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Ajwrighter Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

past tense or future tense.

Recently I had written a paper and it was graded by a grad student. On the paper the comments "Stay in one tense. Do not use past AND future tense." were placed next to the Materials and methods title. Will someone point out exactly where both past and future tense is being used?

Introduction

The purpose of the exercise is to determine if there is a difference in using pH electrode or pH optical sensors when determining an unknown sample. A 95% confidence interval will be used as determined using values of both the pH electrode and the pH optical. Once the data has been collected a null and alternative hypothesis will be used to determine if the pH values collected are the same.

Materials and methods

In the procedure the following devices and materials where used; pH electrode, pH optical, Computer, unknown sample, DI water, 7 cuvettes, Phenol Red solution and two standard solutions ph 7.0 and 7.5. The two standard solutions were used to calibrate the pH electrode sensor. The pH electrode measured the unknown solution seven times using the 7 cuvettes. After each use the pH electrode sensor was rinsed with DI water so to prevent any contamination. The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve. The reference points used to create the formula from the calibration curve were derived from 2 cuvettes containing a clear solution. With the formula and the known values, the remaining values for the pH (optical pH sensor) and the Absorbance (pH electrode) could be determined. With the complete set of data (including mean, standard deviation etc…) a 95% confidence interval on the mean pH was conducted using both pH sensors. Finally a null and alternative hypothesis was created to determine if the difference between the pH (optical pH sensor) and the values of the pH (pH electrode sensor) are the same.
  

Top answer

Hi, welcome to EF. ] The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve. The reference points used to create the formula from the calibration curve were derived from 2 cuvettes containing a clear solution.

  • Hi, welcome to EF.
  • ] The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve.
  • The reference points used to create the formula from the calibration curve were derived from 2 cuvettes containing a clear solution.
  • With the formula and the known values...
  • ] Looks like you had to deal with the calibration curve later.
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5 Answers
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Hi,
welcome to EF.
I am a non-native speaker, but I tried to read your text very quickly, and I noticed this:
Ajwrighter[...] The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve. The reference points used to create the formula from the calibration curve were derived from 2 cuvettes containi
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He was right. Should have stayed just in the past, as this is a past experiement.

The purpose of the exercise is to determine if there is a difference in using pH electrode or pH optical sensors when determining an unknown sample. A 95% confidence interval will be used as determined using values of both the pH electrode and the pH optical. Once the d
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In an introduction, could it not be in future tense regardless if the material was in past tense. For instance; In a instructors manual regardless of how many times a person has already assembled the item, is the information not placed in a future/present tense format. The manual describes how you will approach the task with the given information not how you have already approached the informati
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If you know so well, why ask here?

The point is to be consistent and you weren't, IMHO:

After each use the pH electrode sensor was rinsed with DI water so to prevent any contamination. *The data recorded from the measurements will be used for determining the calibration curve.

should be replaced by:

After each use th
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Are these instructions on how to perform the experiment, or a report describing the results of the experiment?

Either way, you need to stick to one tense.

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