
Local time: 19:13
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Thank you both for kind help!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marie-Hélène Hayles: If you're describing the test procedure in general, you should use the present, but here as airmail says the test has already been performed, so the past tense is correct.
1 min
  -> thank you

agree  Lori Utecht/Vívian M Alves: yes - describing the steps that were taken need past tense. The one exception in your example might be that last sentence, when you want to say what we now know because of the test: "The above-mentioned char. show that this .. " but it's not necessary.
5 mins
  ->  thank you

agree  jennifer newsome (X)
9 mins
  ->  thank you

agree  Robert Donahue (X)
20 mins
  ->  thank you

agree  Kevin Kelly
34 mins
  ->  thank you

agree  jccantrell: Absolutely, he is describing test results from a test run, presumably, sometime in the past, so past tense.
35 mins
  ->  thank you

agree  RHELLER
1 hr
  ->  thank you

agree  Anne Grimes: Yes, I agree with the above explanations.
3 hrs
  ->  thank you

agree  Enza Longo
3 hrs
  ->  thank you
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
tense
past, not present progressive


Explanation:
why are you using the present progressive (ending in ING)?
use present tense or past (if action is completed)

which/that showed
which/that displayed
proved
stretched

and other "time indicators" like
after, afterwards, then, later, immediately following,

these give a clear picture of what happened first, second, etc.


Present Progressive Tense
Present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening at the same time the statement is written. This tense is formed by using am/is/are with the verb form ending in -ing.


The sociologist is examining the effects that racial discrimination has on society.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr 26 mins (2005-08-30 15:14:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

this example shows that it is happening NOW - does not apply to your case IMO

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs 40 mins (2005-08-30 20:28:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

suggestion - (did you verify that "strong absorbing peak" is correct?

On the infrared spectrum of this product there appeared a strong absorbing peak of O-H stretching vibration at 3386cm-1 and a C-O stretching vibration peak at 1205cm-1-. This showed that there were phenolic hydroxyl groups in the molecule. Then/also appeared C-H stretching vibration at 3003cm-1 and a C=C stretching vibration peak at 1619cm-1. This proved that there were double bonds in the molecule. At 2961-2854cm-1 there were stretching vibration peaks of -CH3, CH2, and at 1455, 1408, 1372 cm-1 there were -C-C stretching vibration peaks, showing there were ¨CCH3 connected with heteroatoms in the structure. Two peaks appeared in the carbonyl peak area, the one at 1735cm-1 was the stretching vibration peak of the normal ester; the other at 1741cm-1 was a C=O stretching peak of a five-membered cyclic lactone that moved leftward and the lactone formed a conjugate with a phenyl ring. At 1300-1000cm- there WAS a C-O stretching vibration peak on the ester bond and a C-O-C stretching vibration peak on the ether. The above-mentioned characteristics showed that this product conforms to xxxxxx in the structure



    Reference: /http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/tenses.html
RHELLER
United States
Local time: 16:13
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 11

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  jennifer newsome (X)
1 hr
  -> thanks Jen :-)

neutral  John Bowden: Certainly it should be in the simple past, but "proving" is a participle, not the present continuous, and is perfectly correct in the example given
7 hrs
  -> thanks John - I admit I read it too quickly, sorry
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search