A thesis is not written in one tense. Chapter 1 mixes present and past, Chapter 2 reports past studies in the past tense, Chapter 3 is past once the study is finished, Chapter 4 is past, and Chapter 5 moves from past findings to present conclusions. The rule is set by whether the sentence describes a completed event or a state that still holds.
Most tense corrections a Philippine panel writes are not about grammar. They are about whether the sentence is describing something that happened once or something that is still true, and the wrong tense quietly makes the wrong claim. Every answer below is written so you can apply it to a single sentence without reading the rest of the page.
Why does tense change from chapter to chapter?
Because each chapter is doing a different job. Chapter 1 argues that a problem exists now. Chapter 2 reports what other people did before you. Chapter 3 records what you did. Chapter 4 records what you found. Chapter 5 says what is now known. Present tense means “this still holds”; past tense means “this happened and is finished”.
That single distinction resolves almost every case. Where your research manual states a rule, it overrides everything here — the manual is always the binding document, for tense exactly as it is for the five-chapter structure itself.
What tense should Chapter 1 be written in?
Mostly present, with past for anything already completed. The background of the study describes a situation that exists now, so it takes the present: “Senior high school students in the division face rising academic workloads.” Statistics you are citing take the past or present perfect: “Enrolment rose by 12 per cent between 2019 and 2024.”
The exception inside Chapter 1 is the paragraph where you cite earlier studies. Those go in the past, because those studies are finished — see the Chapter 2 rule below. The full section order and what belongs in each part is set out in the guide to writing Chapter 1 section by section.
What tense should the statement of the problem use?
Present tense for the questions themselves, and future or present for the aim, depending on when you are writing. A research question asks about a state of the world, so it is present: “What is the level of time-management practice among senior high school students?” That form does not change between the proposal and the final manuscript.
The sentence introducing the questions does change. In a proposal it is “This study will determine…”. In the final manuscript it becomes “This study determined…” or “This study sought to determine…”. Changing the introduction and forgetting the questions underneath it is a common half-edit that leaves the section reading as two different documents.
What tense should Chapter 2 be written in?
Past tense for what a study did and found; present tense for what is generally accepted or for what a theory says.
- Past: “Reyes (2024) surveyed 210 senior high school students and reported a moderate positive relationship.”
- Present perfect: “Several Philippine studies have reported moderate engagement in blended settings.” Use this when you are summarising a body of work rather than one study.
- Present: “Self-determination theory holds that autonomy, competence and relatedness drive motivation.” A theory is a standing claim, not a past event.
The mixed sentence is where students slip: “Reyes (2024) found that engagement is related to performance.” That is correct and deliberate — the finding was a past event, the relationship it describes is presented as still holding. If you are not prepared to defend the second half as still true, keep both halves in the past. Which verb you choose to carry that reporting is a separate decision covered in the guide to building Chapter 2 as a synthesis.
What tense should Chapter 3 be written in, and what changes after the proposal?
Past tense in the final manuscript, because the methodology is now something you did. Future tense in the proposal, because it is something you plan to do.
| Section | In the proposal | In the final manuscript |
|---|---|---|
| Research design | “This study will use a descriptive-correlational design.” | “This study used a descriptive-correlational design.” |
| Respondents | “The respondents will be 210 Grade 12 students.” | “The respondents were 210 Grade 12 students.” |
| Sampling | “Slovin’s formula will be applied to a population of 450.” | “Slovin’s formula was applied to a population of 450.” |
| Instrument description | “The questionnaire will consist of three parts.” | “The questionnaire consisted of three parts.” |
| What the instrument measures | “Part II measures time-management practice.” | “Part II measures time-management practice.” |
| Data gathering | “Permission will be secured from the school head.” | “Permission was secured from the school head.” |
| Statistical treatment | “Pearson’s r will be used to test the relationship.” | “Pearson’s r was used to test the relationship.” |
Read the fifth row again. The description of what a scale measures stays in the present, because the instrument still measures that thing — it did not stop when you finished collecting. That row is the single most-missed conversion in the whole chapter. The rest of the section-by-section content is covered in the guide to writing Chapter 3.
What tense should Chapter 4 be written in?
Past tense for your results, present tense for what the tables show.
“The respondents obtained a weighted mean of 3.42” is past — that is what happened when you computed it. “Table 4 presents the level of time-management practice” is present, because the table is presenting it right now, on the page in front of the reader. Both appear in the same paragraph and both are correct.
The interpretation sentence that follows is present or past depending on how far you are willing to generalise: “This indicates that the respondents practise time management at a high level” is present and stays inside your sample. Where each of those sentences sits in the three-move paragraph is set out in the guide to writing Chapter 4 table by table.
What tense should Chapter 5 be written in?
Findings in the past, conclusions in the present, recommendations in the present or imperative. “The respondents obtained a weighted mean of 3.42 on the time-management subscale” is a finding. “Senior high school students in the locale of the study practise time management at a high level” is the conclusion drawn from it, and it is present because you are stating what is now known.
That switch is the clearest tense signal in the whole manuscript, and it is also how a panel checks that you know the difference between a finding and a conclusion. The full procedure, including the alignment check, is in the guide to writing Chapter 5.
What tense does the abstract use?
Past tense for what you did and found, present tense for the conclusion. A standard Philippine abstract runs: purpose (past or infinitive — “This study determined…”), method (past), results (past), conclusion (present), recommendation (present).
The abstract is written last and is almost always the first thing an examiner reads, which makes it the worst place in the manuscript for a tense mistake. Read it aloud before you print. A sentence in the wrong tense is far easier to hear than to see.
Where does tense drift actually cost marks?
Four places, in order of how often a panel raises them.
- An unconverted proposal. Chapter 3 still says “will be” in a manuscript being defended. It reads as a document nobody reread, and it invites the panel to look for other things you did not reread.
- A finding written in the present. “The respondents practise time management at a high level” in the summary of findings is a conclusion sitting in the findings section. That is a structural error the tense revealed.
- A conclusion written in the past. “Students practised time management at a high level” limits your conclusion to the day you collected data, which undersells your own work.
- A theory in the past tense. “Maslow argued that needs were hierarchical” implies the theory has been superseded. If that is what you mean, say so; if not, use the present.
What is the one-page summary?
| Where | Default tense | The sentence that proves it |
|---|---|---|
| Abstract | Past, closing in present | “The study determined… The findings indicate that…” |
| Chapter 1 background | Present | “Students face rising workloads.” |
| Statement of the problem | Present | “What is the level of…?” |
| Chapter 2 studies | Past or present perfect | “Reyes (2024) reported…” |
| Chapter 2 theory | Present | “The theory holds that…” |
| Chapter 3 procedure | Past | “The questionnaire was administered…” |
| Chapter 3 instrument function | Present | “Part II measures…” |
| Chapter 4 results | Past | “The respondents obtained…” |
| Chapter 4 table reference | Present | “Table 4 presents…” |
| Chapter 5 findings | Past | “A significant relationship was found…” |
| Chapter 5 conclusions | Present | “Students practise…” |
| Recommendations | Present or imperative | “It is recommended that…” |
Convert the proposal into the manuscript without missing a section
Tesify keeps your proposal and your final chapters in one connected document, so the conversion from “will be” to “was” happens where you can see every section at once instead of hunting for the ones you missed. Over 9,000 students have written more than 15,000 chapters with it, and every word is still written by you.
Frequently asked questions
What tense should a thesis be written in?
Not one tense. Present for the background and the research questions, past for previous studies, past for methodology and results in the final manuscript, and present for conclusions. The test for any sentence is whether it describes a completed event or a state that still holds.
Is Chapter 3 written in past or future tense?
Future in the proposal, past in the final manuscript. “This study will use a descriptive-correlational design” becomes “This study used a descriptive-correlational design” once the data is collected. The exception is any sentence describing what an instrument measures, which stays in the present.
Why is my Chapter 3 still in the future tense?
Because it was written as a proposal and never converted. It is the most common tense fault in a defended manuscript, and it is a mechanical fix: work through the chapter section by section rather than relying on a single find-and-replace.
What tense is the review of related literature?
Past tense for what a study did and found, present perfect for a body of work, and present tense for a theory or an accepted definition. “Santos (2024) reported”, “several studies have reported”, and “the theory holds that” are all correct in the same chapter.
Should research questions be in the present tense?
Yes. “What is the level of time-management practice among Grade 12 students?” asks about a state of the world and does not change between the proposal and the final manuscript. Only the sentence that introduces the questions changes.
What tense is used for results?
Past tense for what you found and present tense for what a table does. “The respondents obtained a weighted mean of 3.42” and “Table 4 presents the level of practice” belong in the same paragraph and are both correct.
Are conclusions written in the present or past tense?
Present. A conclusion states what is now known about the variable, not what happened during data collection. Writing it in the past limits your own conclusion to the day you collected the questionnaires.
What tense should the abstract use?
Past for the purpose, method and results, present for the conclusion and recommendation. Write it last, then read it aloud, because a tense mistake in an abstract is the first thing an examiner sees.
Do I write “the researcher will” or “the researchers conducted”?
Tense follows the stage: “will” in the proposal, past in the manuscript. Whether you use “the researcher”, “the researchers” or the passive is a separate question your research manual decides, and manuals in the Philippines differ on it.
Does APA 7th have a rule on tense?
APA recommends past or present perfect for the literature review and the method, and present tense for discussing results and drawing conclusions. Your school’s research manual sits above that, so check it first where the two differ.
How do I check tense quickly before submitting?
Search Chapter 3 for “will” and convert every hit that describes your own procedure. Then read your summary of findings and your conclusions side by side: the first list should be past, the second present. Those two passes catch most of it.
Is it wrong to mix tenses in one sentence?
No, and some sentences require it. “Reyes (2024) found that engagement is related to performance” puts the study in the past and the relationship in the present on purpose. Mixing is only a fault when it is unintended.